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How to Get a Tax Refund on Electronics in Korea (2026 Guide)

Foreign tourists in Korea can get a refund on value-added tax (VAT) when they shop at stores with a "Tax Free" sign. For expensive electronics such as smartphones, laptops, and cameras, the amount you get back and when you get it depend on the refund method and the customs steps you follow when you leave. Tax Free is a system that lets foreign tourists claim back the tax on goods they buy during a trip.   A Global Tax Free notice posted at a store entrance in Seoul's Myeongdong shopping district. Photo: Tenant News   Refunds are about 4–8% of the purchase price The Tax Free refund applies to foreign tourists who spend at least ₩15,000 per receipt. The amount you actually get back is about 4–8% of the purchase price. The taxes refunded are VAT and the individual consumption tax. The VAT included in the price is about 9%, and you receive that amount minus the refund agency's fee.   You qualify if you are a non-resident foreigner staying in Korea for less th...

How to Order Korean BBQ Chicken at a Korean Chicken Shop

"Korean BBQ chicken" is not a fixed menu name in Korea. In English, the phrase can mean dak-bulgogi, dak-galbi, or the BBQ chicken brand. At a Korean chicken shop, three words are enough to order: one whole chicken, half-and-half, and boneless.

 

What "BBQ Chicken" Can Mean

The phrase covers three things: dak-bulgogi, dak-galbi, and the BBQ chicken brand. When you order at a Korean chicken shop, the brand and the fried (huraideu) and seasoned (yangnyeom) chicken are what apply.

 

Dak-bulgogi (닭불고기) is chicken thigh marinated in gochujang (red chili paste) sauce and grilled. It is also called "Korean chicken BBQ" in English. Dak-galbi (닭갈비) is chicken in gochujang sauce stir-fried with sweet potato, cabbage, and rice cakes. It started in Chuncheon in the 1960s as food to go with drinks. Its original name was dak-bulgogi, and it was grilled over charcoal. The difference between the two is the cooking method: dak-bulgogi is grilled, and dak-galbi is stir-fried with vegetables.

 

BBQ (bb.q) is the name of a chicken franchise. Its signature menu item, the Golden Olive Chicken (황금올리브치킨), is fried in olive oil and has no sauce. A whole chicken costs about ₩23,000.

 

BBQ (bb.q) Golden Olive Chicken, shown as a fried chicken platter with a bb.q logo. Source: bb.q product image
BBQ (bb.q) Golden Olive Chicken, shown as a fried chicken platter with a bb.q logo. Source: bb.q product image

 

Fried, Seasoned, and Half-and-Half

Korean chicken shop menus have three basics: fried, seasoned, and half-and-half. Some shops also offer a soy sauce flavor.

 

  • Fried (huraideu, 후라이드): plain chicken, fried twice, with no sauce
  • Seasoned (yangnyeom, 양념): chicken coated in a sweet and spicy gochujang-based sauce
  • Soy (ganjang, 간장): chicken coated in a soy sauce glaze
  • Half-and-half (ban-ban, 반반): an order with two flavors in one box

 

You can also choose between bone-in chicken and boneless chicken (sunssal, 순살). Sunssal is chicken with the bones removed. Portions come as a whole chicken (han ma-ri, 한 마리) or a half chicken (ban-mari, 반 마리). Chicken-mu (chikinmu, 치킨무) is pickled radish served with chicken. It usually comes with the order as a side.

 

A half-and-half chicken box with glazed seasoned chicken on one side and plain fried chicken on the other. Photo: Ruliweb
A half-and-half chicken box with glazed seasoned chicken on one side and plain fried chicken on the other. Photo: Ruliweb

 

Seven Words to Save, and Pointing for Half-and-Half

Save these seven order words on your phone: whole chicken (한 마리), half chicken (반 마리), boneless (순살), fried (후라이드), seasoned (양념), half-and-half (반반), and chimaek (치맥, chicken and beer).

 

If you can't find half-and-half on the menu, point to the photos of the fried and seasoned chicken and say "Ban-Ban, please." For a whole chicken, a half chicken, or boneless, point to the words on the menu or say them aloud.

 

A Korean chicken menu showing fried, seasoned, and half-and-half (Ban-Ban) options. Source: Mexican Chicken menu
A Korean chicken menu showing fried, seasoned, and half-and-half (Ban-Ban) options. Source: Mexican Chicken menu

 

Check the Total on Delivery Apps

The main chicken delivery apps are Baemin, Yogiyo, and Coupang Eats. Minimum order amounts and delivery fees differ by app and by shop.

 

The order screen shows the minimum order amount and the delivery fee before you pay. Check the total, then confirm the order. For your delivery address, write the road name address and add the building number, floor, and unit. If the building has an entrance door code, put it in the request box.

 

BBQ lets you order delivery and takeout online on its official Korean site (bbq.co.kr). Its phone order number is 1588-9282.

 

The delivery and takeout order screen on BBQ's official Korean website
The delivery and takeout order screen on BBQ's official Korean website

 

About ₩20,000 a Chicken, ₩30,000 Delivered

Popular menu items at major Seoul franchises cost ₩26,000–27,000 for delivery. With a delivery fee of about ₩3,000, what you actually pay comes close to ₩30,000.

 

Prices vary by shop and menu. Rough ranges are:

 

  • Average whole chicken: ₩20,000–25,000
  • Premium franchises (BBQ, bhc): ₩24,000–28,000
  • Neighborhood chicken shops: ₩14,000–18,000
  • Half-and-half surcharge: about ₩1,000–2,000 more than fried
  • Boneless surcharge: about ₩2,000
  • Delivery fee: ₩3,000–6,000
  • 500 cc draft beer: ₩4,500–6,000

 

Korean fried chicken served with a mug of draft beer, known as chimaek. Source: Wikipedia
Korean fried chicken served with a mug of draft beer, known as chimaek. Source: Wikipedia

 

For a First Order, Try Half-and-Half with Beer

For a first order, get one half-and-half chicken with draft beer. That combination is called chimaek (치맥). You get to try both fried and seasoned chicken at once.

 

Chimaek is fried or seasoned chicken eaten with beer, usually as an evening snack. The BBQ Olive Chicken & Beer Jeju Sammu Park branch is listed as a chimaek shop where you can enjoy chicken and beer together. It is open from 12:00 to 00:00.

 

The BBQ Olive Chicken & Beer Jeju Sammu Park page on the Korea Tourism Organization's English site
The BBQ Olive Chicken & Beer Jeju Sammu Park page on the Korea Tourism Organization's English site

 

At a Korean chicken shop, three words and one sentence are enough to order: one whole chicken, half-and-half, boneless, and "Ban-Ban, please." On a delivery app, check the total before you pay. A half-and-half chicken with beer is an easy way to start.

 

Related Guides

Previous guide: Do You Need to Press the Crosswalk Button in Korea?
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