Restricted Products

Customers trust that they can always buy with confidence on Coupang. Products offered for sale on Coupang must comply with all laws and regulations of Korea and with Coupang’s policies. The sale of illegal, unsafe, or other restricted products is strictly prohibited.

If you supply goods on Coupang, you should carefully review the Restricted Products in this document before listing a product. The examples provided in this document are not all-inclusive and are provided solely as an informational guide, and Coupang does not warrant the accuracy of any information provided in this document. We encourage you to consult with your legal counsel if you have questions about the laws and regulations concerning your products. All products and listings must also comply with applicable laws.

If you supply a product in violation of the law or any of Coupang’s policies, including those listed in this document, we will take corrective actions, as appropriate, including but not limited to immediately suspending or terminating your selling privileges, destroying your inventory in our fulfillment centers without reimbursement (if applicable), returning your inventory, terminating the business relationship, and permanent withholding the payments. The sale of illegal or unsafe products can also lead to legal action, including civil and criminal penalties.

We are constantly innovating on behalf of our customers and working with regulators, third-party experts, vendors, and sellers to improve the ways we detect and prevent illegal and unsafe products from reaching our marketplace. Coupang encourages you to report listings that violate Coupang’s policies or applicable laws by contacting us. We will investigate each report thoroughly and take appropriate action.

Download full guidelines

Restricted Products

• Banned substances
• Alcohol, except the Korean traditional alcohol (pursuant to Article 8, Liquor Tax Act of Korea)
• Cigarettes
• Drugs (medicine, medical devices, and quasi-drugs)
• Videos (videos, DVDs) or software that are not reviewed and classified. (refer to the Korea Media Rating Board)
• Illegal copy of label, video, game CD (all types of products that are copied without the consent of the copyright owner)
• Contact lenses, glasses or sunglasses with prescription, blood, or blood donor card (violation of Medical Service Act of Korea)
• Products that violate intellectual property rights (IPR)
  • Products that infringe others’ trademark, copyright, patent or other intellectual property rights
  • Counterfeit products
  • Violation of portrait rights and the right of name (photos or names of celebrities)
  • Counterfeit products of records/video/game
  • Illegally modified products
  • Plagiarized images
  • Cases where the personal information of others is sold or used without permission
• Other illegal products
  • Acquired or stolen items, illegally copied mobile phones, mobile phones and automobiles of which ownership is non-transferrable, and mobile phone serial numbers
  • Cyber items for games or cyber money
  • Vouchers or gift cards that are non-transferrable or not for sale (excluding give-away products), and vouchers or discount coupons that are made for promotional purposes.
  • Electric shock, hand cuffs, weapons and military uniform and military items that violate Act on the Safety Management of Guns, Swords and Explosives
  • Industrial and consumer electronics (CE) products that did not go through safety test
  • Real estate
  • Offensive and controversial materials
  • Hacking-related materials and documents (programs, books, other documents)
• In cases where the products violate other Korean laws and regulations, or Coupang determines that there is a reason to suspend the sales of the product.
• Restrictions on the sales of certain types of self-defense products (spray/stun gun)
  • Self-defense products mean “legitimate tools that can protect oneself, including both weapons such as stun guns, pepper sprays, sprayers and expandable batons, and non-weapons such as alarms, whistles and location trackers.”
  • According to the amendment of Act on the Safety Management of Guns, Swords and Explosives etc., the sales of those products are prohibited from January 17, 2016. (Only advertising for licensed products is allowed.)
• Pornographic representation:
  • Pornography refers to any product that causes sexual shame by using obscene pictures, language, video, or signals. Pornography cannot be sold in accordance with relevant laws. As for selling adult products, if the representation of the product is deemed obscene, it may be subject to restriction such as a ban on sales even when it is registered in the adult category.
• High-end art, used watches, used books, or any other high-priced antiques whose value is above KRW10,000,000 and where a chain of custody cannot be verified.
• Media products harmful to youth
  • Criteria for examination of media products harmful to youth
  • Note: If the Commission on Youth Protection or an examining authority finds, as a result of its examination that a media product falls under any of the following, it shall determine the media product as harmful to youth:
    1. If a media product is lewd or obscene to arouse youth’s sexual desire;
    2. If a media product is likely to urge youth to commit an atrocity or crime;
    3. If a media product provokes or glamorizes violent acts in various forms, including sexual violence, and the abuse of drugs;
    4. If a media product induces youth to gambling and speculation or is likely to significantly harm the heathy lives of youth;
    5. If a media product is anti-social or unethical to hinder youth’s formation of good character and citizen consciousness;
    6. If a media product is obviously likely to harm the mental or physical health of youth in any other aspect.