Korea splits the Valentine's tradition across two dates with different roles, and the goods sold for each are genuinely different. Ordering the wrong thing for the wrong month is a common mistake for people buying Korean gifts from abroad, and the shipping timeline is tight for both.
The two dates and who gives what
On February 14 the convention is that women give chocolate. On March 14, White Day, men reciprocate, traditionally with candy rather than chocolate. A third date, April 14, is a lighthearted event for people who received nothing. The product ranges follow this closely, so February shelves are chocolate and March shelves are hard candy, marshmallow and jelly.
What is actually worth ordering
Korean confectionery gift boxes run roughly 8,000 to 35,000 KRW, about 6 to 25 USD, and are attractively packaged in a way US equivalents mostly are not. Beauty brands release limited Valentine's packaging on existing products, which is often the better buy since the product is useful after the box is opened. Character collaboration sets sell out fastest.
The food shipping problem
Chocolate does not travel well by air in a warm month and can melt in the final domestic leg even in February if the destination is southern. Sealed hard candy and packaged snacks are much safer. Some food items also face import restrictions depending on ingredients, so anything containing meat or fresh dairy is a bad candidate.
Ordering deadlines
For a February 14 arrival, order from Korean stores by about January 20 and dispatch the international leg by January 27, allowing for Seollal disruption. For White Day on March 14, order by about February 18. Both timelines assume standard air service, not express. Because Seollal frequently falls between those two dates, the February window is the tighter of the two and the one most likely to slip. If the timeline is already short, ship to yourself and hand-deliver rather than gambling on a direct delivery date.
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Start a buy-for-me order →Frequently asked
Are these dates widely observed in Korea?
Yes, heavily in retail and among younger people. The commercial presence is much larger than in the US, which is why the product selection is so much better.
Can I ship chocolate internationally?
Sealed commercial confectionery generally travels fine as a personal shipment, with melting rather than regulation being the main risk. Check the ingredient list for anything dairy-heavy or meat-derived.
What about April 14?
It is a novelty date with a small commercial footprint. Black bean noodles are the running joke rather than a gift category, so there is little to order.