Guides for foreigners in Korea
What to do when a Korean site, app, or hotel stops you. Each guide starts with the answer.
- Can foreigners use Coupang? (2026)Yes if you live in Korea, and mostly no if you are visiting.
- How to buy from Naver Shopping as a foreignerYou can browse Naver Shopping as a foreigner, but placing the order yourself usually stops at checkout.
- Order online and get it delivered to your hotel in SeoulYes, you can get an online order delivered to your hotel in Seoul, and most hotels will accept a parcel for a confirmed guest.
- Someone to buy things for me in Korea — how it worksYes, you can pay someone in Korea to buy things for you, whether you are staying in a hotel here or already back home.
- Foreign card declined on a Korean website: what to try firstNo, a decline on a Korean website usually does not mean anything is wrong with your card.
- Korean ID verification won't pass: what tourists can doNo, a tourist usually cannot pass Korean phone identity verification, because it checks the mobile carrier's record of who owns the line and not just the number you type.
- Left something at your hotel in Korea? How to get it shipped homeYes, you can usually get it shipped home, but the hotel is unlikely to be the one who ships it.
- Send a cake to someone in Korea from abroadYes, you can send a cake to someone in Korea from abroad, but doing it yourself is harder than it looks.
- Can foreigners buy from Bunjang (Korean secondhand)?Yes, foreigners can buy from Bunjang through Bunjang Global, its marketplace for overseas buyers.
- Food delivery in Korea when the apps don't workNo, the main Korean delivery apps usually will not work for a short-term visitor without a Korean number and a payment method they accept.
- How to buy from KREAM as a foreigner, online or in a KREAM storeUsually not online, at least not by yourself.
- How to buy a Korean limited edition or collab drop from abroadOften you cannot buy it yourself from abroad.
- How to buy from a Seoul department store or hotel boutique after you've left KoreaYes, but only through someone who goes to the store for you.
- Buying electronics in Korea as a foreigner: phones, laptops, and what to check firstYes.