Korean optical shops sell frames and lenses at prices that startle visiting Americans, and a large domestic eyewear industry produces well-made acetate and titanium frames sold online for a fraction of US designer prices. The complication is anything involving a prescription.
Frame-only purchases are straightforward
Domestic Korean frame brands sell acetate and titanium frames at 50,000-180,000 KRW, roughly $37-135. Comparable quality from a US optical shop runs $200-400 before lenses. Frames weigh 25-40 g and pack small, so shipping cost is close to negligible.
Prescription lenses are a different matter
Prescription eyewear is a regulated medical device in the US, and ordering lenses cut to a prescription from overseas involves rules that vary and change. The common approach is to import frames only and have lenses fitted by a US optician, which most shops will do for a fitting fee.
Sunglasses and blue-light lenses
Non-prescription sunglasses import as ordinary goods. Korean brands price at 60,000-200,000 KRW and the domestic design scene is strong, particularly in thin metal and retro acetate shapes. Blue-light filtering non-prescription lenses are also unrestricted in most cases.
Contact lenses
Colored and circle contact lenses are medical devices in the US and require a valid prescription. This is one of the few Korean beauty-adjacent categories that a shopping service should decline, and rules here are enforced, so do not assume personal quantities are exempt.
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Start a buy-for-me order →Frequently asked
Can I have lenses fitted to imported frames?
Most US optical shops will glaze frames you supply for a fee, though some decline if the frame is unfamiliar or fragile.
Are Korean frame sizes different?
Bridge widths tend to be narrower and nose pads more common, since frames are designed for a lower nose bridge. Check the three numbers printed on the temple arm.
Are circle lenses legal to import?
They are prescription medical devices in the US. Treat them as out of scope and check current regulations rather than assuming.