Blog · November 9, 2026
Korean convenience store food and drinks: what to try
The Korean convenience store food and drinks foreign visitors bought most in 2025 were banana milk, Greek yogurt, gamdongran eggs, strawberry milk and a highball can, based on CU and GS25 sales data. Add a triangle kimbap (about 1,200–1,600 won in recent news reports) and a cup ramyeon with the store's hot water, and you have a full meal. There are about 53,000 stores of the four big chains, so one is almost always on your corner.
The four chains
You'll see CU (purple), GS25 (blue), 7-Eleven and emart24 everywhere. Together they had 53,266 stores at the end of 2025. Each chain has its own house brands, so the same snack shelf looks a little different from store to store. Opening hours depend on the store, so check the sign on the door.
What foreign visitors actually buy
Financial News looked at 2025 sales to foreign customers at CU and GS25 (bottled water left out). The lists, in the order the article gives them:
| CU | GS25 |
|---|---|
| Binggrae banana milk | Binggrae banana milk |
| Hansonhanggi chocolate (a drink-style meal) | Gamdongran (soft-boiled seasoned egg) |
| Binggrae strawberry milk | Yozm Greek yogurt (blueberry) |
| Peaceminusone highball | Pocari Sweat |
| Melona-flavored milk | Binggrae strawberry milk |
| Banana milk Light | Yours Yakult Grand |
| My Pick yogurt with cookie ring |
Financial News, February 14, 2026. The article quotes slightly different rank numbers in its text, so read this as "the top group", not an exact order.
The Greek yogurt is the one to watch. GS25 said that from January to September 2025 it passed banana milk among foreign shoppers paying with Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay. It went viral on Chinese social media.
Korean convenience store food for a quick meal
- Triangle kimbap (삼각김밥): rice and a filling wrapped in seaweed. Tuna-mayo is the classic — GS25 says it sells over 50 million of its tuna-mayo a year. A 7-Eleven one was 1,200 won and a CU one 1,600 won in 2025–26 news reports; prices vary by filling. All three big chains renewed their rice in 2026 without raising prices.
- Dosirak (lunch box): rice with several side dishes. Ask for it to be heated, or use the microwave by the window.
- Cup ramyeon: there is a hot water machine in most stores. Tear the lid to the line, fill, wait about three minutes.
- Han River ramyeon: some stores have an instant ramyeon cooker. You buy a packet and a paper bowl, and the machine boils it for you. CU runs "Ramyeon Library" stores with these at the Han River bus piers (Yeouido, Jamsil, Ttukseom, Oksu, Apgujeong, Mangwon, Magok), plus its Hongdae and Myeongdong Station stores.
Korean convenience store drinks
Banana milk is still number one at both chains (I wrote a whole post on banana milk). One trend you may have seen online: banana milk poured over ice with hazelnut coffee, sold on social media as a "Korean Frappuccino". Other easy picks are strawberry milk, Pocari Sweat and the yogurt drinks in the fridge. For drinks with ice, buy a cup of ice from the freezer and pour a pouch drink in.
My tip: look at the colored stickers on the shelf. "1+1" means buy one, get one; "2+1" means buy two, get a third free. They change every month. Also, eat inside at the window counter if there is one — it's normal here, and the microwave and hot water are right there.
Questions
What is the most popular Korean convenience store food for tourists?
The most popular Korean convenience store item for tourists in 2025 was Binggrae banana milk, first at both CU and GS25. Gamdongran eggs, Greek yogurt, strawberry milk and a highball can were also near the top.
How much is triangle kimbap at a Korean convenience store?
Triangle kimbap at a Korean convenience store cost about 1,200 to 1,600 won in 2025–26 news reports. The price depends on the chain and the filling.
Can you cook ramyeon in a Korean convenience store?
Yes. Most Korean convenience stores have hot water for cup ramyeon, and some have an instant ramyeon cooker for packet noodles, such as CU's Ramyeon Library stores at the Han River bus piers.