Free International Shipping with 'Uju Pass'... "Cheaper than Amazon Direct Purchase"

Trying 11st's 'Amazon Global Service'...
It Takes Less Than 10 Minutes to Choose and Purchase Products
Can Use Without Language Barriers by Referring to Korean Product Descriptions and Reviews

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Amazon has partnered with the domestic e-commerce company 11st to launch the overseas direct purchase service 'Amazon Global Store' on the 31st. This service allows customers to order tens of millions of products sold on Amazon in Korean through the 11st app and website. The delivery period is 6 to 10 days, and a specially curated 'Special Selection' of 160,000 products preferred by Koreans arrives within 4 to 6 days. Shipping is free for purchases over 28,000 KRW.

Easy Direct Purchase for 11st Members

I opened the 11st app, entered my usual ID, and logged in. There are Amazon tabs at both the top and bottom of the app, allowing direct access to the Amazon page, and a service tab was added where you can view only Amazon's best products and ongoing deals. The 'Uju Pass,' which offers free international shipping regardless of purchase amount, is currently promoted at 100 KRW for the mini plan (normally 4,900 KRW/month) and 1,000 KRW for the all plan (normally 9,900 KRW/month). Considering the use of SKT's Data Plus, One Store Book Pass, Game Pass, etc., the 1,000 KRW plan seems more advantageous. Since my goal was direct purchase, I subscribed to the 100 KRW service.

I browsed the Amazon Global Store. Prices for items like pot sets and electric drills on Amazon Time Deals, wireless earphones and speakers on Hot Deals, and camping tents stood out. The discounted prices on the US Amazon website are reflected as is. At the top, you can also check popular products by category across 13 categories including electronics & digital, computers, kitchenware, fashion & accessories, and cosmetics.

Lodge Cast Iron Pan at Half Price

I decided to buy the American-made 'cast iron pan,' a dream item for housewives who enjoy cooking. The Lodge cast iron pan, an Amazon Deal product, was priced at 20,880 KRW based on the US Amazon price and exchange rate. Below the product description, there was an average rating of 4.6 stars with over 29,000 reviews. When I clicked the 'View Korean Translation' button, it switched to automatic translation. I could see reviews left by people worldwide without any filtering, and the translation quality was quite good. After selecting the product and clicking order, I had to enter the delivery address and personal customs clearance code. The personal customs clearance code could be obtained immediately via mobile phone authentication through the linked Korea Customs Service electronic clearance system.

The shipping cost for the rather heavy cast iron pan was 8,920 KRW, but it was free thanks to the Uju Pass benefits. Applying the 5,000 KRW discount coupon given upon Uju Pass subscription and an additional 3,000 KRW discount using SK Pay points, the final price was 12,880 KRW. It took only 5 minutes from selecting the product to receiving the message that it would arrive before September 5th. Including the time spent comparing prices on other sites, it took less than 10 minutes in total.

The same product currently sells for well over 40,000 KRW on the 11st open market. On the US Amazon site, the identical product costs 35.8 USD (about 40,000 KRW), but an additional 31 USD shipping fee applies. Even excluding coupons and point discounts, 11st’s Amazon Global Store is priced at about half. This is expected to have a significant impact on the direct purchase market, which has so far been characterized by cheap product prices but expensive shipping fees and complicated, cumbersome processes.