"I Came to Korea to Buy This": Surge in Tourists Spurs Interpreters as K-Pharmacies Become a Must-Shop Destination

Pharmacy Purchases by Foreign Tourists Reach 142 Billion Won in First Half of This Year

Tailored Services: Interpreters and Overseas SNS Marketing in Use

Concerns Mount Over Insufficient Medication Guidance and Potential Misuse Amid Tourism

"I heard this is something you absolutely have to buy when visiting Korea."

On the afternoon of July 28, at a large pharmacy in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, a Chinese tourist named Xin Yu Li (23) showed a photo of a product saved on her smartphone to a staff member while looking for painkillers and skin-soothing products. The staff member, fluent in Chinese, explained that other products containing different ingredients are also popular. A couple from Thailand, Chaisawa (37) and Siriphon (32), said, "You never know when you might not feel well while traveling, so we stopped by to prepare in advance. Korean pharmacies offer a wide variety of medicines with the same effects, which makes browsing enjoyable."

Foreign tourists are entering a large pharmacy near Hongdae Entrance Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Ji-eun Oh

As the number of foreign tourists surges, domestic pharmacies are emerging as a new "shopping destination." Pharmacies are competing to attract tourists by deploying interpretation staff and engaging in marketing through overseas social networking services (SNS). However, concerns are mounting about insufficient medication guidance due to language barriers as well as the potential for bulk purchases and misuse of pharmaceuticals.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization on July 31, spending on pharmacies by foreigners in Korea soared from 7.6266 billion won in 2021 to 125.56 billion won last year, an almost 17-fold increase. Last year's spending more than doubled compared to the previous year, and in the first half of this year alone, it already reached 142.086 billion won—surpassing last year's annual total.

Several factors are cited as reasons for the popularity of domestic pharmacies: trust in Korean pharmaceuticals, a wide range of products, and a convenient purchasing environment. As K-beauty and health products gain exposure on SNS, more tourists are seeking out specific medicines, and the appeal of purchasing both skincare and health products at a single pharmacy is seen as a key factor. Pharmacies are intensifying their competition to attract tourists—regularly hiring foreign students or language majors as interpreters, while pharmacists themselves are learning brief foreign language phrases needed for product explanations.

Another large pharmacy in Myeongdong placed brochures at the entrance introducing its products and the pharmacy itself in Chinese, Japanese, and English. Near the entrance, there was one currency exchange kiosk and two value-added tax (VAT) refund kiosks for foreigners. The pharmacy also employs dedicated staff for a free skin analysis service operated by reservation, with five interpreters who speak Chinese and Japanese present at all times. Since January, the pharmacy has also been running a Xiaohongshu account, posting short video content to attract Chinese customers via SNS. They have even assigned a marketing staff member specifically to attract social media customers.

A pharmacy near Gwangjang Market in Jongno-gu, although not a major pharmacy chain, hired a Chinese interpreter as soon as it opened last fall. Pharmacist Lee (30) said, "It wasn't intentional to target Chinese customers, but the number of tourists visiting the pharmacy after shopping at Gwangjang Market has increased, so the need for foreign language support for product explanations and purchase guidance has grown." Pharmacies around Hongdae Entrance Station in Mapo-gu are also taking active steps. Four pharmacies in the area have put up large signs in simplified Chinese characters reading "Medicine" or "Pharmacy" on their store signs or windows.

Foreign tourists are browsing products at a large pharmacy in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Chinese, Japanese, and English-speaking staff are available here, and currency exchange machines and foreigner value-added tax refund kiosks are provided. Photo by Ji Eun Oh

However, with the rapid increase in pharmacy visits by foreigners, concerns about pharmaceutical safety management have also been raised. Even over-the-counter medications can cause adverse reactions due to drug interactions with other medicines being used, or based on the individual’s health status. However, sufficient guidance may not be provided due to language barriers.

There have also been cases where over-the-counter medication ingredients have been abused for criminal purposes. In some countries, cold medicines containing ingredients like ephedrine are strictly controlled, as they can be used as precursors to manufacture methamphetamine (commonly known as "philopon"). Kim Dae-gyu, Director of the Korea Drug Abuse Prevention Education Institute and former head of narcotics investigation at Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency who investigated the drug offender Wang-Yeol Park, pointed out, "There was a case where someone in Korea was caught attempting to mass-purchase cold medicine to manufacture methamphetamine. The possibility cannot be dismissed that large purchases of cold medicine by foreigners could be abused for ingredient extraction or for being smuggled overseas."

Potential side effects resulting from bulk purchases are also a concern. Sunjeong Kim, Professor of Health Administration and Management at Soonchunhyang University, stated, "Even over-the-counter drugs can cause unexpected side effects if taken excessively or in combination with other medications. As the number of foreign tourists grows, it is increasingly important to provide accurate medication guidance and to ensure prevention of pharmaceutical misuse and abuse."

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