When we buy foreign products in Korea, they are more expensive than the original price. As consumers share product pricing information via the internet, many people turn to purchasing goods directly through international online shopping sites. Shopping for products through international online sites is referred to as ‘direct purchasing’, but in Korean, it is usually called ‘Jikgu’ for short. As the number of people who make direct purchases via the internet keeps growing, ‘Jikgujok’ has been newly coined by people.

‘Iherb’, ‘Shopbop’,’ ‘Amazon’ and ‘Taobao’ which sells broadly-based items are the most popular websites for people. On top of these internet shopping malls, many buyers use official product homepages because the prices are cheaper than the price of the same products sold in Korea. On infamous American sales days such as Black Friday or Independence Day, and through promotional events such as free shipping or other discounts, Koreans are encouraged to purchase goods via their official homepage on account of their lower prices.

The Dankook Herald (DKH) learned how to make international Jikgu purchases from Amazon, the world’s largest internet shopping mall.

1. Go to the Amazon site and click the ‘Start here’ button which is located at the top of the homepage.

2. Write your favorite contact address in ‘Mye-mail address is’ and type the phone number of your preferred freight forwarding company.

3. Select and put the item you want to buy in the cart. Click ‘Proceed to checkout’ if you want to buy it. (You should double-check the product details before choosing your preferred item.)

4. Type the address of your preferred freight forwarding company on the ‘address line’, for delivery address. Write your city on the “City” line, your borough on the ‘State/Province/Region’ line and your postal code on the ‘ZIP’ line.

5. After that, click ‘Continue’ to recheck the address accuracy, and pay as you would for regular purchases on an internet shopping mall.

A lower price is the main advantage of international Jikgu purchasing, however it is also important to recognize the drawbacks and precautions relating to international Jikgu. The most significant demerit is a longer delivery period, exchange complications, and delayed refunds. The earliest delivery period is 10 days and sometimes we can’t track the shipment. If we decide to refund or
exchange the products, the sum of the original shipping cost and the return shipping cost can amount to tens of thousands of won. In fact, the sum of the shipping costs can amount to the same as the cost of the product, except in the case of electrical appliances.

Also, it is important to note that refund and exchange procedures are complicated and the addition of a language barrier makes the task seem cumbersome. We should take into serious consideration the color or size of products before you make the purchase.

▲ You can get stuffs at a reasonable price with Jikgu.

DKH interviewed two Jikgujok who regularly make international purchases. When asked what motivates Kim Young-mi to make purchases at least 2 to 3 times a month, she answered. “I was interested in purchasing brand name cosmetics at a
lower price and after that, I continued making purchases via the international site.” DKH asked her about the sorts of items she usually buys and the price difference. “I usually buy vitamins, nutritional items, fancy shoes and cosmetics.” she said.

DKH questioned her about the precautions we need to take regarding international Jikgu. “You have to check out whether the product you want to
buy is on the domestic prohibited items list or not.” As an internationally experienced Jikgu, she also added, “You can buy items for a cheaper price on Independence Day and Black Friday sales days, since shops provide larger discounts.”

Lee Da-hae (junior, Duksung University, Department of Sociology) another seasoned Jikgujok said, “There is a big difference in the price of clothes with Korea. In addition, shoes which are out of stock in Korea, are in stock in the USA. For these reasons, I started Jikgu.”

DKH asked whether there was anything we needed to be aware of when making overseas purchases. “I wrote the wrong delivery address, choosing Korea, Democratic People’s Republic instead of the Republic of Korea. So, I learned it is very important to write a correct address,” she responded.

Anyone could make international purchases if you know the way. Although it is the same product, the price largely differs with the price in Korea. DKH recommends international Jikgu. There are several things that you have to keep in
mind, such as the above examples, particularly with regards to domestically restricted items.

Also, you have to compare the Korean price with the international one because international Jikgu isn't unconditionally cheap. Take up the challenge of the international Jikgu, keeping in mind the instructions above.