Coupang hands out an English-language beauty magazine to tourists in Seongsu
The Korea Times reported on 28 July that Coupang gave out its first English beauty magazine in Seongsu, where tourists often find Korean brands on social media.
Published
2 November 2026 — The Korea Times reported on 28 July that Coupang was stepping up efforts to attract overseas shoppers to Seongsu, a Seoul district increasingly popular with foreign tourists for Korean beauty. On 17, 25 and 26 July it handed out the English edition of its annual Beauty Magazine, the fourth edition and the first in English.
What the report described
Staff gave out copies and samples and helped visitors install the Coupang app, switch it to English and place a first order. The magazine explains how to change the app's language, browse categories and read reviews, and it promotes delivery to accommodation. Rivals are expanding in the district too, including CJ Olive Young's experiential stores, Lotte Department Store's upgraded foreign-customer membership and Hyundai Home Shopping's Coasis multi-brand store.
The report cited a Lotte Members analysis saying tourists often discover Korean brands on social media before arriving, that spending is shifting toward experiences tied to Korean lifestyle brands, and that industry officials expect such visits to lead to online and repeat purchases after travellers return home.
THE CAST shopping perspective
Retailers are now writing in English because the shopper often decides before the trip and orders after it. THE CAST is written in English from the start, so a brand you meet in Seoul or on social media can be looked up, understood and ordered from home. Check the product page and the delivery total, as you would anywhere else.