Daiso Myeongdong Station, Floor by Floor
A 12-Story Shopping Survival Guide

Twelve floors. One building. Zero ₩6,000 items. The Daiso Myeongdong Station branch has become one of Seoul’s most-visited retail destinations — and after walking every single floor so you don’t have to, I now understand exactly why.

I actually featured this very building in my earlier Daiso Korea Shopping Guide — the 12-story blue glass tower is now a genuine Myeongdong landmark. But a single photo doesn’t do it justice. This time I went in properly, level by level, with fully charged legs and an empty basket. Let me tell you upfront: I made a critical rookie error on the way up, and I will make sure you do not repeat it.

The entire 1st floor of the Daiso Myeongdong Station branch is dedicated to one thing: getting your money. Rows of self-checkout kiosks, staffed counters, and queue management barriers that make the whole operation surprisingly efficient. Before you rush upstairs, take 10 seconds and look left — you’ll spot the Tax Refund information board. Eligible foreign visitors can receive an immediate tax refund on qualifying purchases — check the refund desk near the exit for current requirements. Don’t leave that money in Korea (unless you’re reinvesting it on floor 12). You can also check Daiso Korea’s official English site for membership and store information before your visit.

Floor 2 is where the international crowd concentrates. K-beauty is the draw, and Daiso Myeongdong Station’s version of it — haircare, body care, hand cream, men’s grooming, and of course, the legendary sheet masks — is priced so low that people genuinely buy them by the armful. If you’ve already checked out my guide on the nearby Olive Young Myeongdong Town megastore, you’ll find that Daiso complements your cosmetics haul with unbelievable budget options. My family is fully guilty of this. My personal contribution to the household K-beauty routine? I inherit the leftover essence from the sheet masks after everyone else is done with them. Recycling. Very sustainable. My wife calls it something else.

This is my floor. Students gravitate toward the beautiful design stationery — letter sets, envelopes, decorative cards — while tech-leaning dads (guilty) head straight for the charging cables, phone stands, screen protectors, and cases. I picked up a MagSafe-compatible clear case for my phone for ₩3,000 and a tempered glass screen protector for ₩1,000. I’m using that combination right now as I write this. Zero complaints. And remember: the most expensive item in the entire Daiso Myeongdong Station building is ₩5,000. That number never changes.

Floor 4 is where Daiso Myeongdong Station goes full character mode — and the crowd proves it works. The entire floor is dedicated to Character, Party & Toy goods, anchored by a full Disney zone featuring Mickey, Minnie, Winnie the Pooh, Pixar, and the Princess lineup. From character mugs and pouches to sticker sets and party supplies, everything here looks like it cost three times more than it did. I’m not the target demographic for this floor — but I was the one who couldn’t stop looking at the Mickey Mouse espresso cups. Don’t tell my wife.

Floor 5 is where the Health+ section lives — vitamins, supplements, and health foods from familiar Korean brands at prices that make you question why you ever paid full price elsewhere. The snack aisle is also genuinely excellent for souvenirs: Korean chips, traditional sweets, and candies that you won’t easily find outside Korea. I stop here regularly at Daiso Myeongdong Station. My kids have strong opinions about which snacks are acceptable. I have stopped arguing.

Compared to the floors below, Floor 6 is noticeably calmer — which makes it a pleasant stop to browse properly. Korean metal chopsticks, ceramic bowls, cups, and a full range of cooking utensils make this an underrated pick for practical souvenirs. A nice set of Korean tableware from Daiso Myeongdong Station offers surprisingly good value for the price.

Floor 7 is quietly one of the most frequented floors by foreign residents living in Korea. Storage boxes, cushions, curtains, indoor slippers, and organising bins — this is domestic life, Daiso edition. A few months ago my wife and I bought a full load of storage units from this exact section at Daiso Myeongdong Station and reorganised our living room cabinets. After watching one too many Korean home organisation videos online. The bins are still there. The YouTube algorithm still knows what it did.

I’ll be honest: I expected Floor 8 to be quiet. It wasn’t. Bathroom slippers, cleaning detergents, laundry nets, mops — it turns out everyone needs these things regardless of nationality, travel budget, or floor number. A highly practical stop at Daiso Myeongdong Station, especially if you’re a long-stay visitor or a resident who simply forgot to restock.

Floor 9 covers outdoor and athletic gear, and the golf section alone tells you everything about Korean leisure culture. Tees, gloves, ball markers, training aids — all for ₩1,000–₩5,000. I don’t golf, so I kept moving. But the camping section is genuinely solid for anyone looking to pick up lightweight accessories without paying outdoor-brand premiums.

Floor 10 opens up to a burst of colour — realistic artificial flowers that would work beautifully for home staging or event decoration. Pet owners will find clothing, bedding, and accessories for their animals. There’s also a decent aquarium supplies corner with tanks and equipment that reminded me of the turtle I raised years ago. Back then, proper aquarium gear cost a small fortune. I won’t tell my turtle what he cost. He’s gone now, but the memory of that price tag remains.

If there’s one floor international travellers consistently overlook at Daiso Myeongdong Station, it’s Floor 11 — and that’s a mistake. Travel adapters, sewing kits, wet wipes, cable ties, bicycle tools, car maintenance supplies, basic first aid items. The kind of things you need urgently exactly once per trip. There’s also a dedicated 압도적 가성비 국민득템 corner here — a curated selection of high-value household staples so well-priced they’ve earned their own prominent signage. I personally stock up on bicycle maintenance gear here on every visit. Quality is solid, prices are absurd in the best possible way.

We made it. Floor 12 is fashion — and the prices at the top of Daiso Myeongdong Station are just as unreal as at the bottom. Pyjamas, thermal underwear, t-shirts, cardigans, windbreakers — all for ₩3,000 to ₩5,000. It’s an incredible alternative if you missed the ultra-saver tier items at the recent Uniqlo Thank You Festival Korea event. I bought a lightweight windbreaker here that my wife told me I’d never wear. Reader: she’s been stealing it from my side of the wardrobe for three weeks.

The accessories and hair section is genuinely deep — wall-to-wall hair bands, clips, headbands, and ties starting at ₩1,000. Which brings me to one of my favourite moments from the Korean travel show Unplanned Trip: Limited Edition — actor Choi Woo-shik ran out of clean underwear on a budget trip and found that every option except Daiso blew his allowance. He waited outside until the store opened the next morning. He almost certainly bought his socks right here, on a floor exactly like this one.

Riding the elevator back down, I noticed a large VT Reedle Shot promotion poster displayed right inside the doors — one of the most consistently sought-after K-beauty items at Daiso Myeongdong Station among international visitors, and they know it. If you missed it on Floor 2, the elevator will remind you.

Back on Floor 1, basket full, it’s time to pay. The staffed counters are always available, but if you have a small number of items the self-checkout kiosks are significantly faster. Here’s the exact process, step by step — no guessing required.

Step 1: Look at the bottom of the screen and switch the language to your preference first. Step 2: Select payment type — Std Pay if you have a Daiso membership, Quick Pay if not. Step 3: Choose your payment method. Credit card, debit card, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, gift certificates, QR code payments — it accepts essentially everything.