My first import from Korea, and it was genuinely easy

I had never imported anything in my life, and I almost talked myself out of it. Everyone told me importing a car from Korea was complicated, risky and full of hidden costs. What changed my mind was a single thing Korea Car Master did: they gave me one person to talk to, and that person answered every question — including the ones I felt stupid asking.

I asked things like "what if it arrives broken," "how do I know the car is even real," and "what stops you from just taking my money." They never got impatient. They explained that I pay against documents, that I would see the exact car on video first, and that I could pay a deposit rather than the whole amount at once. It made the process feel human instead of frightening.

I wanted a low-mileage Tucson and they found a 2022 with 35,900 km, one owner, in blue. They sent a walk-around video where you could see the tyres were still good, and pointed out a small stone chip on the hood honestly. Seeing the actual car move, hearing it start — that is when my nerves finally settled.

The costs were laid out as three separate numbers, which I loved: the car ₩26,900,000 (about $19,900), their fee $700, and freight to San Antonio about $1,300. For the Chilean import tax and IVA they connected me with a local customs broker they had worked with before, so I wasn’t lost at my own port.

I’ll be honest about the hard part for a first-timer: the weeks while the ship is at sea are nerve-wracking when it’s your money floating across the Pacific. But they sent me an update roughly every week — where the vessel was, when it would berth — and that is what kept me sane. About 40 days and it reached San Antonio.

The Tucson arrived exactly as it was in the video. For anyone importing for the first time, the value isn’t only the car — it’s having a real person in Korea who treats your questions seriously. I would do it again without hesitating.