Blog · November 7, 2026
Daiso Korea tax refund: the Myeongdong store
Yes, you can get a Daiso Korea tax refund: spend 15,000 won or more on one receipt at a Tax Free store and show your passport at the counter. The easy one for tourists is the 12-floor Daiso Myeongdong Station store, which added on-site tax refunds in 2024. The catch is that Daiso is cheap, so you need to pile a lot into one basket.
Tax refund rules in one table
These are Korea's general rules for tourist tax refunds. They are not Daiso's own rules, so they apply at any Tax Free shop.
| Who | Non-Korean visitors staying in Korea less than 6 months |
|---|---|
| Minimum spend | 15,000 won per receipt |
| Instant refund at the till | Each payment under 1,000,000 won, 5,000,000 won total for the trip |
| Bring | Your passport (the real one) |
| Leave Korea | Within 3 months of the purchase date |
| Goods | New and unopened when you leave |
Korea Tourism Organization (VisitKorea) tax refund guide, last updated October 21, 2025, checked November 7, 2026. The amount you get back depends on the refund company's table, so I'm not giving a percentage.
How it works at Daiso
- Look for "Tax Free". Daiso's own store finder tags the Myeongdong Station store as Tax Free. Not every small Daiso is.
- Put everything on one receipt. The 15,000 won minimum is per receipt, not per day. Two baskets of 9,000 won each get nothing back.
- Say "tax refund" before you pay and hand over your passport. At the Myeongdong Station store you can usually pay the tax-free price right there. Otherwise you get a refund receipt to process at the airport.
- Don't open it all in the hotel. Refunded goods are supposed to leave Korea new and unopened. Customs can ask to see them.
My tip: since almost everything at Daiso costs 5,000 won or less, 15,000 won means a proper haul. Do Daiso near the end of your trip, in one go, with a list. Popping in "just for face masks" usually ends at 8,000 won and no refund.
Daiso Myeongdong Station store
- Address: 134-1 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (서울 중구 퇴계로 134-1), next to Myeongdong Station on Line 4.
- Size: a whole building, floors 1 to 12, about 500 pyeong (around 1,650 m²). It's Seoul's second-biggest Daiso after the Express Bus Terminal store in Gangnam.
- Which floor: when it reopened in 2023, floor 1 was checkout and seasonal goods, floor 2 beauty, floors 3–4 stationery, floor 5 food. The layout may have changed since, so check the board by the lift.
- Hours: Daiso's store finder doesn't list them. Travel guides give 10:00–22:00 daily for Myeongdong Daiso. Check Naver Map before a late visit.
Heads up: there is more than one Daiso around Myeongdong. If you want the big one, search "다이소 명동역점" (Myeongdong Station branch) in Naver Map, not just "Daiso".
What tourists actually buy
Korea Economic Daily looked at foreign card spending at Daiso's Myeongdong store in April 2026. Spending was mostly on beauty and food. The top items were:
- Snacks: Samlip mini honey yakgwa (a sweet fried honey cookie), honey butter almonds & peanuts, Hershey chocolate chip mochi cookies.
- Beauty: VT PDRN sheet masks, then two Vaseline sheet masks (intensive moisture and hydration).
Foreign card payments at Daiso as a whole grew 60% in 2025 and another 70% in the first three months of 2026, so expect a crowd on the beauty floor.
Questions
Does Daiso Korea have tax refund?
Yes. Daiso Korea has tax refund at stores marked Tax Free, including the Myeongdong Station store. You need at least 15,000 won on one receipt and your passport.
Is Daiso Korea tax free?
Daiso Korea is not a duty-free shop, but its Tax Free stores refund part of the VAT to foreign visitors. Spend 15,000 won or more on one receipt and show your passport at the counter.
Where is Daiso Myeongdong?
Daiso Myeongdong Station store is at 134-1 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, beside Myeongdong Station on Line 4. It fills a 12-floor building.