18 Awesome Things About Costco in South Korea

Costco Warehouse

Costco, a name synonymous with wholesale shopping in the United States, has an iconic presence in thirteen other countries around the world. One of them happens to be South Korea, where yours truly was born and a place I visit frequently.

We recently dove into the best Korean grocery items at Costco in America, but what's Costco like in South Korea? With 18 locations throughout the country, Costco has a strong presence in South Korea and has a wide array of grocery products and services. Curious to know what sets it apart from what I was accustomed to as a U.S. shopper, I paid a visit to the Costco in the Yangjae neighborhood of Seoul. Here are 18 interesting things I noticed about Costco in South Korea. Prepare to be amazed—and inspired to book a flight!

Related: 50 Cult-Favorite Things to Always Buy at Costco

18 Awesome Things About Costco in South Korea

1. Your Gold Star Membership works here

Fun fact: if you have Gold Star membership, you can use it for one year at any Costco location around the world.

Related: Oh Snap! Costco Is Cracking Down on Membership Sharing

2. You can find kitchenware deals that bowl you over

While kitchenware brands like Staub are super expensive in most Korean department stores due to import costs, I found value packs like this 6-piece bowl set at Costco for a relatively affordable price (about $54). I'll be sure to come back and snag this before I go back to the States!

3. They care about your gut.

Digestion is a major health priority among Koreans, who do not like to feel discomfort after a big, heavy dinner or a night of drinking. That's why at Costco in Korea, you can find a plethora of digestive relief products, including a range of powders and bottled herbal beverages.

4. The clothing section cosplays as a U.S. college apparel store.

Most high school students in South Korea take additional college prep and intellectual advancement courses at a hagwon, or cram school, in order to increase their chances of getting into a top U.S. college. The dream of attending a top American university is reflected in the Costco clothing section, which has a wide array of U.S. college apparel. The way I saw people who looked like moms and dads pounce on sweatshirts printed with Columbia, Stanford, Harvard, or UCLA logos was shocking. Let's call it a manifestation technique.

Related: A Clothing Brand Created a Costco and BTS Themed T-Shirt and I’ve Never Felt More Seen

5. You can buy your booze in bulk—and sample it too.

Alcohol is sold in bulk, and there's tons of it! Before you take it to check out (or if you need help deciding what to buy), you can sample liquors from around the world at the dedicated Spirit Zone.

6. You can grab a mini keg—or a jug of soju.

Yes, you can buy a 5-liter keg of Heineken in South Korea. Soju, the drink of this nation, is offered in big bottles, too, but these bulk-sized bottles are often reserved for cooking purposes.

7. Gift boxes come ready to be gifted.

Special gift editions of candies and other products come packaged with handles, so you essentially have a built-in gift bag. If the product doesn't have handles, there is often a box of gift bags that perfectly house the chocolates or cookie tin you want to buy for someone. Best of all, the gift bags are free!

8. The bakery is on-trend.

The bakery section includes the classics like croissants, jumbo muffins and birthday cake, but there's also ample real estate dedicated to desserts that align with the country's many food trends. The current dessert craze here is for yakgwa—a deep-fried, ancient Korean sweet made with wheat, ginger, honey and soju. Similarly, go to any aesthetically pleasing bakery in Seoul and you will find trays of salt bread. I was delighted to see both trends represented as more value-forward baked goods at Costco for everyone to enjoy. Tell me the yakgwa tiramisu doesn't look scrumptious!

9. The chicken is shockingly similar.

The cost of rotisserie chicken rings in around $5, similar to the typical price at a Costco in America.

Related: Best Costco Rotisserie Chicken Recipes, From a Super Fan

10. The seafood section is huge.

Customers can have their pick from an assortment of super fresh fish, including salmon, salted mackerel and various shellfish. Keep exploring and you'll find packs of full, raw seafood such octopus, squid and whole clams. Looking for sea cucumbers or abalone? They've got those, too!

In South Korea, Costco delivers with solid sushi and raw fish platter ready to be opened and served immediately. My aunt raves about the hwe, or raw fish, because she says its normally impossible to find fish this fresh and this affordable (a platter is sold for 19,000 won, or $14!) outside of a Korean sea town.

11. The meat section sells a very rare type of beef.

It wouldn't be a Costco without a good meat department, and it was great to see the USDA prime or USDA choice selection of quality meats offered overseas. But the real star here is the Hanwoo beef, which is regarded as one of the world's rarest and most premium meats thanks to its unmatched marbling and flavor. Hanwoo is exclusively sold in South Korea.

12. You have a LOT of rice options.

I counted, and you can choose from 14 varieties of rice!

13. And a LOT of anchovy options.

Variety is the spice of life but at a Korean Costco, variety is also a fridge stocked with three types of dried anchovies, each type tailored to a different type of cooking methods: some for frying, some for grilling/boiling, and some for soup.

14. There's a cooler full of kimchi.

And it wouldn't be Costco in South Korea without lots of kimchi. Of course your standard cabbage kimchi is up for grabs, alongside baek kimchi (white kimchi made without chili powder) and kimchi made with different vegetables, like ponytail radish and green onions.

15. Samples are also a fundamental part of the Costco South Korea experience.

But someone (it's me, hi) was too busy sampling to take photos of that aspect of the store. Picture a vitamin shot, a mini candy cane, a Haribo gummy bear, a piece of potato mozzarella cheese corn dog—and a shot glass-side serving of bulgogi.

16. The food court is next-level.

The menu in South Korea resembles the selection we're accustomed to as Costco shoppers in the US. But a closer look reveals a handful of dishes unique to South Korea. You'll have to travel here if you want to order a pork bake, bulgogi pizza or sweet pumpkin soup.

Related: Nine Costco Food Court Items You Need to Try At Least Once

In the name of research I got one classic item I was familiar with and one Korean item I was eager to try. I landed on a slice of combo pizza and a pork bake, respectively. The pizza tasted almost identical to the American Costco combo pizza, except the salt and oiliness were toned down. Chicken bake walked, so pork bake could run straight into my pie hole and right down to steal my heart.

The pork bake is said to be one of the most ordered items at the food court, and for good reason. I love the combination of the chewy bread, the cheesy inner shell and the perfectly marinated pork mixture.

And if you land on a fountain soda as your drink of choice, you should roll the dice again. For 3000 won (about $2.30) or less, Costco customers in South Korea can order and sip on bubble tea, americanos (hot or iced), and something stupendously wonderful-sounding called Don Simon Grapefruit Juice.

I saw the bubble tea, I ordered the bubble tea, and I loved the bubble tea. But how could I not? The creamy consistency, the milk tea taste, and the perfectly QQ boba were all sublime.

17. They've got golfers covered.

Come to Costco in South Korea in pursuit of fulfilling your golf supply needs, they will be met and then some. The golf section has everything: gloves, packs of golf balls, shoes and beyond. This isn't too much a shock if you know that golf is a huge sport among Koreans. Still, a 3-piece wedge set from Kirkland Signature, who would've thought?

Related: 50 Best Kirkland Products to Buy at Costco

18. There are only three acceptable forms of payment.

The first, and preferred, method is a Hyundai credit card. South Korean Costcos will accept cash and international Visa credit/debit cards. And maybe this goes without saying, but you can't buy a thing without showing your Costco card!

Up next: 12 Great Gifts for the Costco Super Fan on Your List