Lego Availability

[Mraz Skintas]

I'm pretty sure that this belongs here, if not, a MOD is more than welcome to move it.

In a few months I will be making my last move with my family. We will be PCSing (permanent change of station, or something like that) to South Korea. I was wondering if anyone here knew if LEGO is available there, or if I have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping by buying everything from Ebay or Bricklink or the like.

I e-mailed LEGO, but those e-mails usually take a few weeks to be replied to.

Thanks in advance for the one who knows.

[SWMAN]

I'm pretty sure that this belongs here, if not, a MOD is more than welcome to move it.

In a few months I will be making my last move with my family. We will be PCSing (permanent change of station, or something like that) to South Korea. I was wondering if anyone here knew if LEGO is available there, or if I have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping by buying everything from Ebay or Bricklink or the like.

I e-mailed LEGO, but those e-mails usually take a few weeks to be replied to.

Thanks in advance for the one who knows.

I am guessing that the internet is going to be your best bet.

[Mraz Skintas]

That would be my last resort. But I was more wondering if LEGO was sold at major Korean retail stores, whatever those may be.

[CP5670]

I have bought sets from Korean sellers on ebay in the past, so I would guess Lego is in fact available there.

[spade450]

PCS to South Korea sounds like a military move. If so, Lego U.S.s@h will ship to APO and FPO addresses at the same cost of a continental U.S. shipment - relatively cheap and I think that you avoid sales tax because you will have a zip code where there is no U.S. Lego store. I have ordered many sets from s@h in the 18 months that I have been in Italy. Just make sure that you use the APO or FPO address for shipping so that it is treated as a domestic U.S. sale.

[Karto]

LEGO.com is available in Korean but without a S@H (select 'change region' on the home page).

TLC has also a packaging plant in South-Korea as you can read on Brickipedia

So, I guess you'll find anything at local toy stores.

Something else I just saw on Brickipedia: an add that may interest you: The Korean Dating Site

[Front]

LEGO.com is available in Korean but without a S@H (select 'change region' on the home page).

TLC has also a packaging plant in South-Korea as you can read on Brickipedia

So, I guess you'll find anything at local toy stores.

Something else I just saw on Brickipedia: an add that may interest you: The Korean Dating Site

I doubt that Lego is doing packaging in South Korea

[Karto]

I doubt that Lego is doing packaging in South Korea

That's what is written in the wiki...

5 minutes of googling learns that there 'was' a packaging plant in Icheon, South Korea but this has been closed a few years ago along with other sites during TLC's large restructuration. You can read HERE the official statement of TLC. This plant has been moved to cheap China, which is why we can see a lot of pre-production or promo boxes for sale on eBay, like the 4999 Vestas wind turbine which is sold in large quantities by Chinese sellers (see ebay.co.uk, ebay.com.hk, eachnet.com).

The official statement says also: "The LEGO Korea Sales Department in Seoul, which employs 20 people, will not be affected by the plant closure." Which means clearly that LEGO is distributed in South Korea.

Edited June 27, 2009 by Karto

[Lord Admiral]

Look for Toys R Us or some other US or European brand store that offers toys. You'll probably pay a premium, but that's how it is in most places outside of the US. I wouldn't be surprised if local stores also offer Lego sets, but I can't offer you any degree of certainty for those stores. Either way, I'd look out for clone brand sets.

[Mraz Skintas]

Well that pretty much clears everything up. Thank you all for your kind help.

[Alywin]

I heard from some local fans in HK before that certain departmental stores in S. Korea (who knows about anythig inside N. Korea...) actually do sell LEGO. But you might discover that in S. Korea, a brand called Oxford, which is a LEGO-like brick system but is of quite good quality famous of military models and not really a counterfeit/ fake, are actually quite strong in the market. So LEGO actually does not sell as well as in other markets. This is just like a double-bladed sword. You might not have so many LEGO products in Korea, but at the same time there might be some old sets selling at substantial discount because they became slow moving/ obsolete items. The other thing is Korean Won (its currency) has depreciated a bit so if you bring over US$ to buy LEGO, it is like you enjoy a lower price relatively.

I have not verified such statements, but hope you get some ideas and find out the truth when you land there.

Good luck.