Pharmacies in Korea: What You Can Buy and How to Ask

Getting a cold your first week in Korea is almost a rite of passage, and the good news is that fixing it is easy and cheap. The Korean pharmacy — 약국 (yakguk — pharmacy) — is where you'll get most everyday medicine, and unlike back home, you don't grab it off a shelf yourself. You talk to a pharmacist who hands you what you need. Here's how to do it without stress, even with zero Korean.

Before you start

First, know the difference between a pharmacy and a convenience store. A pharmacy (약국) is staffed by a licensed pharmacist and sells real medicine — cold remedies, painkillers, allergy pills, stomach aids, and anything from a doctor's prescription. A convenience store (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, Emart24) can only sell a fixed government list of 13 "safety" items — a couple of Tylenol types, two cold medicines, four digestives, and two pain patches. That's your 3 a.m. backup, not your first choice.

Spotting a pharmacy is simple: look for a green cross sign and the characters 약국. In cities they're everywhere — near subway exits, inside or beside clinics, in any busy shopping street. If you've just landed and are still finding your feet, our essential apps guide covers the map apps that'll point you to the nearest one.

One thing that trips people up: antibiotics are prescription-only in Korea. So is pseudoephedrine (the decongestant in Sudafed). If you need those, you'll see a doctor first — see our guide to seeing a doctor in Korea.

What you need

Almost nothing. For over-the-counter medicine you don't need ID or a prescription — just walk in.

• Your phone with a translation app (Papago or Google Translate) if you're nervous about words.
• Cash or a card — both are fine; card is accepted almost everywhere.
• For filling a prescription: the printed prescription (처방전 — cheobangjeon) your doctor gives you. Some pharmacists may ask for your passport or Alien Registration Card, so keep your ARC handy if you have one.

You do not need to speak Korean. Pharmacists deal with pointing, gestures, and phone screens all day. A few phrases help, and our phrases for travelers guide has more.

Step-by-step

1. Walk in and get the pharmacist's attention. No ticket or line number for OTC — just approach the counter.

2. Describe your symptom, not a brand. Koreans buy medicine by symptom. Say or show: "감기 (gamgi — cold)," "두통 (dutong — headache)," "콧물 (konmul — runny nose)," "설사 (seolsa — diarrhea)," "목 아파요 (mok apayo — my throat hurts)." The pharmacist chooses the right product.

3. Answer a quick follow-up. They may ask about fever, allergies, or whether it's for an adult. A nod, a headshake, or a translated sentence is plenty.

4. Pay and listen for the dosage. They'll tell you how many to take and how often — usually "하루 세 번 (haru se beon — three times a day), 식후 (sikhu — after meals)." If unsure, ask them to type the schedule into your translator.

For a prescription: hand over the 처방전, wait a few minutes while they package the pills (often into neat little dose packets), pay your share, and go. With national health insurance, your out-of-pocket for common medicine is usually just a few thousand won.

What it costs

Everyday medicine in Korea is genuinely affordable:

• Pain and fever relievers: about ₩3,000–8,000.
• Cold medicine: about ₩5,000–15,000.
• Digestive aids / antacids: about ₩4,000–10,000.
• Prescription medicine (with insurance): often just ₩1,500–5,000 for a common course.

Prices are set per product, so they don't vary much shop to shop. Note one quirk: outside normal hours — after about 6 p.m. on weekdays, after 1 p.m. on Saturdays, and on Sundays and holidays — a small night surcharge (roughly 30% added to the dispensing fee) can apply.

Common problems (and fixes)

"Everything's closed." Most pharmacies shut around 6–8 p.m. on weekdays and 1–2 p.m. on Saturdays, and many close Sundays entirely. Fix: search "야간약국 (night pharmacy)" or "24시간 약국 (24-hour pharmacy)" on Naver Map or Kakao Map, or use the HIRA (건강보험심사평가원) pharmacy finder. Seoul runs dozens of public late-night pharmacies open until around 1 a.m.

"It's the middle of the night." Head to any 24-hour convenience store for the basic 13-item list — Tylenol, a cold liquid, digestives, and pain patches. Enough to get you to morning. Our convenience store guide shows what else they stock.

"I can't read the box." Take a photo and run it through Papago's image translation, or just let the pharmacist choose — that's the whole point of the counter model here.

"The dose feels strong." Korean Tylenol (타이레놀 — Tylenol) often starts at 500mg tablets rather than the 325mg you may know. Read the box and don't double up out of habit.

Good to know

• Familiar brands exist. You'll spot 타이레놀 (Tylenol) and 지르텍 (Zyrtec, for allergies) on the shelves. Korean go-to painkillers include 펜잘 (Penzal) and 게보린 (Gevorin).
• Pharmacists are a real first stop. For a minor cold, sore throat, or upset stomach, many people ask the pharmacist before ever seeing a doctor — it's fast, cheap, and no appointment needed.
• Keep the packet. Prescription pills come in labeled dose packets; keep the paper slip in case you need to show what you're taking.
• When it's more than minor, don't tough it out. If symptoms are severe or lasting, see a doctor — and for anything that feels like an emergency, know your emergency numbers (119 for an ambulance). Korea is a very safe and easy place to get care; the system just works a little differently.