If Something Goes Wrong
Buying Medicine
Finding a pharmacy, saying what's wrong without Korean, and what to do when they're all shut.
The short answer
Look for a green cross and the word 약국 (*yak-guk*). Show the pharmacist where it hurts, or type your symptom into a translation app and hand them the phone. For ordinary things — a headache, a cold, an upset stomach — you'll walk out with something in a minute or two.
A pharmacy is not a shop you browse
Medicine sits behind the counter, not on shelves you pick from. You describe the problem and the pharmacist chooses. This feels abrupt if you're used to picking a box yourself, but it is faster, and it is why the person behind the counter asks questions.
- Pharmacies are everywhere, usually clustered around clinics and hospitals — if you can see a clinic, a pharmacy is within sight of it.
- Most are small, independent, and run by one or two pharmacists.
- Many pharmacists read English better than they speak it. Writing is often easier than talking.
Saying what's wrong
Pointing works. So does one word plus a gesture. If you want to be understood exactly, type the sentence into a translation app and show the screen — nobody minds, and it removes the guesswork.
| What you have | What to say or show |
|---|---|
| Headache | 두통 — *du-tong* |
| Fever | 열 — *yeol* |
| Sore throat | 목이 아파요 — *mok-i a-pa-yo* |
| Cough | 기침 — *gi-chim* |
| Upset stomach / diarrhoea | 배탈 / 설사 — *bae-tal / seol-sa* |
| Period pain | 생리통 — *saeng-ni-tong* |
| Hangover | 숙취 — *suk-chwi* |
| Blisters / a cut | 물집 / 상처 — *mul-jip / sang-cheo* |
Say if you are pregnant, taking other medication, or allergic to anything. This is the one place where the extra sentence is worth the effort of typing it out.
What you can't buy without a doctor
Antibiotics, anything for blood pressure or diabetes, sleeping pills, and most things you'd need a prescription for at home. A pharmacist cannot write you one — that needs a clinic, which is its own short trip.
If you take regular medication, bring enough for the trip plus a few days, and keep it in its original box. Replacing it here means seeing a doctor first, and the Korean equivalent may not have the same name.
When everything is closed
Most pharmacies keep shop hours and close in the evening, and many close on Sundays and holidays. That is the moment this page is really for.
- Convenience stores carry a small government-approved set — a basic painkiller, a cold remedy, a digestive aid, a fever medicine for children. Not much, but it is open at 3am and there is one on your street.
- Late-night pharmacies exist in bigger cities, often near a hospital's emergency entrance. Search the map app for 심야약국 (*sim-ya yak-guk*).
- Call 1330 — the tourist helpline, free, around the clock, with interpreters. They will tell you what is open near you. This is the fastest answer at night.
- A hospital emergency room has a pharmacy attached, but it is the expensive door. Use it for an emergency, not for a cold.
Cannabis-derived products are illegal here, including ones sold openly at home, and the law is enforced against visitors. Codeine and some cold and sleep medicines that are ordinary elsewhere are prescription-only. Check before you pack, not after you land.