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CU convenience stores in South Korea are everywhere – with their unmistakable bright purple and green branding, CU stores are very easy to spot and seem to be on pretty much every Korean street corner.
With over 17,000 CU stores in South Korea as of 2024, CU stores is one of the biggest convenience store chains in South Korea (compared to say 11,000 7-Eleven South Korea stores).
The two biggest convenience store chains in South Korea are CU and GS25.
There are lots of different convenience store brands to choose from in South Korea including GS25 and E-Mart but one of the most popular remains CU.
We also think CU has the best fresh food choices of any Korean convenience store chain – so we’ll see you in CU!
From convenience store cream bread to banana milk, steamed buns to soju, here is our guide to the best things to buy in CU Convenience stores in South Korea in 2024:
Table of Contents
Facts about CU Stores in South Korea
- Most (but not all) CU Convenience Stores in South Korea stay open 24 hours in big cities such as Seoul, Busan and Jeonju
- CU have famous brand products as well as their own in store brand – CU Hey Roo Special Choice For You, including items like own brand noodles, milk and potato chips
- CU appeared in 2012 and was formed after FamilyMart’s franchise license in South Korea expired, meaning lots of stores had to be rebranded.
- CU stands for CVS (conveniences) for you
- Many CU stores now offer a delivery service
- South Korean international and Tottenham Hotspur player Son Heung-Min (‘Sonny’) is the face of CU stores in South Korea (there are posters of him in every window)
- CU convenience stores has over 500 stores outside of Korea. CU stores are also very popular in Malaysia, plus there are shops in Iran and Mongolia. New stores will launch in Kazakhstan in 2024
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What you can buy at CU Stores in South Korea
1. Instant Noodles
Ramen noodles have dedicated sections in South Korean CU stores – you can usually find a dedicated aisle chock full of choice ramen flavours like sriracha, curry, seafood and fried chicken.
Even better, most CU stores in South Korea include either a hot water vat / urn or plumbed system where you pour boiling hot water on your noodles and then slurp away in the store or on the go.
Prices start from 1300 KRW for small packets of instant noodles.
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2. Bento Boxes (Dosirak)
Bento boxes are a big thing at CU convenience stores in South Korea – literally!
These huge boxes come in a variety of flavours with a huge assortment of sides like pickles, soft boiled eggs, fishcakes and kimchi plus loads of rice to accompany your main dish.
From chicken cutlets to spicy pork, bento boxes are a mainstay of CU Korean marts and often have shelf upon shelf of choices.
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3. CU Store Hot Food Cabinet / Korean Fried Chicken
Fried chicken (often accompanied with cold beer) is synonymous with South Korea, and so many CUs have dedicated hot fried chicken cabinets with various flavours (often spicy).
Meat and fish on sticks are also a very popular and inexpensive Korean street food snack in convenience stores and at South Korean markets like Gwangjang Market.
At CU stores in South Korea, you find a whole ‘hot bar’ (usually by the counter so staff can regularly replenish it) with all manner of hot meats on sticks like fish balls and sausages, usually served with spicy sauce.
One of the most popular hot products in CU stores is “Double hot boneless chicken thighs” for 2300 KRW or boneless chicken leg skewers for 2000 KRW each.
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4. HBAF
We’re ‘nuts’ about HBAF flavored almonds! Possibly South Korea’s most scrummy souvenir snack, HBAF almonds are a popular tourist treat that come in dozens of different flavours like wasabi or honey butter!
Whilst there are many dedicated HBAF stores in Myeongdong aimed at tourists, you’ll find HBAF products stocked in CU stores across South Korea including the flavoured almonds, moorish malt balls and dried anchovy snacks.
Other brands of nuts and snacking products are available in CU too (but HBAF is THE best in our ‘nutty’ opinion).
Read our guide to HBAF almonds (featuring 30+ flavours!) and HBAF stores here >
5. Crisps / Potato Chips
A traveller rite of passage, we are big fans of working our way through crisp flavours whilst exploring convenience stores – for instance, read about the time we tried all the various Lay’s crisp flavours in Thailand 7 Elevens.
South Korean CU stores are no different with aisle upon aisle of crisp flavours and different styles of potato chips such as crispy GIM (seaweed) chips.
One of our favourites (and most popular in South Korea) are the shrimp chips which taste just like prawn crackers. Delicious (but not ideal in small, confined hotel rooms!).
We also liked the Sindang-dong tteokbokki snack crisps and Jagalchi octopus flavoured crisps!
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6. Chocolate
Dozens of different chocolate bars are available in store including Korean brands like Lotte Crunky or international chocolate brands like Hersheys from America or Pocky and Pretz from Japan (Glico).
Many of the chocolate sticks like Pocky come in various flavours like strawberry, strawberry or honey butter (a bit like HBAF really).
Recently, Crunky also came out with a limited edition BTS Crunky bar – we wonder if it tastes ‘smooth like butter’…(sorry not sorry).
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7. Hoppang / hot steamed Korean buns
A warm steamed bread that you often find in Korean convenience stores like CU, hoppang is available from the hot counter with prices starting from around 1300 KRW.
There are usually several flavours of hoppang / Korean steamed buns and it is the brand name for jjinppang (fluffy steamed buns and bread).
Hoppang is made by the Samlip food company and the name literally means what it is – “ho” (the noise when blowing on hot bread to cool it down) and “ppang”, which means ‘bread’.
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8. Banana Milk (Binggrae) / Flavoured Milk
Banana milk (Binggrae) is super popular in South Korea, particularly with the young and students (and big kids like us).
We tried South Korean banana milk a few times as it is very refreshing after the spicier kimchi dishes some street food stalls produce – but this particular banana milk reminds us so much of Nesquik banana powder milk (which isn’t a bad thing).
As well as the famous banana milk, CU also do their own brand (Hey Roo) flavoured milk. Hey Roo Friend’s Milk is available in flavours such as chocolate and strawberry for around 1,800 KRW per carton.
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9. Yonsei Bread AKA Convenience Store Cream Bread
Yonsai cream milk bread is one of the most popular items that CU convenience stores sell, being an instant hit on social media.
Whilst possibly not the most healthy snack, milk cream bread in South Korea is here to stay.
Recently, CU released a limited edition ‘yellow cheese whipped cream bread’ and all 200,000 pieces sold out within one week!
The best thing since sliced cream bread, be sure to spend some ‘dough’ on this dreamy, creamy convenience store cream bread.
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10. Yakgwa
Crumbs! Yakgwa is a fried Korean honey cookie that are usually served in individual wrappers.
They are incredibly sweet and quite chewy (very different from the more biscuity style cookies) and usually covered in a sticky honey / ginger glaze.
On one recent trip to a CU convenience store in Seoul, we saw a poster on the wall saying that the best snacking combo is banana milk with cream bread and yakgwa – now that is a convenience store combo we can get down with!
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11. Korean Panda Fish Cake Foody Buddy Noodles (for Children)
Distinguishable by their panda themed packaging (so cute), this Korean brand of noodles is called ‘Korean Signature Hayang Ramen Panda Fish Cake beef Noodles’ and is aimed squarely at kids.
The beef broth is supposedly cooked for over 20 hours with 1mm thick noodles that are dried in the wind. All we know is that they are the cutest Korean noodles you’ll ever see in a CU convenience store!
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12. Mara Buldak Flat Noodles
Usually located close to the noodle aisle in CU stores, these are a South Korean signature snacky dish which you just add hot water to and then slurp away.
Mara Buldak Flat Noodles usually retail for around 3,500 KRW (and CU often have sales promotions on them like buy 2 and a third free).
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13. Meat Platters
Located in CU’s refrigerated sections, there are lots of meat platters in plastic boxes that contain lots of yummy delights inside.
Pork and beef meat platters are the most popular and many have pictures of a famous chef on the outside. Ready to eat and microwaveable, bulgogi is generally also included along with seaweed and crab.
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14. Kimchi
We regularly buy kimchi from the Korean shops in London so no small wonder it is widely available to buy and take home in sealed foil packets to cook as you wish.
This bright red and spicy pickled cabbage dish is a Korean mainstay and served as a side / garnish with lots of meals including the bento boxes available in CUs in South Korea.
Kimchi bibimbaps are also incredibly popular and often contain pork or other meats along with the rolled rice and kimchi.
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15. Korean Hot Dogs
Usually found in the fried / hot chicken cabinet at CU stores, Korean hot dogs are a very popular fast-food in South Korea.
They are essentially a traditional hot dog sausage wrapped in panko bread crumbs with cheese served with mustard and sometimes ketchup.
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16. Refrigerated Salads
Whilst CU stores in South Korea don’t generally have dedicated salad bars, they do have extensive salad selections in South Korea like green leaves with grilled chicken breast salad or corn salads.
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17. Triangular Rice (Samgak Kimbap)
Nice rice triangles! Although we never figured out properly how to open a Samgak Kimbap from CU (we always make a mess), these healthy snacks are available in a range of flavours like pork, spam egg mayo, tuna and bulgogi.
They are also available in cylindrical versions.
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18. Ready Meals
If you fancy a quick bite or just can’t bring yourself to go to a restaurant one night, CU convenience stores have got you covered. Their fridges are full of refrigerated ready meals like spicy stir-fried gopchang rice.
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19. Chewy Pork Meat
This chewy cold meat is sealed in foil packets and available in the chilled section. As the packaging shows, this is one that is best not microwaved and just enjoy it at room temperature.
Most chilled meats are served with seasoning sauces like shrimp.
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20. Soft Drinks at CU in South Korea
As well as the usual soft drink types like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, there were lots of soft drinks to try in CU convenience stores in South Korea.
These include Welch’s Grape juice or Chilsung Cider – Korea’s No.1 original sparkling soft drink (not cider like we know it in the UK or US – this is a lemon and lime carbonated drink, very similar to Sprite).
Other soft drinks at CU include Aloe Vera juices, Gatorade isotonic drinks and iced teas.
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21. Iced Coffees
Iced coffee (and coffee in general) is popular in South Korea, although often weaker than what you’d get in the west unless you go to a multinational like Starbucks.
Canned / cold coffee is big here, often with a dedicated fridge in most CU stores just for cold coffees and teas.
Expect to pay around 1,000 Korean Won for a small can of coffee such as T.O.P or Lotte mild mocha.
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22. Toiletries, cosmetics and K-Beauty products
It isn’t just the likes of Olive Young where you can buy K beauty products – CU has got you covered for all your cosmetic needs too.
From daily necessities like toothpaste and hand-wash to some of the more South Korean specific products like whitening face cream, you can even get Kakao Friends themed products like Ryan the Lion wet-wipes!
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23. Frozen Ice Cups and Containers
Looking to cool down in South Korea or have a picnic with some chilled drinks? CU sells ice by the bucket-load.
Many shoppers at CU stores buy a plastic cup of ice straight from the freezer and combine it with coffee or tea sachets to create the ultimate iced drink!
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24. Beer at CU Stores
Mainstream beers like Cass and Terra dominate the beer sections at CU in South Korea but some also include craft beer and small batch brewery cans.
One of the more unusual beers we tried from CU stores in Seoul was the Fil Goodbeer which is from the Oriental brewery and is more of a rice beer and slightly lower strength.
As it is partially rice based and a lower ABV, the tax to produce it is cheaper so it is cheaper than say Cass or Terra.
You can buy beer at CU Stores in South Korea during opening hours all day long.
Tip – for whatever reason, buying beer in bottles in CU stores in South Korea seemed to be way cheaper than buying beer in cans. For instance, a 500ml bottle of Cass beer costs around 2,200 Korea Won whilst a can of Cass beer the same size costs 2,800 Korean Won. You’re welcome and cheers!
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25. Ice Cream
There is a huge range of frozen favourites in the CU ice-cream cabinets including interesting icey inventions like a carrot flavoured ice-cream that looks just like a carrot (now that will confuse the rabbits!).
Lotte Ghana chocolate ice-creams seemed to be the most widely available, a spin off of the popular choccy bar range.
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26. Wines and Spirits / CU Bar
If you want something a little stronger than beer, CU’s have wine cabinets and a spirits section (called the CU Bar) that sell drinks like Jacob’s Creek wine and Evan Williams Kentucky Whiskey.
Bottles of wine usually start from around 11,000 KRW for and go-up to anything like 40,000 KRW.
A standard bottle of Jack Daniels (original or honey) will cost around 17.900KRW in CU South Korea.
We’ll see you at the CU Bar then!
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27. Soju at CU Stores
So-ju like… sorry, so you like alcoholic drinks? Then ‘Korean vodka’ might be for you as it is widely available at CU marts in South Korea and cheap as.
It is cheaper than beer and generally available for less than 1,500 Korean Won (£1 / 1 USD for a small bottle).
Produced from cassava, soju is hugely popular in Korea and usually consumed neat. It is around 9 to 20% ABV (so half that of vodka). We found it quite an acquired taste but everyone else loved it so there you go!
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28. Dried / Sliced Squid
Vacuum sealed to keep in the freshness, dried squid snacks are very popular in South Korea (they are very common as bar snacks albeit a little on the smelly side).
CU stores have various brands of dried squid products (plus occasionally available as fresh grilled squid in some hot food sections).
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29. Socks & Tights
One of the most common souvenir gifts people bring back or buy in South Korea is colourful socks (tip – there are lots of sock shops in the underground mall in Myeongdong).
CU also sells South Korean socks from boring black ones to more colourful polka-dot varieties and ankle socks.
Tights and other hosiery wear are also available in larger CU stores in South Korea.
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30. Breakfast Snacks – Rice Porridge / Cereal
Rice porridge with abalone for breakfast? CU stocks various varieties of nice rice porridge to help you kick start your day or have a mid morning snack.
Or if your tastes are more traditional, you can also buy breakfast cereals in South Korea like Kellogg’s Frosties or Cornflakes.
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31. Hot Packs
Visiting South Korea in the colder winter months? Get warm instantly with CU’s hot packs (“the warmth of a hot pack becomes human when shared”).
The hot packs are one time only use, lasting up to 16 hours and reach temperatures as high as 70c.
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Our final thing to buy in CU Stores in South Korea
32. Rice Wine
One of our lasting memories of spending time in South Korea was seeing the amount of people old and young enjoying rice wine (makgeolli) and being very happy and social (we’ve often been greeted with a call of ‘Geonbae’ and raised glasses).
Around 6% to 9% ABV, it is stronger than beer and much cheaper too making it an incredibly popular drink. Quite milky and ‘sharp’ in taste, it can be bought in huge bottles for very little money (usually 2,000 to 2,500 Korean Won).
Other South Korea posts you might like
- Things you can find in South Korea 7-Elevens
- Best things to do in Seoul Guide
- Brilliant things to do in Myeongdong, Seoul
- Things to do in Busan, South Korea
- Things To Do In Hongdae Guide
- Top things to do in Insadong, Seoul
- Brilliant things to do in Gangnam, Seoul
- Seoul at Night – Top Things To Do
- Things to do in Seongsu-dong, Seoul
- Best foods and drinks to try at Gwangjang Market, Seoul
- Things to do in Ikseondong, Seoul
- Best craft beer bars and brewery bars in Seoul
- Best Korean street foods you must try in South Korea
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