How to choose a shipping method

When your box is ready, you choose how it travels. The right method depends on weight, box size, how quickly you need it and where it's going. This guide compares the options using Korea Post's official 2026 rates.

The options at a glance

Method	Carrier	Typical transit	Weight limit	Volumetric weight
K-Packet	Korea Post	7–16 days	2 kg	Not used
EMS	Korea Post	3–8 days	See calculator	L × W × H ÷ 6000
EMS Premium	Korea Post	2–5 days	See calculator	L × W × H ÷ 6000
Air parcel	Korea Post	10–25 days	20 kg	See calculator
Sea parcel	Korea Post	1–3 months	20 kg	See calculator
FedEx International	FedEx	2–5 days	See calculator	L × W × H ÷ 5000
HDK Economy USA	Our US line	6–11 days	See calculator	See calculator

A few details matter here:

• K-Packet is tracked, and it's often the cheapest tracked option for light boxes.
• EMS includes compensation up to ₩700,000.
• HDK Economy USA is for US addresses only, and duties are prepaid.
• Korea Post has temporarily suspended services to the US since 21 July 2026, so US orders go by FedEx or HDK Economy USA for now. Our US shipping guide has the details.

Transit times are typical ranges, not guarantees, and customs can add time.

Real prices for three countries

These are Korea Post's published 2026 postage rates in Korean won. Our postal prices are exactly these rates. Every shipment also has our ₩3,000 packing and handling fee. FedEx and HDK Economy USA use our own rate card, which you can check in the calculator.

United Kingdom

Method	1 kg	2 kg	5 kg
K-Packet	₩17,590	₩32,590	Over the limit
EMS	₩44,500	₩55,500	₩91,000
EMS Premium	₩54,100	₩73,300	₩109,400
Air parcel	₩30,500	₩34,000	₩51,000
Sea parcel	₩12,000	₩18,500	₩30,500

Japan

Method	1 kg	2 kg	5 kg
K-Packet	₩14,090	₩20,880	Over the limit
EMS	₩28,500	₩35,500	₩43,500
EMS Premium	₩42,500	₩56,600	₩86,300
Air parcel	₩18,000	₩21,000	₩28,500
Sea parcel	₩9,900	₩15,500	₩24,500

Australia

Method	1 kg	2 kg	5 kg
K-Packet	₩15,890	₩26,090	Over the limit
EMS	₩40,500	₩55,000	₩81,000
EMS Premium	₩54,100	₩73,300	₩109,400
Air parcel	₩21,000	₩28,500	₩52,000
Sea parcel	₩12,000	₩18,500	₩30,500

We charge in US dollars at about ₩1,298 per dollar (the 28 September 2026 mid-market rate plus our 4.5% margin). For example, a 1 kg K-Packet to the UK is ₩17,590, about $13.56, and a 1 kg EMS parcel is ₩44,500, about $34.30.

What the numbers tell you

• Under 2 kg, K-Packet is usually the cheapest tracked option. It's slower than EMS, but at 1 kg it costs less than half as much to all three countries above.
• EMS buys speed and cover. It typically takes 3–8 days against 7–16 for K-Packet, and compensation up to ₩700,000 is included.
• EMS Premium is faster again but usually costs more. At the weights above it's more expensive than EMS for all three countries. For very heavy boxes it can come out cheaper to some destinations. For example, 10 kg to the UK is ₩158,700 by EMS Premium and ₩163,000 by EMS. The calculator compares them for your exact box.
• Air parcel gets competitive as boxes get heavier. At 5 kg to the UK it's ₩51,000 against ₩91,000 for EMS, if you can wait 10–25 days.
• Sea parcel is the cheapest at every weight above, and the slowest. At 1–3 months, it suits books and anything you're not waiting on.

Volumetric weight, with a worked example

Carriers price by space as well as weight. For EMS and EMS Premium, the volumetric weight is:

length × width × height (cm) ÷ 6000

For FedEx the divisor is 5000, which makes the same box count as heavier. You're charged for whichever is higher, the actual weight or the volumetric weight. K-Packet doesn't use volumetric weight, but it's limited to 2 kg.

Example: a 2.2 kg box to the UK by EMS.

1. In a 40 × 30 × 20 cm box, the volume is 24,000 cm³. Divided by 6000, that's 4 kg volumetric. The box is charged at 4 kg: ₩79,000.
2. Repacked into a 30 × 25 × 15 cm box, the volume is 11,250 cm³, which is 1.875 kg volumetric. Now the actual 2.2 kg is higher, so the box is charged at the 2.5 kg step: ₩61,000.

Same items, smaller box, ₩18,000 less (about $13.88). By FedEx, the first box would count as 4.8 kg (24,000 ÷ 5000).

This is why we remove bulky outer delivery boxes when we consolidate. We never remove product packaging, though, so an album or boxed skincare set keeps its original box.

How to choose

• Light box, under 2 kg, and you can wait a couple of weeks: K-Packet.
• You want it within about a week, or the contents are valuable: EMS.
• Heavy box and no rush: Air parcel.
• Books, or anything that can wait months: Sea parcel.
• US address: FedEx or HDK Economy USA, with duties prepaid.
• Perfume: it can't go by post, but couriers can sometimes carry it with dangerous-goods approval. Ask us first.

Some items can't go by any postal method, so check what we can't ship before you order. For your actual box, the calculator shows every available method side by side, and you can ask about edge cases in community Q&A.