Where to Buy the Wonyoung Hair Brush in Korea: Price, Duty-Free Pick-Up and What It Does
In Korea, the medicube x Forever Cherry hair brush made with IVE's Jang Wonyoung is sold through Shinsegae Duty Free: its online mall, and a pop-up at the Myeongdong store that runs through November 30. The pink brush was listed at $20 (about 26,800 won) on November 5, 2026. You need a passport and a departure date to buy it, and it's a detangling and smoothing tool, not a hair or scalp treatment.
Where can you buy the Wonyoung hair brush in Korea?
The Ribbon Cherry Glass Hair Brush is a palm-sized detangling brush with a ribbon-shaped grip, from APR's brand medicube and Forever Cherry, its collaboration with IVE's Jang Wonyoung. Shinsegae Duty Free describes it as sold only through the duty-free channel in Korea, which leaves two official places to buy one.
- Shinsegae Duty Free online mall: on sale since July 20, and still open to order on the product listing on November 5.
- Myeongdong store pop-up: open from July 24 through November 30. The store fills the 8th to 12th floors of 77 Toegye-ro, inside the Shinsegae Department Store building, at the edge of Myeongdong. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and until 8:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday and on holidays.
The listing marked Myeongdong as in stock on November 5, but stock moves, so the store line (02-6370-4119) is worth a call before you make the trip. Announcements don't name the pop-up's floor. Medicube's permanent store is in the K-beauty zone on the 10th floor, so that's the place to ask. November 30 is the pop-up's scheduled end, and nothing has been announced about what follows it.
Elsewhere in Korea, the options are thin. The brush first appeared here at a medicube pop-up at Lotte Department Store Avenuel Jamsil in June, reportedly limited to 300 a day, and that event is over. Searches of medicube's Korean online store and Olive Young's online store on November 5 returned no Forever Cherry brush. Resale apps do list it, often above the duty-free price, but those are private sales rather than an official channel.
Outside Korea, the brush launched in Japan on May 11, 2026. Qoo10 was among its first sales channels, and @cosme now lists it for its shops too. According to the company, it sold more than 100,000 units there in about two months, then moved into overseas wholesale and, in July, major e-commerce platforms in China. Medicube's US store showed no listing on November 5, and an official Amazon or UK listing couldn't be confirmed, so check who the seller is before you pay on those sites.
How much does the brush cost, and which colors are sold?
Shinsegae Duty Free listed the pink brush at $20 on November 5, 2026, which the site showed as 26,824 won at its exchange rate that day. Duty-free goods are priced in US dollars, so the won figure moves with the rate. Logged-in members may see a further discount, and the store notes that online and in-store prices can differ.
| Where | Price | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Shinsegae Duty Free online, pink | $20 (26,824 won) | Product listing, checked November 5, 2026 |
| Japan launch | 2,970 yen, tax included | Medicube's launch release, May 2026 |
Pink is the only color on the Shinsegae listing. Red and violet pink were added in Japan in June, so a red brush isn't something to count on finding in the Korean duty-free channel right now. Medicube's Japanese account also announced a comb version, which went on sale first on Qoo10 from August 9. It wasn't on the Shinsegae site on November 5.
The listing gives dimensions of about 89 x 87 x 83 mm, and the brush comes with a protective cap and a stand. It's small enough to slip in beside a K-beauty holiday gift set if you're shopping for someone else.
How does duty-free buying work for a visitor?
A duty-free shop sells tax-free goods to people leaving the country, so you'll need travel details as well as money. Shinsegae Duty Free sets no purchase limit for foreign visitors on departure.
- In the store: bring your physical passport. Copies and photos aren't accepted. Know your departure date, and if it's more than 30 days away, bring your e-ticket or booking confirmation.
- Online: enter your personal and departure details exactly as they appear on your passport and booking. Orders can't be sent to a home or hotel address, and trips to Jeju don't qualify.
- Pick-up: on departure day, clear immigration and go to the Shinsegae Duty Free pick-up counter before boarding. Show your passport, boarding pass and voucher, or your order number if you can't print the voucher. Check the item and sign for it there.
Order early. The listing carries a "3hr Pickup" tag, but deadlines depend on your airport, flight time and where the stock is. These are the times the listing gives for Incheon International Airport with stock from the Myeongdong branch, and the site's Ordering Hours page will check your exact flight.
| Flight leaves Incheon at (KST) | Order by (KST) |
|---|---|
| Midnight to 1:59 a.m. | 6 p.m. the day before |
| 2 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. the day before |
| 5 p.m. to 7:29 p.m. | Noon the same day |
| 7:30 p.m. to 8:29 p.m. | 2 p.m. the same day |
| 8:30 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. the same day |
If your name, passport number or flight details don't match, the counter won't hand the item over. If you leave without collecting your order, you can cancel it or change the departure details, and an order with no change within 16 days of the original departure date is canceled automatically. If you buy at the Myeongdong store, ask at the till where you'll collect the brush, because duty-free purchases are generally handed over at the departure counter.
What does the brush actually do?
A hair brush is a mechanical tool. It loosens tangles and lays strands in the same direction, and hair that lies flat reflects light more evenly. That's the realistic source of any shine you see after brushing, from this brush or any other.
Medicube builds its pitch on four lengths of bristle, and these are the company's descriptions:
- Long: reaches in first and loosens tangles.
- Medium: smooths the middle layers of hair to calm frizz.
- Short: smooths the surface of the hair for fewer snags.
- Micro: catches fine flyaways for a neater finish.
The company also says the bristle tips are rounded, the base is designed to follow the curve of the scalp, and the ribbon-shaped silicone grip spreads pressure so brushing puts less strain on hair and scalp. The cap locks on with a click to keep dust off the bristles, which is useful in a bag.
Independent testing of this brush couldn't be found, and "glass hair" is the brand's phrase rather than a measured result. Those 100,000 units show demand, not performance. It's fair to expect a comfortable detangling brush with a clever cap, and to treat anything beyond that as marketing until someone measures it.
What can't a hair brush do?
A brush doesn't grow hair, thicken it or treat the scalp. A soft bristle can feel pleasant, but comfort isn't care in the medical sense, and nothing in the company's Japanese launch release or its Korean listing presents the brush as a hair-loss product. It can't repair hair either. Split ends and bleach or heat damage stay where they are, however smooth the surface looks for the moment.
Technique still matters. The American Academy of Dermatology advises using a wide-tooth comb rather than a brush on wet hair, and working from the ends upward. That advice applies to this brush as much as any other, however soft its bristles are.
If you're interested in the scalp side of Korean hair care, the scalp care routine is a separate subject from a brush. Sudden shedding, bald patches, or a scalp that keeps itching or flaking are reasons to see a dermatologist rather than change your hair tools.
Dr. Beau's Note
There's nothing wrong with buying a hair brush because it's pretty. A tool you enjoy having on the shelf is one you'll actually reach for, and that's a sensible reason at this price.
Just keep the two purchases separate in your mind. You're paying for a good-looking everyday object with a neat cap, and possibly a small piece of Wonyoung's world. You aren't paying for a hair treatment. Seen that way, it's easy to decide whether it deserves a place in your bag.
