November shopping in Korea starts before US Black Friday. The familiar Korea Sale Festa now appears under the organizer’s K-Sale Festa name, alongside other programs in Korea Grand Festival. The useful question for a visitor is which discounts you can actually use with a passport and a foreign payment card.

The short answer

  • K-Sale Festa: October 29–November 15, 2026, 18 days. The official organizer and Korea Grand Festival site agree on the dates.
  • US Black Friday is November 27. Korean store campaigns have separate calendars; the 2025 examples below are not confirmed 2026 offers.
  • Sale goods can qualify for a tax refund from ₩15,000 per transaction. Bring your passport and ask the cashier before paying.

When is Korea Sale Festa 2026?

October 29–November 15, 2026. The organizer’s recruitment page and official poster use K-Sale Festa. Korea Grand Festival’s site gives the same dates and says its full website is scheduled to open on October 22. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups reconfirmed the 18-day festival in its October 14 release.

The dates belong to different editions and scopes

EditionDatesWhat the source establishes
2024 Korea Sale FestaNov 9–30, 2024Industry ministry: more than 2,600 companies
2025 Korea Grand FestivalOct 29–Nov 9, 2025Broader festival incorporating Korea Sale Festa
2026 K-Sale Festa / Korea Grand FestivalOct 29–Nov 15, 2026Current official dates; final company count unconfirmed

What is still missing?

Checked October 16, 2026: we could not verify a final company total, complete store discount list or detailed tourist program. The 2024 company count is not a 2026 figure. Duty-free discounts, airport welcome events and free heritage admission appeared in earlier government plans or last year's program; check the final 2026 conditions before building an itinerary around them.

Can foreign tourists use the sale discounts?

Ordinary shelf-price reductions are generally available to visitors. App coupons, payment rebates and prize draws have their own eligibility rules. Do not assume a short-stay visitor can use a benefit requiring a Korean account, phone verification or a particular locally issued card.

What to check at the counter

BenefitVisitor accessCheck first
Department-store or outlet sale priceUsually straightforwardBrand exclusions and return conditions
Duty-free promotionAvailable if eligiblePassport, departure details and pickup rules
Tourist couponDepends on the storePassport, minimum spend and stacking rules
Onnuri / local gift-certificate subsidyDifficult for a short stayApp, account and payment requirements
Domestic-card rebate or prize drawEligibility variesAccepted card and registration conditions
Domestic online flash saleCan be difficultAccount verification, foreign-card acceptance and delivery

For the regular passport-based benefits, see Seoul department-store tourist discounts. Around Myeongdong, compare Lotte and Shinsegae before committing to one shop; Hongdae is another option for Musinsa clothing.

📍 Open in Naver Map — Lotte Department Store Main Branch 📍 Open in Naver Map — Shinsegae Department Store Main Branch 📍 Open in Naver Map — Musinsa Store Hongdae

Which November sales are confirmed for 2026?

The national festival dates are confirmed; the retailer examples below remain historical. As of October 16, we could not confirm the 2026 winter dates in the official notices checked. Korea’s department stores often call their promotion a winter regular sale or season-off sale rather than a one-day Black Friday event.

Shopping calendar checked October 16, 2026 — previous-year examples are labeled

Campaign2026 statusOfficial 2025 examplePractical use
K-Sale Festa / Korea Grand FestivalOct 29–Nov 15Oct 29–Nov 9, 2025Check individual store offers
Shinsegae winter regular sale / Season-off & SaleNot confirmedNov 14–30; opening event Nov 14–19Clothing; participating brands vary
11st Grand 11 Festival (그랜드십일절)Not confirmedNov 1–11Domestic online shopping requirements
Musinsa Mujinjang winter Black FridayNot confirmedNov 16–26; offline stores participatedCheck each store’s notice
US Black FridayFri, Nov 27—Not a nationwide Korean sale date
December Olive Young SaleNot confirmedNov 30–Dec 6In-store beauty shopping

The Shinsegae, Musinsa, 11st and CJ examples come from those companies’ own announcements. We have left out retailer names, discount percentages and 2026 dates supported only by media reports. See Musinsa shopping for foreigners and the Olive Young sale calendar for store-specific details.

Online discounts are not always travel discounts

An overseas-delivery promotion on a global shop is separate from buying in a Korean branch. Before spending time on a flash sale, check whether you can register, pay and receive the order before departure. Shopping coupons and duty-free benefits may be simpler for a short visit.

How is Korea Grand Sale different?

Korea Grand Sale is the winter shopping-tourism event for international visitors. The preceding edition, called Korea Grand Sale 2026, ran December 17, 2025–February 22, 2026. Do not read that name as a promise for December 2026; we could not confirm the next edition’s dates as of October 16.

Similar names, different programs

ItemKorea Grand Festival / K-Sale FestaKorea Grand Sale
AudienceBroad domestic consumption, with visitor offersInternational visitors
SeasonAutumnWinter
Relevant datesOct 29–Nov 15, 2026Previous: Dec 17, 2025–Feb 22, 2026
How to useStore sale or campaign-specific conditionsPassport coupons and partner-specific conditions

Can you combine sale prices and a tax refund?

Yes, when the purchase and traveler qualify. The refund is based on the amount actually paid, not the original ticket price. Use a participating tax-refund shop; a sale sign alone does not make a shop eligible.

Purchase conditions — Customs guidance and foreign-tourist tax rules, checked October 16, 2026

RuleThreshold
Minimum transaction₩15,000 or more
Instant-refund single transactionBelow ₩1,000,000, tax included
Instant-refund cumulative purchases after entry₩5,000,000 or less, tax included
Export deadlineWithin 3 months of purchase
Duty-free goodsNo second VAT refund on tax already removed

The Korea Customs Service’s April 3, 2026 release confirms the instant-refund limits. The minimum is set in Article 2 of the implementing rules. Above the instant-refund limits, ask about the separate downtown or departure refund procedure. Keep receipts and follow airport instructions for export confirmation; a manual customs inspection is required when directed.

Price comparison — a hypothetical 30% discount, before any refund

PurchasePaid priceSaving before refund
Full price₩300,000₩0
30% sale₩210,000₩90,000

The sale saves ₩90,000 before the refund. The final refund depends on the operator, fee and purchase band, so one operator’s table should not be applied to every shop. Compare the actual refund slip, not a flat 10% assumption. Our Korea tax refund guide explains the amounts and airport process.

When should you plan a shopping trip?

Use October 29–November 15 if the national festival is your priority. For winter clothes and the December Olive Young sale, watch November announcements before moving flights or hotels. Last year’s overlapping sales show a useful pattern, but do not guarantee this year’s savings.

Before you buy

  • Bring your physical passport. Ask whether the tourist coupon can be combined with the sale price and tax refund.
  • Compare the final amount. A high headline discount may apply only to selected stock or a domestic payment method.
  • Check the year on every notice. Recheck the national website from October 22 and each retailer before visiting.

If your purchases will not fit in your suitcase, see shipping shopping home by Korea Post and EMS before packing.

Sources