Tourism Organization Launches Promotion to Boost 'K-Convenience Store Shopping' Among Foreign Tourists

Immediate Tax Refund Service for Foreign Tourists
Discount Promotion Until Year-End

The Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 24th that it has signed a business agreement with BGF Retail and Road System to improve shopping convenience for foreign tourists and will conduct a promotion to activate immediate refund-type post-tax exemption until the end of the year.

The Korea Tourism Organization has signed a business agreement with BGF Retail and Road System to improve shopping convenience for foreign tourists and will carry out a promotion to activate immediate refund-type post-tax exemption until the end of the year.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

BGF Retail operates the convenience store CU and targets foreign tourists with specialized stores, such as opening the 'Ramen Library' near Hongdae Entrance in Seoul at the end of last year. Road System provides a mobile immediate refund service through a smartphone QR code without a physical passport, using the world's first developed 'mobile passport identity verification system.'

According to this agreement, from the 24th until the end of the year, a discount promotion will be held for foreign tourists using the immediate refund tax exemption service via mobile passport (TripPass) at CU convenience stores.

Detailed information such as the locations of stores offering immediate refund tax exemption services can be found on the Tourism Organization's website. Currently, about 500 CU convenience stores offer immediate refund tax exemption services, and more than 200 additional stores will be added through this agreement.

Kim Dong-il, Head of the Industrial Tourism Division at the Tourism Organization, said, "The Tourism Organization will continue to work hard to increase foreign tourists' shopping satisfaction through collaboration with various private companies so that foreign consumption in Korea can become more active."

The Tourism Organization plans to actively promote Korea as a shopping destination by producing content in four languages?English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese?on topics such as the introduction of immediate refund tax exemption services and 'How to Conquer Shopping at K Convenience Stores' on its website.