How Much is the Korean Barcode? How to Identify and Check Accurately
According to the international GS1 standard, the national barcode prefix of South Korea is 880 – officially published on gs1.org. This number helps consumers easily recognize products registered in South Korea and increases reliability when choosing goods, especially in the context of counterfeit and imitation products becoming increasingly common.
1. How Much is the Korean Barcode?
The Korean barcode is 880 under the GS1 international standard. In some extended cases, you may encounter 881, but the most common one is still 880.
Note: The country code only indicates where the barcode was registered, not the actual place of production. For example: A Korean company imports goods from China but registers the barcode with GS1 Korea, the product will still carry the 880 code.
2. The Popularity of Korean Products in the Vietnamese Market
Korean goods are increasingly familiar to Vietnamese consumers. From cosmetics (famous for quality and design), food (instant noodles, kimchi, seaweed), to household appliances (rice cookers, electric stoves) and electronics (Samsung, LG), all occupy a large market share.
According to the General Department of Customs, South Korea is currently one of Vietnam’s three largest trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching nearly 80 billion USD in 2023 and rising to over 81 billion USD in 2024. This shows the strong influence of Korean goods in many industries, especially electronics, textiles, cosmetics, and food.
However, along with popularity comes the issue of counterfeit, imitation, and low-quality hand-carried goods, especially in cosmetics and food. Therefore, consumers increasingly focus on checking the 880 barcode on packaging to identify origin, increase trust, and combine with scanning apps and anti-counterfeit stamps to reduce risks of buying fake products.
3. How to Check Korean Barcodes Quickly and Accurately
Check with the naked eye (first 3 digits)
If the product has the first three digits 880, there is a very high possibility it was registered in South Korea. However, note: the country code only reflects the registration location, not the actual place of production.
Check with barcode scanning applications
Consumers can use free apps to scan barcodes, very convenient on phones: iCheck Scan, Barcode Việt, Naver Scanner, …
How to use:
Open the app → turn on the camera → point at the barcode.
The app will return product information: name, brand, registered company.
If no information appears or incorrect data shows, you should be cautious.
Manual check with formula
Each EAN-13 code has a final number called the Check Digit, calculated as follows:
Take the sum of digits in odd positions (excluding the last digit).
Take the sum of digits in even positions, multiply by 3.
Add the two results together.
The check digit (last number) is chosen so the final sum is divisible by 10.
Example: 880 1234 56789 5
Odd-position digits: 8 + 0 + 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 = 28
Even-position digits: 8 + 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 = 33 → 33 × 3 = 99
Total = 28 + 99 = 127
Check digit = 3 (because 127 + 3 = 130, divisible by 10).
If the last digit matches, the barcode is valid. If not, it may be counterfeit or misprinted.
Online check on GS1 (Verified by GS1)
This is the official way to check, based on GS1’s global database:
Visit the Verified by GS1 website.
Enter the GTIN number (usually the 13 digits on the barcode).
The system will display registered company and product information.
Note: This only confirms which company registered the barcode, not the actual place of production.
Compare and look for counterfeit warning signs
In addition, consumers can observe unusual signs:
Barcode printed faintly, blurred, misplaced, or abnormal in size.
Barcode cannot be scanned by machine or app.
Information from the barcode and the product packaging does not match (company name, country of manufacture, ingredients…).
Poor packaging, unusually cheap price.
If you encounter one or more of these signs, think carefully before buying.
4. Popular Barcode Types in South Korea
In South Korea, businesses and consumers often encounter four main types of barcodes, each with unique features and applications:
EAN-13: Standard 13-digit GS1 code, used to identify commercial products. Found on most consumer goods (cosmetics, food, household appliances, electronics).
GS1-128: Extended version, contains additional info like batch number, expiry date, serial number. Common in logistics and supply chain management.
UPC: 12-digit code common in the US/Canada. Used in South Korea when exporting goods to North America for retail compatibility.
QR Code: 2D matrix code storing large data. Used in anti-counterfeiting, marketing, and QR Pay payments.
5. Practical Applications and Notes When Buying Korean Products
Applications of barcodes
Retail: Quick scanning at counters, accurate inventory and pricing management.
Logistics: Support sorting, warehousing, transportation; GS1-128 manages batches, expiry dates, serial numbers.
Import–export: Helps customs control origin, cross-check with international databases.
Origin assurance: Especially important with cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food – increases transparency and trust.
Notes when checking
Barcodes can be counterfeited (printing 880 but not registered).
They do not confirm the place of production, only the registration place.
Should combine with: anti-counterfeit stamps, Vietnamese sub-labels, packaging comparison, prioritizing purchase at reputable stores, and using scanning apps for verification.
6. See Also: Barcodes of Popular Countries Worldwide
Besides Korea’s 880 barcode, many other national codes exist on the market. Below is a summary table of common ones consumers often see:
Vietnam (893): often found on agricultural products, FMCG.
Thailand (885): common in beverages, snacks, spices.
China (690–695): widely seen in electronics and cheap consumer goods.
Hong Kong (489): mainly for exports, electronic components.
Recognizing barcode prefixes helps you easily identify product origins. To explore more, you can check the article compiling the barcode list of countries worldwide.
Conclusion
In summary, South Korea’s barcode is 880, an important piece of information that helps consumers quickly recognize products registered in Korea. However, note that the 880 prefix only reflects the registration place, not the actual place of production. Therefore, to ensure genuine purchases, you should combine multiple verification methods: scanning with apps, cross-checking packaging info, using anti-counterfeit stamps, and buying from reputable stores.
Understanding and applying these correctly will give you greater peace of mind when using Korean products.
