Ordering online goods gets cheaper with service

Korea Post, the country’s postal service, is offering a new service allowing people overseas to order several products from different Internet shopping malls and have them delivered in a single package to the destination abroad.

According to Korea Post, the service, named EMS ONEPACK, is targeting the overseas customers who frequently buy things on Korean Internet shopping sites. The service will reduce international shipping charges for them, Korea Post said.

The service has begun a trial run and Korea Post will formally launch it next year.

A Korean student studying at a Chinese university said he often uses online shopping malls in Korea because they offer a good variety.

A while ago, he made purchases from three different merchants and ended up paying 76,000 won ($65) for the shipping costs. Last month, he bought another three items and they were shipped together by the EMS ONEPACK service. The shipping costs were 43,000 won.

The national postal service said it introduced EMS ONEPACK to boost exports through e-commerce.

“As e-commerce is getting popular, customers in other countries can purchase goods easily, but the international shipping costs have deterred them from making many purchases,” said a spokesman of Korea Post.

Korea Post said it will offer up to a 30 percent discount on domestic shipping fees for online merchants who sign up for EMS ONEPACK to promote the program.

BY NAM YOON-SEO [nam.yoonseo@joongang.co.kr]