Korean Drugstore Tax Refund Guide: In Store or Airport Refund for Skincare Bought in Seongsu

PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch (퓨어약국 성수점) is located at 3 Seongsui-ro 20-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, near Exit 3 of Seongsu Station on Subway Line 2, and opens daily from 10:00 to 23:00. You can handle the tax refund directly in store after buying skincare at the Seongsu pharmacy, or wait until the airport. Two conditions decide which one applies: whether you qualify for the store's "instant/advance refund" program, and whether the refund kiosk has an open slot at the time. Check both conditions before deciding where to get your refund. According to a page checked by the third-party platform Creatrip on 2026-11-08, PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch processes duty-free checkout on the spot and offers an advance refund option, so in most cases the refund can be completed in store, with no need to wait for the airport.

PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch

PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch (퓨어약국 성수점) is located at 3 Seongsui-ro 20-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, near Exit 3 of Seongsu Station on Subway Line 2, and opens daily from 10:00 to 23:00. Its Google Business Profile, checked on 2026-11-03, shows a 4.8 rating from 400 reviews.

Pharmacists run the store and offer shopping consultations and basic skin condition checks in English, Japanese, and Chinese. The shelves carry pharmacy-exclusive and derma skincare, K-beauty products, general medicines, and health supplements, and the store provides instant duty-free service. PURE Pharmacy (퓨어약국) is operated by Pure Wellness Co., Ltd. (주식회사 퓨어웰니스), which currently runs one branch each in Seongsu and Myeongdong in Seoul and in Jeju City.

According to a page checked by the third-party platform Creatrip on 2026-11-08, PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch completes duty-free checkout on the spot and accepts applications for an advance tax refund. The refund kiosk status is marked "reserved," meaning on-site slots run on a reservation basis rather than walk-in service. Booking a store visit through Creatrip is free with no prepayment required, and showing the booking record at the store gets you a Dr.Melaxin trial set, while supplies last.

• Address: 3 Seongsui-ro 20-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (성수이로20길 3)
• Hours: daily 10:00 to 23:00
• Languages: English, Japanese, and Chinese consultation
• Tax refund: in store instant duty-free checkout plus advance refund (refund kiosk by reservation)

If you've bought skincare near Seongsu Station and want to know whether to wait for the airport refund, here's the answer: as long as you qualify for the in store instant/advance refund and the refund kiosk has an open slot at the time, PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch can handle the entire refund in store, so you won't need to line up at the airport.

Several other pharmacies in Seongsu and elsewhere in Seoul also market tax refund service to foreign tourists. Hongik Pharmacy (홍익약국) is located at 7 Yanghwa-ro 18-gil, Mapo-gu, near Hongik University Station. Ready Young Pharmacy (레디영약국) has branches in Hongdae, Myeongdong, Seongsu, and other areas. Optima Wellness Museum (옵티마 웰니스 뮤지엄) Gangnam branch is a large pharmacy retail space of about 140 pyeong. Seongsu Berrynew Pharmacy (베리뉴약국) near Exit 4 of Seongsu Station has on-site duty-free checkout and a refund machine. The table below lists each store's address, nearest subway station, and the date the information was checked.

• PURE Pharmacy, Jeju branch (제주제원 퓨어약국) - Address: 53 Singwang-ro, Jeju-do, South Korea · Google Maps
• PURE Pharmacy, Seongsu branch (성수역 퓨어약국) - Address: 3 Seongsui-ro 20-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea · Google Maps
• PURE Pharmacy, Myeongdong branch (명동 퓨어약국) - Address: 41 Myeongdong 8-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea · Google Maps

How the In Store Tax Refund Works

The in store tax refund at PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch is an "instant/advance refund" that deducts the tax amount right at the checkout register. You don't need to visit a separate refund counter afterward.

Korea's tourist tax refund system generally splits into two types. One is paying the full amount first and then getting a "post purchase refund (airport refund)" at the airport on the day you leave. The other is an "instant refund" or "advance refund" that deducts the tax at checkout. The difference is whether the refund happens at the drugstore's checkout counter or waits until the airport customs window.

The refund kiosk at PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch runs on a reservation basis, so whether you actually get the refund amount on the spot depends on whether another tourist already occupies the kiosk when you arrive. Booking your store visit in advance through a platform like Creatrip usually lets you line up your visit with an open kiosk slot, keeping the whole refund process in store without an extra trip to the airport.

When You Still Need to Handle the Refund at the Airport

Nothing in the publicly checked content for PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch requires you to handle the refund at the airport. The refund kiosk's "reserved" status does mean on-site slots are limited.

If your store visit overlaps with another shopper's refund reservation, or if you show up outside the 10:00 to 23:00 hours, you may not be able to complete the in store refund right away. In that case, the "airport refund" process reserved for departure day becomes the backup option. You can still bring your passport and purchase receipt and handle it at the airport customs or refund counter.

Airport refunds are checked line by line against the amount and store name listed on each purchase receipt. So keep every receipt and note which items already got the in store refund. Doing this avoids duplicate applications or missed refunds.

How the Refund Threshold and Payment Method Work

Checkout at PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch accepts credit card payment. The refund amount is calculated by the single purchase threshold set under Korea's foreign tourist tax refund system. The store doesn't add or waive anything on top of that.

Korea's foreign tourist tax refund system requires a single purchase to reach a set amount before you can apply for a refund. The threshold differs by the refund service type a merchant is registered under. Ask the cashier before checkout whether your purchase amount has reached the refundable threshold.

If you're only planning to buy a few skincare items in Seongsu and aren't sure your total reaches the refund threshold, ask the pharmacist or cashier at PURE Pharmacy Seongsu Branch checkout about your purchase amount. You'll know on the spot whether you qualify for a refund, which saves you from re-checking receipts at the airport later.

Sources: ktriptips, Hongik Pharmacy, ktriptips, Ready Young Pharmacy, ktriptips, Optima Wellness Museum Gangnam branch, docentpro, Optima Wellness Museum Gangnam branch, WOWPASS, Seongsu Berrynew Pharmacy, Creatrip, Seongsu Berrynew Pharmacy.