"Not Just Olive Young"... Word-of-Mouth Drives Foreigners to Pharmacies, Spending Surges 156%

Surge in Foreign Tourists Visiting Pharmacies During Golden Week and Labor Day Holidays

Changing Shopping Destinations for Foreign Visitors

Shift from Cosmetics to Broader Health and Beauty Products

It has been found that spending by foreign tourists at pharmacies in Korea has surged. Following 'Oldamu' (Olive Young, Daiso, and Musinsa), pharmacies are also emerging as essential shopping destinations for foreign visitors.

Myeongdong Street, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to an analysis by Orange Square, a payment platform exclusively for foreigners, of payment data from its WowPass service on May 12, total card spending during the golden holiday period from April 29 to May 6 increased by approximately 18% compared to the previous year. In Japan, April 29 to May 6 is the Golden Week period, while in Greater China, May 1 to 5 is the Labor Day holiday.

"Korean Cosmetics Are Great"... Pharmacies Become New Shopping Destinations Thanks to SNS Buzz

In particular, payments at pharmacies saw the highest growth, jumping 156% year-on-year. This is attributed to the increasing popularity of products such as acne treatments, hangover remedies, and functional cosmetics sold at Korean pharmacies, which have been widely shared on social media, leading pharmacies to become new shopping hotspots for foreign tourists. In fact, large pharmacies targeting foreign demand have been opening one after another in areas such as Myeongdong and Gangnam in Seoul.

The growth rate of pharmacy payments reached 188% in 2024 and 156% last year, marking triple-digit growth for three consecutive years. The average transaction amount per purchase was calculated at about 47,000 won. The consumption pattern was characterized by multiple purchases of relatively low-priced products, mainly health supplements and quasi-drugs. The main areas for these payments were tourist hotspots densely populated by foreigners, such as Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gangnam, and Seongsu in Seoul.

Orange Square analyzed, "As foreign tourists’ shopping interests expand from primarily cosmetics to the broader health and beauty sector, pharmacies are emerging as new shopping destinations." Payment amounts at dermatology clinics also increased by 29% year-on-year.

Tourists visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul last April. Photo by Yonhap News

Increase in Foreign Tourists Revisiting Korea and Exploring Regional Areas

The number of foreigners revisiting Korea has also increased. The number of repeat users who reused previously issued WowPass cards rose by 44% compared to last year, and, for the first time, the proportion of repeat users surpassed that of new users this year.

Foreign tourists are increasingly traveling beyond Seoul to regional destinations as well. During the holiday period, 38% of card payments in Busan and 40% in Jeju were made using cards with no previous payment records in Seoul, indicating a growing trend of foreign tourists traveling directly to regional cities.

Orange Square stated, "It is becoming increasingly common for foreign tourists to choose not only Seoul but also regional cities such as Busan and Jeju as travel destinations," and added, "We plan to enhance our payment infrastructure and services to accommodate the expanding regional consumption of foreign tourists."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.