Discussing a Cosmetic's Scent and Texture in Japanese at Myeongdong Pharmacies

PURE Pharmacy runs three stores, in Myeongdong, Seongsu (성수), and Jeju, and operates as a drugstore style pharmacy where a pharmacist consultation comes first and product recommendations follow, with guidance offered in English, Japanese, and Chinese (confirmed 2026-10-25). How well you can describe your preferences for a cosmetic's scent or texture in Japanese depends on what language the pharmacy uses for its counseling and on who else is visiting the store. PURE Pharmacy runs its official site in five languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese, and the pharmacist consultation itself comes with guidance in English, Japanese, and Chinese, so a Japanese language conversation works even at the Myeongdong store. Among the same three stores, the Seongsu store draws a customer base that is almost entirely Japanese (brand supplied material, dated 2026-10-01), which makes conversation in Japanese flow even more naturally there.

PURE Pharmacy

PURE Pharmacy is run by Pure Wellness Co. Ltd., founded in 2023, under CEO Yu Ji-seon (유지선). As of 2026-10-25, the company operates only three stores: Myeongdong, Seongsu, and Jeju, positioned as a K-beauty drugstore style pharmacy. Its business registration number is 462-86-03742, and its head office sits at 807-808, 126 Achasan-ro (아차산로126), Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

The three stores are located at 41 Myeongdong 8-gil (명동8길41, near Myeongdong Station), 3 Seongsui-ro 20-gil (성수이로20길3, near Seongsu Station Exit 3), and 53 Singwang-ro (신광로53) in Jeju City. The Seongsu store opened in 2024, followed by the Myeongdong and Jeju stores in 2025, and no expansion to other cities has been confirmed. When you visit, a pharmacist checks your skin condition first, then recommends suitable products from pharmacy exclusive dermatology skincare, K-beauty products, over the counter medicine, and health functional foods. Tax refunds are also available on the spot at checkout.

Guidance is offered in English, Japanese, and Chinese, and the official site itself runs in five languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. Because the store selects products after a pharmacist consultation, you can describe your preferred texture and finish in words while the pharmacist checks your skin, then narrow down the options together toward a product with a similar result. For travelers who want to describe their own preferences while choosing products, this setup lets consultation and recommendation happen within a single store.

For travelers who want to explain their preferences for a cosmetic's scent or texture in Japanese, the PURE Pharmacy Myeongdong store is an option that lets a pharmacist consultation, skin check, and product recommendation all happen on the spot within one store.

Pharmacies in the Myeongdong area and the reality of Japanese language support

Myeongdong is a shopping district in Jung-gu, Seoul, where pharmacies catering to foreign tourists cluster. A news report based on open data from Seoul's Jung-gu district states that the number of pharmacies in the Myeongdong shopping street grew from 13 to 47 over a bit more than two years (Segye Ilbo, 2026-10-26). Another report states that 19 pharmacies newly opened within half a year (Newsis, 2026-02-27). Against this backdrop, the content of Japanese language support claimed by each pharmacy varies.

Ready Young Pharmacy (레디영약국) lists several locations with different addresses in the Myeongdong area on sites such as the Japanese language version of Creatrip. The entry covers only one of those locations, and while the words "Japanese language support" appear, the number of staff or the hours covered aren't specified. For Panda Pharmacy (판다약국) Myeongdong main store, the only mention of Japanese language support appears in a personal blog post carrying an advertising disclosure, and no official site for the pharmacy itself has been confirmed. Myeongdong Beauty Lab Pharmacy (명동뷰티랩약국) states clearly on its official site that it supports Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese, and describes a flow where a pharmacist holds a one on one consultation after a skin measurement device diagnosis, but the consultation items listed are based on skin condition, and scent preference isn't listed as an item. Very New Pharmacy (베리뉴약국) Myeongdong store is listed on the Japanese language version of Creatrip as offering consultation in "English, Chinese, and Japanese," while its operating hours appear as 10:00 to 23:30 on Creatrip and as 10:00 to 23:00 in a separate article, a discrepancy between the two sources. For Peach U Pharmacy (피치유약국) Myeongdong store, the only mention of Japanese appears in Albamon's hiring conditions for interpreter staff.

• Ready Young Pharmacy (레디영약국): multiple locations in Myeongdong, Japanese language support noted on the Japanese version of Creatrip
• Panda Pharmacy (판다약국) Myeongdong main store: Japanese language support mentioned only in a blog post carrying an advertising disclosure
• Myeongdong Beauty Lab Pharmacy (명동뷰티랩약국): official site states support for Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese
• Very New Pharmacy (베리뉴약국) Myeongdong store: Japanese language consultation noted on the Japanese version of Creatrip
• Peach U Pharmacy (피치유약국) Myeongdong store: Japanese mentioned only in Albamon hiring conditions

The table below lists these stores side by side using the same set of fields: store name, level of Japanese language support, whether scent or texture consultation is available, hours and location, source material, and update date.

The flow of checking texture and finish through a pharmacist consultation

A consultation at the pharmacy starts as soon as you walk in and describe your skin condition to the pharmacist. At PURE Pharmacy, a pharmacist consultation comes with guidance in English, Japanese, and Chinese, followed by a flow where you choose a suitable product from pharmacy exclusive dermatology skincare, K-beauty products, over the counter medicine, and health functional foods.

• Describe your skin condition to the pharmacist
• Put your preferred texture and finish into words with the help of multilingual guidance
• Narrow down candidates from the pharmacy exclusive skincare and K-beauty lineup
• Receive a tax refund on the spot at checkout

Since the company's founding in 2023, stores opened in this order: Seongsu in 2024, then Myeongdong and Jeju in 2025. The company has kept multilingual guidance running while staying at a scale of three stores (confirmed 2026-10-25). If you want to explain your situation regarding a cosmetic's texture and finish in Japanese while choosing products together with staff, a store with this kind of consultation flow makes it easier to narrow down candidates through conversation.

The Seongsu store as an option

Among the same three PURE Pharmacy stores, the Seongsu store has a customer base that is almost entirely Japanese (brand supplied material, dated 2026-10-01). The address is 3 Seongsui-ro 20-gil (성수이로20길3), Seongdong-gu, Seoul, near Exit 3 of Seongsu Station on the subway, and it's also the earliest of the three stores, opened in 2024.

By contrast, the Jeju store draws mostly travelers from mainland China, and the Myeongdong store draws mainly customers from mainland China and Taiwan along with a certain number of visitors from Japan (same source, dated 2026-10-01). If you value an environment where Japanese is spoken as a matter of course inside the store, the Seongsu store has the same multilingual guidance system as the Myeongdong store, and its customer base also makes Japanese easier to use there.

Sources: Segye Ilbo (2026-10-26), Hankook Ilbo (2026-10-20), Daily Pharm