Quick answer: A package forwarder receives purchases at a Korean address and sends them onward. A proxy buyer purchases on your behalf. Before using either, verify the product can legally be shipped to your destination and calculate the full landed cost.
Try the retailer's international checkout first
Look for the brand's official global store or an authorised seller in your country. Compare its delivered price with a Korean domestic order plus forwarding. Forwarding is not automatically cheaper, and a domestic return policy may be difficult to use from abroad.
Forwarding versus proxy buying
Use forwarding when you can pay the store directly and it permits delivery to the warehouse. Consider a proxy if the seller does not accept your payment or requires a local account. Check the service's permitted stores, fees and buyer protection before sending money.
Do not assume a service supports every second-hand marketplace or every product. Ask who bears the loss if an item is counterfeit, damaged, missing or different from the listing.
Calculate the complete bill
- Item price and Korean domestic delivery.
- Proxy, handling, storage, consolidation and repacking charges.
- International shipping, fuel surcharges and insurance.
- Destination duty, tax and carrier clearance fees.
- Return costs if something goes wrong.
Billable weight can depend on both actual and dimensional weight. Request an estimate using packed measurements. Combining boxes may save money, but is not guaranteed to do so after repacking fees or duty effects.
Low-value parcels are not automatically duty-free
US Customs states that the duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments from all countries was suspended from August 29, 2025, subject to the stated exceptions. Do not rely on an old “under $800 is tax-free” guide. Check current CBP and carrier instructions for your shipment.
Other destinations have their own import VAT, duty and restricted-goods rules. A parcel may face tax or handling charges even where a customs-duty threshold exists. The buyer's nationality does not determine the parcel's treatment; destination, goods, origin and shipping method matter.
Before placing an order
- Confirm the warehouse address format and parcel-identification code.
- Ask whether the exact item is accepted by both the forwarder and carrier.
- Check restrictions on batteries, perfume, aerosols, food and other controlled products.
- Obtain the complete fee and storage schedule.
- Keep invoices and declare contents and value accurately.
- Choose tracking and appropriate insurance for the risk you are taking.
Start with a small order if you are testing a new service. This guide does not endorse a specific forwarder or confirm that every Korean product can be exported. Current carrier acceptance and destination customs rules should be checked before the product reaches a warehouse.