Korean Magazines with Idol Covers: How to Buy Them (2026)

Korean magazines with K-pop idol covers are sold through Korean online bookstores such as Aladin and YES24, usually as several cover versions (A, B, C) of the same issue. A monthly fashion title costs about ₩7,600 to ₩19,000 and an idol photobook-style DICON issue about ₩39,700, as of October 2026. Buyers abroad order them from those bookstores directly, where shipping is offered, or through an agent.

This guide covers the main titles, how versions work, real November 2026 issue prices, what you lose when a bookstore ships abroad, and how to order.

Quick facts
Where Koreans buy	Online bookstores: Aladin, YES24, Kyobo
Monthly fashion titles	W Korea, Dazed & Confused Korea, Marie Claire, Singles, WWD Korea, Arena Homme+ and others
Typical monthly price	₩7,600 to ₩19,000 at bookstore discount (as of October 2026)
DICON	Dispatch's magazine brand; Volume N°36 (THE 8) ₩39,700 (as of October 2026)
Versions	A/B/C형 (hyeong, type), each a separate listing
Release timing	Monthly issues come out in the month before the cover date
Overseas catch	Aladin: separately given extras are not included in overseas orders
Weight	About 580g to 1.2kg per copy on bookstore listings

Which Korean magazines put idols on the cover?

Two kinds of print products carry idol covers in Korea.

Monthly fashion and lifestyle magazines. These are regular magazines with a celebrity cover each month. Idols often take the cover, sometimes with several versions per issue. For the November 2026 issues, the cover lineup on Aladin and YES24 included:

Magazine (November 2026)	Cover star(s)	Versions seen	Bookstore price (as of October 2026)
W Korea Volume 11	Stray Kids' Lee Know; aespa's Ningning; Park Bo-gum	A, B, C for each cover star	₩11,400
Dazed & Confused Korea	Stray Kids' Seungmin	A, B, C	₩19,000
WWD Korea	ATEEZ's Hongjoong; NMIXX's Sullyoon	A, B, C (Hongjoong) and A, B (Sullyoon)	₩14,150
Marie Claire Korea	ENHYPEN, one version per member	C to G seen	₩11,400
Singles	ALPHA DRIVE ONE (group cover)	A and E seen	₩9,500 (A), ₩15,010 (E)
Arena Homme+	Kim Do-yeon	A and C seen on Aladin; random of 3 on YES24	₩7,600

Prices are the bookstores' 5% discounted prices. List prices were ₩12,000 for W, ₩20,000 for Dazed, ₩14,900 for WWD, ₩12,000 for Marie Claire, ₩10,000 and ₩15,800 for the two Singles versions, and ₩8,000 for Arena.

DICON. DICON is a magazine brand from the Korean entertainment outlet Dispatch, according to Soompi. Each volume is closer to a photobook than a monthly magazine, focused on one artist. Volume N°36, "THE 8 : THE 8TH SENSE," centers on SEVENTEEN's THE 8. Sports Kyunghyang reported that DICON announced it on August 25, 2026 and opened pre-orders the same day, and that it runs 128 pages.

On Aladin, Volume N°36 is listed in A-type and B-type at ₩39,700 each, with no discount, published October 7, 2026. The listing gives the size as 230 × 300mm in a box and the weight as 1,225g.

What do the A, B and C versions mean?

Korean bookstores list each version as a separate product: A형, B형, C형 (A-hyeong, B-hyeong, C-hyeong; "type A, B, C"). In most cases, the version changes the cover, while the inside pages are the same issue.

The product pages are not always clear about what differs. The Aladin and YES24 listings for the Dazed November issue show the same cover star and feature lineup for all three types and do not describe the difference. So treat this as the rule:

1. Look at the cover image on each listing. The image is usually the only place the difference is shown.
2. Read the 부록 (burok, supplement) line. It can differ by version. On YES24, Dazed type A listed an ILLIT Yoona supplement, type B an ILLIT Minju supplement, and type C both.
3. Check for "random." YES24 sold the November Arena Homme+ as "1 random of 3 covers," while Aladin listed separate types. Same magazine, different way of selling.
4. Check the price. When one version costs more, it usually comes with an extra. The Singles E-type listed a list price of ₩15,800 against ₩10,000 for the A-type, and its Aladin page named a keyring as the supplement.

Member versions

Group covers are often split into one version per member. Marie Claire's November issue had separate ENHYPEN versions for Jay, Jake, Niki, Sunoo and Jungwon in the listings we saw, each its own product. If you collect one member, order the letter for that member, not just "Marie Claire November."

How much do Korean idol magazines cost?

Prices for the titles above, as of October 2026:

Type	Price range at bookstores	Notes
Arena Homme+	₩7,600	Lowest priced in our sample
Singles	₩9,500 to ₩15,010	Higher version includes a supplement
W Korea, Marie Claire	₩11,400	Many cover versions
WWD Korea	₩14,150	Multiple versions
Dazed & Confused Korea	₩19,000	Each type lists a supplement
DICON volume	₩39,700	Photobook format, boxed

Bookstores in Korea discount new magazines lightly. All the monthly titles above were 5% off list. The new DICON volume had no discount. Older DICON volumes from 2022 were listed on Aladin at half their list price, so back issues can be cheaper than new ones.

Are back issues cheaper?

Often, yes, if they are still in stock. When we searched Aladin for DICON on October 15, 2026, most results were 2022 releases, and they were listed at half their original price:

• DICON D'FESTA volumes (the Dispatch 10th anniversary series, one artist per book, with BTS, NCT, TWICE and NU'EST members among them): list ₩47,700, sold at ₩23,850.
• DICON BOY ISSUE N°13 (THE BOYZ, "BOn voYage"), A-type and B-type: list ₩38,700, sold at ₩19,350.

Stock of older volumes is whatever is left in the warehouse, and some members' versions sell out long before others. If a back issue you want shows 품절 (pumjeol, sold out), the resale market is the remaining option. Check the listing on the day you order, because prices and stock on older titles change without notice.

Card-linked prices shown on Korean bookstore pages ("카드최대혜택가") depend on Korean credit cards and monthly spending. Overseas buyers cannot use them, so ignore that line when you compare.

When do idol magazine issues come out?

Korean monthlies come out ahead of their cover month. The November 2026 issues were listed in October:

• Singles November: published October 15, 2026, per Aladin.
• Dazed & Confused Korea November: published October 28, 2026, per both bookstores.
• DICON Volume N°36: published October 7, 2026, per Aladin.

Most listings open as 예약판매 (yeyak panmae, pre-order) before publication. YES24's Dazed page says items ordered together with a pre-order book ship on the release date, and that the publisher may delay release. So a box with a pre-order magazine waits for that magazine.

For collectors, two timing habits help:

1. Order the version you want early. Popular member or cover versions can sell out before others.
2. Bundle releases. If two magazines come out a week apart, one combined order means one wait and one box.

Our guide to Korean pre-orders explains how 예약판매 works in general.

Where do Koreans buy idol magazines online?

Korean fans mostly buy magazines from the big online bookstores, which list each version and supplement clearly. Our store guides cover each one:

• Aladin. Lists each version with the cover star in the title, for example "(표지 : 스트레이키즈 승민)." See our Aladin guide.
• YES24. Lists the cover star and supplement in the title and marks overseas shipping as available on product pages. See our YES24 guide.
• Kyobo. Another large Korean bookstore with an online store. See our Kyobo guide.

Searching works best in Korean. Type the magazine name plus the month, such as "더블유 11월호," or the idol's name plus "표지" (pyoji, cover).

Useful Korean words on magazine pages

Korean	Romanization	Meaning
표지	pyoji	Cover
11월호	sibirwolho	November issue
A형 / B형	A-hyeong / B-hyeong	Version A / B
부록	burok	Supplement, extra included
별도증정	byeoldo jeungjeong	Given separately
랜덤	raendeom	Random
예약판매	yeyak panmae	Pre-order
품절	pumjeol	Sold out
월간	wolgan	Monthly

What changes when a Korean bookstore ships a magazine abroad?

This is the part that surprises buyers.

Aladin's pages for the Dazed November issue and DICON Volume N°36 both carry this line: "해외배송시 별도증정 부록은 동봉 불가." In English: when an order ships overseas, separately given extras cannot be included. Gift wrapping was also unavailable.

That matters because idol fans often buy a magazine for the extra, such as a supplement cover, card or keyring. If the extra is packed inside the magazine or its wrapping, it travels with it. If it is a separately given item, Aladin's overseas shipping will not include it. Read whether the extra is inside the wrap or given separately.

YES24 marks the Dazed page "overseas shipping available" and links to a notice about cautions. Check that notice and the product page before you rely on an extra arriving abroad.

When an agent buys for you, the bookstore delivers to an address in Korea, so it is treated as a domestic order. The bookstore's own rules about extras then follow the domestic version of the page.

How should you check the condition of a magazine?

Magazines are printed in large runs, and bookstores say up front that small flaws are normal. YES24's Dazed page says cover scratches and ink spots on inside pages can happen naturally during production and are not grounds for an exchange.

For collectors who want a clean cover:

• Ask for photos. A purchasing agent's inspection photos show the cover before the box leaves Korea.
• Expect shrink wrap on some titles. Aladin's Dazed listing mentions the supplement packed with the magazine in wrapping ("책과랩핑").
• Ship flat. Thick fashion monthlies bend easily. A box with cardboard support travels better than a soft mailer.

Buy direct, forward, or use an agent?

	Buy direct	You buy, we ship (package forwarding)	We buy for you (HaulKorea)
Which store	Bookstore's own overseas shipping, where offered	Korean bookstore site, delivered to a forwarder	Any Korean bookstore link you send
Korean account and payment	Depends on the store	Usually needed	Not needed
Separately given extras	Aladin: not included on overseas orders	Treated as a domestic order	Treated as a domestic order
Mix magazines with albums, merch, other stores	Only within one store	Often	Yes, in one box
Photos before shipping	No	Depends on the service	Yes, inspection photos
Payment	Store's methods	Korean payment, then forwarder fees	One PayPal payment

If a bookstore ships to your country and you do not need the separately given extras, buying direct is the simple route. If the extra matters, or you want several versions from more than one store in a single box, an agent fits better. Our article on purchasing agents vs package forwarding explains the difference.

How to order Korean idol magazines through HaulKorea

1. Find the exact listing. Search Aladin, YES24 or Kyobo for the magazine and month. Open the version you want.
2. Check the cover and supplement. Confirm the cover image and the 부록 line on that specific version.
3. Copy each product link. Each version is a separate product, so send one link per version.
4. Write quantities clearly. For example: "W Korea Vol. 11, Lee Know, type A ×1 and type C ×1."
5. Send us the product links. Mention if an extra is the reason you are buying, so we check it is still listed.
6. Review one total before paying. You see the magazine prices, Korean delivery and international shipping in one figure, and pay once with PayPal. If the real weight is lower, we refund the difference, and there is no second charge.
7. We order and wait for release. Pre-order magazines ship on their publication date.
8. Check the inspection photos. We photograph the covers and supplements at our warehouse before shipping.
9. Combine if you like. Add albums or merch from other Korean stores to the same box.

How heavy are Korean magazines to ship?

Heavier than most people expect. Fashion monthlies are large-format and printed on thick paper, and shipping is charged by weight and size.

Item	Weight on listing
Singles November 2026, type E (214 pages, A4)	578g (Aladin)
Dazed & Confused Korea November 2026	700g (Aladin) / 1,000g (YES24)
DICON Volume N°36, boxed	1,225g (Aladin)

Note that the two bookstores gave different weights for the same Dazed issue. Treat listing weights as rough.

What this means in practice:

• Three versions of one issue can weigh 2 to 3kg. Collecting every cover is a shipping decision as much as a buying one.
• Boxed photobooks like DICON add volume. The box protects the book but takes space.
• Mixing with albums adds up quickly. Plan the whole box, not one item at a time.

Do you pay import tax on Korean magazines?

That depends on your country and your order value.

United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments from all countries from August 29, 2025. For US orders through HaulKorea, duty is not included in the total; the recipient pays it to the carrier or postal service on delivery. See our US import duty guide for how it works.

Other countries. The recipient pays local VAT or GST and any duty when the parcel arrives, and the carrier may charge a handling fee. Printed matter can be treated differently from other goods in some countries, so check your own customs authority's rules.

Is it worth ordering Korean idol magazines from Korea?

Yes, if:

• Your bias is on a Korean cover that is not sold where you live.
• You want a specific version, member cover or supplement.
• You are already ordering albums or merch from Korea and can share a box.

Think twice, if:

• You only want the photos. Many magazines publish pictorials online, and a 1kg magazine is a lot to ship for a few pages.
• The extra is separately given and the bookstore's overseas shipping excludes it.
• You want perfect covers. Bookstores do not exchange for small scratches.

FAQ

Where can I buy Korean magazines with idol covers?

Korean fans buy them from online bookstores such as Aladin, YES24 and Kyobo, which list each cover version separately. Some bookstores ship abroad themselves. You can also order through a purchasing agent that buys from the Korean site.

What is the difference between A, B and C versions?

Each version is a separate product, and the difference is usually the cover photo. Some versions also come with a different supplement. Check the cover image and the 부록 (supplement) line on each listing.

How much is a Korean idol magazine?

The November 2026 issues we checked ranged from ₩7,600 for Arena Homme+ to ₩19,000 for Dazed & Confused Korea at bookstore prices. A DICON volume cost ₩39,700. All prices as of October 2026.

What is DICON?

DICON is a magazine brand from the Korean entertainment outlet Dispatch. Each volume focuses on one artist and is closer to a photobook. Volume N°36 features SEVENTEEN's THE 8 and runs 128 pages.

Will I get the extras if a Korean bookstore ships overseas?

Not always. Aladin's pages say separately given extras cannot be included in overseas orders. Extras packed inside the magazine's wrapping travel with it. Check the product page before ordering.

When do Korean magazines release?

Monthly issues come out before the cover month. The November 2026 issues we checked were published between October 15 and October 28, 2026. Pre-order listings usually open earlier.

Can I exchange a magazine with a scratched cover?

Usually not. YES24's page says small cover scratches and ink spots happen during printing and are not grounds for an exchange. If cover condition matters, ask for inspection photos before the box ships.

Can I combine magazines with K-pop albums in one box?

Yes. HaulKorea can buy from bookstores and album shops, hold everything at our Korean warehouse, and ship one box. Send all the product links together and ask for one combined total.