Korea’s Biggest Beauty Stores

Korea Is The Undisputed Beauty Capital Of The World And With K-beauty Exploding Overseas It’s No Surprise That There Are Literally Countless Shops Devoted To Korean Beauty In Korea.

Today, we’re talking Korea’s biggest beauty stores. If you've visited Korea in the past, you might recall stores like Watsons and LOHBs. Unfortunately, those all shut down during the pandemic and post-pandemic period. Sephora also sadly exited Korea in 2024. That means there is a lot less choice for places to shop than there used to be and a proliferation of certain stores (like Olive Young) to the exclusion of others.

BUT! It's not all bad news. Let's take a look at the K-Beauty landscape in 2025:

K-beauty In Korea

In a country with an estimated 13,000 skincare companies, shopping K-Beauty in Korea can be overwhelming - there are department stores stocking all the high-end brands, endless pop-ups in places like The Hyundai Seoul (더현대 서울), Hong Dae (홍대) and Seongsu (성수동) and a range of flagship stores for various beauty brands around the city.

To maximise your shopping time, our Seoul Team is introducing us to Korea’s biggest beauty stores. These are the best K-Beauty stores to hit up if you’re shopping in Seoul!

The Must Know

In 2025, Korea has much fewer ranges of chain stores than in previous years. These days, the big players left in the market are Olive Young and Chicor. Other retailers also stock a range of Korean beauty products as well.

If you’re wondering where to find these in Seoul, get our comprehensive Guide here.

Olive Young

Olive Young (올리브영) is Korea’s version of Priceline (Ulta in the US).

It stocks everything from supplements and skincare, to cosmetics and accessories. Olive Young is also a known incubator for new brands, featuring the hottest K-Beauty products before they get famous!

The selection varies from store to store, but you’ll usually find popular Korean labels like Leaders, Son & Park, Neogen, Dr Jart, Clio, Papa Recipe and CNP.

Olive Young also stocks a range of other Asian brands, including Japanese labels like Kate, Majolica Majorca, K-Palette and Meg Rhythm.

You’ll find the big western drugstore brands too: Avene, Cetaphil, La Roche Posay, Physiogel, Eucerin, Nivea, Neutrogena and more.

Look out for big Olive Young stores at Ewha Women’s University, Myeong-dong and Garosugil.

Chicor

Run by the Shinsegae conglomerate, the Chicor chain is what beauty-holic dreams are made of, combining an eye-watering range of the most popular Western and Asian cosmetics.

The stores are perfect for playing – shop assistants largely stay out of your way while you test everything. Chicor also runs demonstrations and beauty classes, and you can even book to have your makeup done K-style while you’re there.

At Chicor you’ll find Western labels (Benefit, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Nars, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Dermalogica), Japanese brands (Kose, Kiss Me, Kenzo, Dejavu, Shu Uemura), plus K-Beauty favourites like Klairs, Huxley, 3CE, Hera, Berrisom, Lagom, April Skin, Lindsay, Espoir, Dr Jart, Peripera, Labiotte, Neogen, Pony Effect, I’m Meme and Erborian.

You’ll find Chicor stores across Korea in Gangnam, Shinsegae Centum City, COEX, Yongsan and Times Square (Yeongdeungpo). Watch our Chicor store tour vlog here.

Aland

Although not strictly a cosmetics store (it stocks clothes, shoes and accessories), Aland (에이랜드) it does often stock products beloved by indie beauty fans, like Klairs, Benton and Heimish.

Not all Aland stores stock cosmetics though. For the best selection, head to Myeong-dong or Garosu-gil locations. 

BeautyPlay

BeautyPlay is a new government-sponsored cultural space for K-Beauty with locations in Myeong-dong and Hongdae. While they don’t sell products directly, you can try indie brands and scan QR codes to shop online. There are also experiences like skin analysis and makeup classes.

Don’t Forget To Claim Your Tax Refunds!

Korea charges 10% sales tax on all products, but tourists are exempt! You can claim in store at major areas like Myeong-dong and Ewha Women’s University (just bring your passport) or at the airport when you depart. Ask for a special receipt and show it to get your refund – woohoo!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

STYLE STORY – Your Go-To for K-Beauty Since 2014