By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Nadine Postigo from the Philippines
Photos = Nadine Postigo

Tons of memorabilia await foreign tourists in Korea, from traditional items that represent the country's culture and history to fun K-pop paraphernalia. During my last trip to Seoul, I focused on buying enjoyable souvenirs for friends and family largely unavailable at the Korean supermarkets in the Philippines.

A few days after I gave them the items, I asked which were their favorites and they named their top three.

Honey butter almond / mixed nuts

Honey butter is a trendy snack flavor in Korea. The popular honey butter chips are yummy but can also take up a lot of space in luggage. A more convenient choice is honey butter nuts since they are easier to pack but still taste amazing. Choose from a wide variety of flavors of almonds or mixed nuts like tiramisu, wasabi, yogurt, peach and spicy chicken. It's easy to get addicted to this somewhat healthy snack.

Tip: Try visiting a number of snack stores to see if they have discounts or deals.


Green tea milk spread

The popular café chain Osulloc offers various kinds of teas, with my favorite being green tea milk spread. Use it as a dip or fondue for fruits or as a spread for bread. I got so obsessed with this spread that I had to buy a bunch of it to let others try it. It's perfect for green tea lovers, and don't forget to try the roasted tea milk spread.


K-Beauty products

I don't think I have to explain how popular K-Beauty is. With numerous makeup and skincare brands tempting tourists, I found it hard to narrow down my extensive list, something I'm sure many are guilty of. Ultimately, I decided to buy lipstick and face masks for my mom and friends while I focused on skincare products for myself.

To avoid getting overwhelmed, here are two of my tips for cosmetics shopping in Seoul.

First, check out major chains that carry various brands like Olive Young, Artbox and Lalavla (formerly Watsons). These one-stop shops sometimes have better deals than K-beauty brand stores. For example, I got at Lalavla a "five-plus-five" deal on face masks (as in buy five, get five free) that turned out to be cheaper than what the store of that brand offered.

Budget shoppers should look for numerous promos ranging from buy one, get one free (1+1) to buy 10, get 10 free.

Second, the brand A'pieu is a personal favorite of mine. I love many K-beauty brands but during my last trip, I realized that A'pieu is one of the most affordable that still maintains high quality.

Remember that foreign tourists can get a tax refund for single purchases of KRW 30,000 (on one receipt) or more. The tax rebate is easy to claim. Either the store will automatically deduct or not charge the sales tax or the customer can receive a tax refund receipt to present either at the airport or other tax refund booths or stores.

For more information on the tax refund, click this link. 

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.