Chinese tourists are increasingly visiting Seoul for duty-free shopping and K-beauty services, with several outlets linking the trend to the Korean won’s weakness against major currencies. In late April, for example, Chelsea Wang and two friends spent most of a three-and-a-half-day trip focused on duty-free purchases, beauty treatments, hair salons, and cosmetics stores rather than major sightseeing. Wang said she brought a shopping list and expected lower prices in South Korea, estimating that items such as a backpack and perfume cost at least about 500 yuan less than similar purchases in China when discounts, tax refunds, and exchange-rate factors are included. Another traveler, Wu, who plans to marry, reported buying a Chaumet wedding ring at Lotte Duty Free in Seoul’s Myeong-dong for around 37,000 yuan after applying discounts, tax refunds, and favorable exchange rates. She said this worked out to roughly 11,000 yuan less than the same purchase in China. The reporting attributes the perceived savings to currency dynamics, noting that the won remains weak, with the exchange rate cited as about 226 won per yuan on average in June versus about 209 in January.
Weak won and K-beauty drive Chinese shoppers to Seoul duty-free and cosmetics
Chinese tourists are increasingly visiting Seoul for duty-free shopping and K-beauty services, with several outlets linking the trend to the Korean won’s weakness against major currencies. In late Apr...
- Chinese tourists in Seoul focus on duty-free shopping and K-beauty services, with less time spent on sightseeing.
- Shoppers say discounts, tax refunds, and exchange rates reduce prices versus buying in China.
- Example purchases include cosmetics and a Chaumet wedding ring from Lotte Duty Free in Myeong-dong, with reported savings after factoring exchange rates.
- Travelers cite the Korean won’s weakness as a key reason purchases appear cheaper.
- Reporting notes a weaker won relative to the yuan in June compared with January.
When Chelsea Wang travelled to Seoul with two friends in late April, they barely visited any of the city’s palaces or tourist attractions. Instead, their three-and-a-half-day itinerary revolved around duty-free shopping, beauty treatments, hair salons and cosmetics stores. Wang arrived with a shopping list of her own: a backpack she estimated would cost at least 500 yuan ($70) less than in China, and a bottle of perfume at a similar discount. One of her friends, Wu, a 28-year-old white-collar...
1 month agoWhen Chelsea Wang travelled to Seoul with two friends in late April, they barely visited any of the city's palaces or tourist attractions. Instead, their three-and-a-half-day itinerary revolved around duty-free shopping, beauty treatments, hair salons and cosmetics stores. Wang arrived with a shopping list of her own: a backpack she estimated would cost at least 500 yuan ($70) less than in China, and a bottle of perfume at a similar discount. One of her friends, Wu, a 28-year-old white-collar worker from China who was preparing for marriage, had an even bigger purchase planned. After comparing prices, she bought a Chaumet wedding ring at Lotte Duty Free in Seoul's Myeong-dong neighborhood for about 37,000 yuan after discounts, tax refunds and favourable exchange rates were figured in — roughly 11,000 yuan less than she would have paid in China. "It was really quite a good deal," Wu said. Their purchases came as the Korean won has remained weak against major currencies over the past year. One yuan was worth an average of about 226 won in June, compared with around 209 won in January, acc
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