Korea's pharmacies turn into tourist attractions as visitors chase latest treatments

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Korea's pharmacies turn into tourist attractions as visitors chase latest treatments

Published: 18 Sep. 2025, 11:21 Updated: 18 Sep. 2025, 17:49

SHIN MIN-HEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A foreign tourist in Korea consults a pharmacist [CREATRIP]

In Korea, three stores have long been staples on every tourist’s itinerary: Olive Young, Daiso and Musinsa. But a recent trend report suggests that pharmacies are quickly joining the must-visit list.

Online travel platform Creatrip said Thursday that it added a pharmacy tab, curated with recommended pharmacies across Seoul and Busan that offer foreign tourists in-store consultations with licensed pharmacists and language support including English, Chinese and Japanese.

The tab was added last month, and Creatrip has currently partnered with nine pharmacies, aiming to expand to 20 locations by January.

Creatrip cited the growing interest in cosmeceuticals, a portmanteau of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, such as skin regeneration creams, acne treatment ointments and polydeoxyribonucleotide cream, which is commonly extracted from salmon sperm.

A pharmacy in Hongdae recommended through the Creatrip website [CREATRIP]

Pharmacy bookings through Creatrip rose by 44 percent in the second week of September compared to the week before, with notable increases in users from Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States, according to the platform.

“Pharmacies have become more popular recently following the surge of social media content featuring shopping vlogs and must-buy item recommendations,” Creatrip CEO Yim Hae-min said in a statement. "This phenomenon has naturally led to the emergence of ‘pharmacy tours’ among tourists in Korea."

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]