Are you one of those who tend to go a little crazy with the shopping in Korea, yet can’t afford to lug back a 50kg luggage?
The best solution you have is to ship as much as you can back to your home country via Korea Post!
About This Guide
If you’re anything like me, it’s very easy to underestimate how much shopping you’ll do in Korea. Clothes, skincare, snacks and souvenirs don’t seem particularly bulky when you’re buying them one at a time, but somehow they turn into an alarming amount of luggage by the end of the trip.
That’s how I first ended up using Korea Post.
I was in Korea for summer school and quickly realised that fitting everything into my luggage allowance wasn’t going to happen. I was initially quite nervous about sending an entire box of shopping home, especially when my Korean wasn’t particularly good, but the actual process turned out to be much easier than I’d expected. I’ve since used Korea Post again on subsequent Korea trips, including from Seoul Central Post Office in Myeongdong.
This guide is based on those experiences and covers the entire process, from finding a post office and buying a box to completing the shipping information, choosing a postal service and finally tracking your parcel home. I’ve also included the mistakes I’d avoid, what you shouldn’t put inside your parcel and the things I’d prepare before walking into the post office.
Who Is This Guide For?
This guide is mainly for tourists who have done a little too much shopping in Korea and are wondering whether they can simply post everything home instead of paying for additional airline baggage.
It’s particularly useful if you’ve never used Korea Post before, don’t speak much Korean or are worried about filling in the international shipping information correctly. I remember having many of the same concerns the first time I tried it, particularly because I was sending a fairly substantial amount of my shopping back to Singapore.
You may also find this useful if you’re staying in Korea for several weeks, studying abroad or moving between several cities and don’t want to carry everything you’ve bought for the rest of the trip.
Korea Post isn’t necessarily the cheapest solution in every situation, so I would still compare the postage cost against what your airline charges for additional baggage. However, for bulky purchases that you don’t immediately need, being able to send a box home can make the rest of your trip considerably easier.
Key Takeaways
- Korea Post can be a practical alternative to paying for additional airline baggage, particularly if you’ve accumulated bulky shopping that you don’t need during the rest of your trip.
- EMS is the express international postal service you’re most likely to encounter as a tourist. The exact price depends on your destination, parcel weight and service selected.
- You can buy proper shipping boxes at the post office, so you don’t necessarily need to find one before arriving. If I’m sending a significant amount home, I’d rather buy a sturdy postal box than rely on a random cardboard box from a shop.
- Check what you’re allowed to send before packing everything. Items that seem harmless can still be restricted for international air transport, and your destination country may impose its own import restrictions.
- Have the recipient’s full name, address, postal code and telephone number ready before you reach the counter. You’ll also need to declare what’s inside the parcel, including quantities and values.
- Don’t seal your parcel so thoroughly that it becomes impossible to reopen before you’ve confirmed everything can be sent. If you’re uncertain about a particular product, ask before finishing the packing.
- Keep your receipt and tracking number after posting. This is what you’ll need to follow the parcel’s progress once it leaves Korea.
- Delivery estimates aren’t guarantees. Customs processing in the destination country can add additional time even when the parcel itself leaves Korea quickly.
Why and what did I send home via Korea Post?
When I first did this during my summer school programme, I thought I was absolutely nuts. Other people whom I told this about also thought I was out of my mind.
I worried about costs, about whether I could find a post office, whether I could ship all my precious things back to Singapore safely. Unfortunately, I had to settle this alone in a country where my language-speaking skills were limited.
However, the pros of taking on this risk obviously outweighed all my worries. Because I was taking Korean Air, I could only check in up to 23kg, and carry on 12kg.
So I went to check postage rates, estimate how much it would cost me, and figured that sending the bulky stuff back to SG would still be the cost-effective method.
Where is Korea Post and how do I send parcels home?
Now, another problem I faced was how to lug everything to the post office. Thankfully, Korea University has one on campus. It was not near my dorm at all, but still decent (kinda), and I was lucky to have a friend help me lug my bags as well.
When I stayed in Myeongdong on family trips, we would go to the Seoul Central Post Office in Myeongdong. You can walk there if you can manage to, but I’ll warn first that it’s torture in winter.
We also attempted to take a taxi from Skypark Central Myeongdong to the Korea Post office. It cost us around 6000 won, which is actually a very reasonable price.
It’s best to have some good and sturdy boxes with you. If not, you’ll have to buy these from the post office.
I did hear that you could probably go to convenience stores like GS25 and 7-11 to ask for used boxes to recycle. However, the chances of you getting one that is intact and clean may be pretty slim.
How much does it cost to ship parcels via Korea Post?
Different box sizes naturally warrant different prices.
My suggestion is to just buy the biggest size if you know that you have a lot of big & bulky items, instead of separating them into many smaller ones. Just save yourself the trouble of having to track every single box down.
For the rates, you’ll have to look at the ones for EMS. Below are the rates for Singapore (the one on its left is for Russia), accurate as of July 2017. You can find the updated rates on the Korea Post website as well.
To be honest, the rates definitely aren’t cheap, but it is definitely cheaper than having to pay for extra baggage on the plane.
How long do parcels take to deliver via Korea Post?
EMS is designed to be Korea Post’s fast international postal service, but delivery time depends heavily on the destination and whether your parcel needs to go through customs.
I’ve previously had parcels reach Singapore remarkably quickly, which was one of the reasons I became comfortable using Korea Post on subsequent trips. However, I wouldn’t plan around the assumption that every parcel will arrive within one or two days.
Treat the published delivery times as estimates rather than promises. Customs inspections, weekends, public holidays, weather and the final delivery location can all affect how long your parcel actually takes to arrive.
If you’re sending something you urgently need immediately after returning home, I’d probably put it in my luggage instead. Korea Post is much better suited to shopping and belongings that you’re happy to receive a little later.
What can I ship back via Korea Post?
On a side note, don’t try and send these items back home! These are more or less in line with those that you can’t check into your luggage.
Even portable fans, curling irons, hair dyes and perfumes are prohibited, so try to bring these back in your hand carry instead.
What is the process like for packaging and sending off my parcels?
After packing your boxes (you also have to assemble the box & tape the ends together by yourself), get a EMS form and fill it up with your details. There are usually templates in English & Chinese for you to follow, in case you can’t really understand what the form is asking for.
After that is done, get a queue number. When your number is called, bring the boxes and forms to the counter. The staff member at the counter will make sure your form is filled up properly, confirm that you didn’t put any prohibited items, and then weigh your boxes. Again, this is similar to what they do at the airport check-in.
There’s not much guarantee that the counter person will speak English, so it really depends on your luck. I once met a staff member who didn’t want to communicate in English, insisted that we fill up our hotel address in Korean (you don’t have to), and looked ready to shoo us away. But I also had an encounter with a friendly staff member who was very eager and made sure we had everything settled nicely.
And that’s about it! Now all you need to do is track your parcels online, and receive all your precious Korea shopping loots back in your home country.
In any case, don’t worry as much as I did, because sending parcels back home via Korea Post actually turned out to be an easy task. If you encounter any issues or want to enquire, check out their website or give them a call at +82 1588 1300.
EMS, Airmail or Surface Mail: which should you choose?
The first time I used Korea Post, I mainly cared about getting my shopping back to Singapore safely. Once you start looking at the options, however, you’ll realise that the fastest service isn’t necessarily the only way to send a parcel internationally.
EMS is the option I’d consider first if speed and tracking matter to you. It’s Korea Post’s express international service and can be used for documents as well as eligible merchandise. This is the service I’ve generally preferred because I’d rather know where a large box of my shopping is than spend weeks wondering whether it’s somewhere between Korea and Singapore.
Depending on your destination and what you’re sending, other international postal options may also be available. Slower services can make sense when postage cost matters more than speed, particularly if you’re sending home things you won’t need immediately.
I wouldn’t decide purely based on the service name, though. Ask the post office what options are currently available for your destination, how much each will cost and the approximate delivery time. International postal availability can change, so what was available during one of my trips may not necessarily be the best option during yours.
What information should you prepare before going to Korea Post?
You can save yourself quite a bit of time at the post office by preparing your shipping details beforehand.
For the recipient, have the full name, complete address, postal or ZIP code and telephone number ready. I normally keep the address in a note on my phone so I can copy it exactly rather than trying to remember everything while standing at the counter.
You’ll also need to provide information about the parcel contents. Don’t simply write something vague like “stuff” or “shopping”. Be prepared to describe what you’re sending, how many items there are and their approximate value.
If you’re posting the parcel back to yourself, that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure you have an address where somebody will actually be able to receive it if the parcel arrives before you return home.
I’d also save the Korean address of your hotel or accommodation. Having it ready on your phone makes things much easier if you’re asked for a sender address.
How to track your Korea Post parcel
Don’t throw away the receipt after you’ve paid.
Your international parcel will have a tracking number, which you can use to follow its progress after it has been accepted by Korea Post. I normally take a photograph of the receipt as soon as I leave the counter as well, just in case the physical copy disappears somewhere inside my luggage.
Tracking is particularly reassuring when you’re flying home before the parcel arrives. You’ll be able to see when it has left Korea and follow subsequent updates as it makes its way towards the destination.
Once the parcel reaches your home country, tracking updates may also appear through the destination country’s postal service.
Keep the tracking information until the box is physically in your hands.
Is Korea Post cheaper than paying for extra baggage?
Sometimes, but not always.
This is one comparison I’d make before automatically shipping a box home.
If your airline charges a relatively reasonable amount for an additional checked bag and you’re only slightly over your allowance, paying for more baggage could be cheaper and considerably faster. You also have the advantage of taking everything home with you.
Korea Post becomes more attractive when you’ve accumulated a lot of bulky items, you’re already at your luggage limit or you still have more travelling to do before flying home.
For me, convenience was part of the calculation too. Sending a box home meant I didn’t have to drag all of those purchases around Korea for the remainder of my trip.
Check your airline’s current additional baggage rate, estimate roughly how heavy your parcel will be and compare that with the current Korea Post rate for your destination. That’s much more useful than assuming one option will always be cheaper.
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- My guide to best places to buy beauty products in Seoul
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