Korea’s Daiso operates separately from the Japanese chain
The shop is called Daiso and there is a Japanese chain called Daiso, and they are no longer the same company. The Korean operator, Asung Daiso (아성다이소), opened its first store in 1997; Japan's Daiso Sangyo held a stake until December 2023, when the Korean parent bought out the entire holding and ended the joint venture — as reported at the time, "to be reborn as a purely Korean national store". Its brand page now leads with 대한민국 기업 다이소, a Korean company.
The Korean chain selects its own range, including Korean brands, imported products and international character licences. If you know the Daiso in Tokyo or Singapore, this is a different shop with the same sign.
Six prices, and nothing above ₩5,000
Every item carries one of six prices: ₩500, ₩1,000, ₩1,500, ₩2,000, ₩3,000, ₩5,000. There is nothing between them and nothing above. The chain's own position is that the six bands have held for decades and about 80% of what is on the shelves costs ₩2,000 or less; ₩5,000 has been the ceiling for twenty years, through the whole of Korea's recent inflation. Of roughly 30,000 lines, the ₩1,000 items are more than half of them and more than half of all sales, on 2025 revenue of ₩4.5 trillion across about 1,600 stores.
Check the price and pack quantity even within the fixed-price range. A cheaper package may contain less than a comparable product elsewhere.
What is worth buying
Cosmetics — the reason to cross the street
As of January 2026 Daiso carried roughly 160 beauty brands and 1,700 beauty lines, against about seven brands and a hundred-odd products in 2022. Beauty sales grew 85% in 2023, 144% in 2024 and about 70% again in 2025, and the twelve months to March 2026 ran to about ₩362 billion.
It works because the big Korean cosmetics houses now make lines for this shelf. The names: Amorepacific's "Memo by Mamonde (미모 바이 마몽드)", launched September 2024, and LG Household & Health Care's "By Od-ted (바이 오드테드)" and its Carezone Plus P-care range; Tony Moly, Too Cool for School and Aestura supply second labels too. Mask packs from ₩1,000, lip products around ₩3,000, serums, cleansing balms, sunscreen and micellar water at ₩3,000–₩5,000. Popular products can sell out. Check branch stock, but choose products for their suitability rather than buying only because they are trending.
The rest of the reliable list
| Product category | What to check |
|---|---|
| Travel adapters and cables | Check plug compatibility, voltage and power ratings before buying. A plug adapter does not convert voltage. |
| Stationery | Compare the contents and quantity of pens, notebooks, stickers and tape packs. |
| Socks | Check the size, fabric and number of pairs in the package. |
| Kitchen tools | Check dimensions, materials and care instructions. Pack sharp items according to airline rules. |
| Storage and travel items | Check the dimensions and capacity of packing cubes, bottles and pouches. |
| Hair accessories | Check the size and fastening to see whether the item suits you. |
| Character goods | Stock and licensed designs change by season and branch. |
What not to buy
A low price does not establish quality, durability or suitability. Read product specifications, compare prices and check the return policy. For cosmetics, review ingredients and choose products that suit your needs.
Finding one, and when it is shut
Daiso stores are everywhere in Korean cities — near stations, in basements, in shopping arcades, often on two floors. The chain's store finder takes a place name or an address; opening hours are set per branch and nothing is published chain-wide, so check the branch rather than assuming.
Branch calendars vary. Daiso is not a hypermarket, so the compulsory two-closures-a-month rule in the Distribution Industry Development Act (유통산업발전법 제12조의2) does not reach it. Holiday hours also vary. For Seollal 2026, 17 February, the company's own notice said most stores would close on the day itself, with only about twenty-three company-run branches nationwide open and normal trading either side. Check each year’s Seollal and Chuseok notices rather than assuming the same branches will open.
The official online store, Daiso Mall (다이소몰), delivers to Korean addresses only. It is not a way to ship a haul home; buy in the shop.
Check payment and tourist-refund participation
Card payment is common; confirm your payment method at the branch. The tax refund is where Daiso is awkward, and the arithmetic explains it: the per-transaction minimum for a refund is ₩15,000 and the most expensive thing in the shop is ₩5,000, so three ₩5,000 items reach the threshold, while cheaper items require a larger quantity. Ask the branch whether it participates in a tourist-refund scheme. Treat a refund here as a bonus, not a plan.
Signage and staff language support vary. Use a translation app for labels you cannot read, and ask staff about any specification or ingredient that remains unclear.
