Shopping duty-free is a great way for international travelers to save money on purchases while visiting Korea. This guide covers the essential Korean word for “duty-free,” 면세 (myeon-se), along with practical phrases you’ll need when navigating duty-free shops, understanding procedures, and making purchases at airports or downtown locations.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
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Expression: 면세
Pronunciation: myeon-se
Meaning: Duty-Free (Exemption from taxes)
Basic Duty-Free Vocabulary
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Expression: 면세점
Pronunciation: myeon-se-jeom
Meaning: Duty-free shop -
Expression: 면세품
Pronunciation: myeon-se-pum
Meaning: Duty-free goods/items -
Expression: 면세 혜택
Pronunciation: myeon-se hye-taek
Meaning: Duty-free benefits -
Expression: 면세 한도
Pronunciation: myeon-se han-do
Meaning: Duty-free allowance/limit -
Expression: 세금 환급
Pronunciation: se-geum hwan-geup
Meaning: Tax refund (Note: Different from duty-free, but often related for tourists) -
Expression: 여권
Pronunciation: yeo-gwon
Meaning: Passport -
Expression: 탑승권
Pronunciation: tap-seung-gwon
Meaning: Boarding pass -
Expression: 항공권
Pronunciation: hang-gong-gwon
Meaning: Flight ticket / E-ticket -
Expression: 출국 정보
Pronunciation: chul-guk jeong-bo
Meaning: Departure information (flight details) -
Expression: 인도장
Pronunciation: in-do-jang
Meaning: Pickup counter (usually at the airport for items bought downtown or online) -
Expression: 시내 면세점
Pronunciation: si-nae myeon-se-jeom
Meaning: Downtown duty-free shop -
Expression: 공항 면세점
Pronunciation: gong-hang myeon-se-jeom
Meaning: Airport duty-free shop -
Expression: 인터넷 면세점
Pronunciation: in-teo-net myeon-se-jeom
Meaning: Online duty-free shop
Asking About Duty-Free Items
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Expression: 이거 면세 되나요?
Pronunciation: i-geo myeon-se doe-na-yo?
Meaning: Is this duty-free? / Can I buy this duty-free? -
Expression: 이 제품은 면세품인가요?
Pronunciation: i je-pum-eun myeon-se-pum-in-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is this product a duty-free item? -
Expression: 면세점 어디에 있어요?
Pronunciation: myeon-se-jeom eo-di-e i-sseo-yo?
Meaning: Where is the duty-free shop? -
Expression: 면세 가격이 얼마예요?
Pronunciation: myeon-se ga-gyeok-i eol-ma-ye-yo?
Meaning: What is the duty-free price? -
Expression: 면세 한도가 얼마까지예요?
Pronunciation: myeon-se han-do-ga eol-ma-kka-ji-ye-yo?
Meaning: What is the duty-free limit? -
Expression: 여권 보여드려야 하나요?
Pronunciation: yeo-gwon bo-yeo-deu-ryeo-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Do I need to show my passport? -
Expression: 탑승권도 필요해요?
Pronunciation: tap-seung-gwon-do pil-yo-hae-yo?
Meaning: Is a boarding pass also needed? -
Expression: 여기서 바로 받을 수 있어요?
Pronunciation: yeo-gi-seo ba-ro ba-deul su i-sseo-yo?
Meaning: Can I receive it right here? (Or do I pick it up at the airport?) -
Expression: 인도장은 어디에 있나요?
Pronunciation: in-do-jang-eun eo-di-e in-na-yo?
Meaning: Where is the pickup counter? -
Expression: 세금 환급도 가능한가요?
Pronunciation: se-geum hwan-geup-do ga-neung-han-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is tax refund also possible? (Asking if separate tax refund is applicable) -
Expression: 다른 면세점도 있어요?
Pronunciation: da-reun myeon-se-jeom-do i-sseo-yo?
Meaning: Are there other duty-free shops?
Making Duty-Free Purchases
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Expression: 이거 면세로 사고 싶어요.
Pronunciation: i-geo myeon-se-ro sa-go si-peo-yo.
Meaning: I want to buy this duty-free. -
Expression: 면세로 계산해 주세요.
Pronunciation: myeon-se-ro gye-san-hae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please process this as duty-free. / Please ring this up as duty-free. -
Expression: 여기 여권이랑 항공권 정보요.
Pronunciation: yeo-gi yeo-gwon-i-rang hang-gong-gwon jeong-bo-yo.
Meaning: Here is my passport and flight ticket information. -
Expression: 제 출국 정보 여기 있어요.
Pronunciation: je chul-guk jeong-bo yeo-gi i-sseo-yo.
Meaning: My departure information is here. -
Expression: 언제 어디서 수령해야 하나요?
Pronunciation: eon-je eo-di-seo su-ryeong-hae-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: When and where do I need to pick it up? -
Expression: 공항 인도장에서 찾으면 되나요?
Pronunciation: gong-hang in-do-jang-e-seo cha-jeu-myeon doe-na-yo?
Meaning: Should I pick it up at the airport pickup counter? -
Expression: 달러로 계산할 수 있어요?
Pronunciation: dal-leo-ro gye-san-hal su i-sseo-yo?
Meaning: Can I pay in US dollars? -
Expression: 원화로 계산할게요.
Pronunciation: won-hwa-ro gye-san-hal-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll pay in Korean Won. -
Expression: 신용카드로 결제할게요.
Pronunciation: sin-yong-ka-deu-ro gyeol-je-hal-ge-yo.
Meaning: I’ll pay by credit card. -
Expression: 영수증 주세요.
Pronunciation: yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Please give me the receipt. -
Expression: 교환권은 어디서 받아요?
Pronunciation: gyo-hwan-gwon-eun eo-di-seo ba-da-yo?
Meaning: Where do I get the exchange voucher/pickup slip?
Korean Culture Notes
Duty-Free Shopping Requires Travel Proof: To purchase items duty-free (면세), you must be an international traveler leaving Korea. You will always need to present your passport (여권) and provide your flight details (항공권 정보 or 출국 정보) at the time of purchase.
Downtown vs. Airport Duty-Free: Korea has large duty-free shops (면세점) both in major city centers (시내 면세점) and at international airports (공항 면세점). Items purchased at downtown duty-free shops are usually not given to you immediately. Instead, you receive a voucher and pick up the goods at a designated counter (인도장) at the airport after passing through security.
Online Duty-Free is Popular: Many Koreans and savvy travelers utilize online duty-free shops (인터넷 면세점). You can browse and purchase items online before your trip and pick them up at the airport pickup counter (인도장) before boarding your flight. This often offers additional discounts and convenience.
Know Your Limits: Be aware of the duty-free allowance (면세 한도) for both leaving Korea and entering your destination country. Exceeding these limits may result in having to pay taxes.
Duty-Free vs. Tax Refund: Duty-free (면세) means the tax is already removed from the price. Tax Refund (세금 환급) applies to items bought at regular stores displaying a “Tax Free” logo; you pay the full price including tax, and then claim the tax back later, usually at the airport.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A tourist (A) is asking a shop assistant (B) about buying cosmetics at a downtown duty-free shop.
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Expression: A: 저기요, 이 화장품 면세 가격 맞아요?
Pronunciation: jeo-gi-yo, i hwa-jang-pum myeon-se ga-gyeok ma-ja-yo?
Meaning: Excuse me, is this the duty-free price for this cosmetic? -
Expression: B: 네, 맞습니다. 면세 가격입니다. 구매하시려면 여권과 출국 정보가 필요합니다.
Pronunciation: ne, mat-seum-ni-da. myeon-se ga-gyeok-im-ni-da. gu-mae-ha-si-ryeo-myeon yeo-gwon-gwa chul-guk jeong-bo-ga pil-yo-ham-ni-da.
Meaning: Yes, that’s correct. It’s the duty-free price. To purchase, you need your passport and departure information. -
Expression: A: 네, 여기 여권이랑 항공권 있어요. 여기서 바로 받을 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: ne, yeo-gi yeo-gwon-i-rang hang-gong-gwon i-sseo-yo. yeo-gi-seo ba-ro ba-deul su in-na-yo?
Meaning: Yes, here’s my passport and flight ticket. Can I receive it right here? -
Expression: B: 아니요, 시내 면세점에서 구매하신 상품은 출국하실 때 공항 인도장에서 수령하셔야 합니다. 결제하시면 교환권을 드릴게요.
Pronunciation: a-ni-yo, si-nae myeon-se-jeom-e-seo gu-mae-ha-sin sang-pum-eun chul-guk-ha-sil ttae gong-hang in-do-jang-e-seo su-ryeong-ha-syeo-ya ham-ni-da. gyeol-je-ha-si-myeon gyo-hwan-gwon-eul deu-ril-ge-yo.
Meaning: No, items purchased at downtown duty-free shops must be picked up at the airport pickup counter when you depart. I will give you a pickup voucher after payment. -
Expression: A: 알겠습니다. 그럼 이걸로 계산해 주세요.
Pronunciation: al-get-seum-ni-da. geu-reom i-geol-lo gye-san-hae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: I understand. Then please ring this up for me. -
Expression: B: 네. 여권과 항공권 정보 확인했습니다. 결제는 어떻게 하시겠어요?
Pronunciation: ne. yeo-gwon-gwa hang-gong-gwon jeong-bo hwa-gin-haet-seum-ni-da. gyeol-je-neun eo-tteo-ke ha-si-ge-sseo-yo?
Meaning: Okay. I’ve confirmed your passport and flight information. How would you like to pay?
Practice Tips
Familiarize yourself with the key vocabulary like 면세점 (myeon-se-jeom), 여권 (yeo-gwon), and 인도장 (in-do-jang)~ Try practicing the questions and answers with a friend or language partner before your trip!
Even browsing online duty-free websites (인터넷 면세점) can help you get used to seeing these terms in context. When you’re at the airport, listen for announcements related to duty-free pickup points. Good luck with your duty-free shopping in Korea!
