Getting Sick in Korea: A Traveler's Guide From Pharmacy to ER

Travelers who fall ill in Korea can work through a simple sequence depending on the symptom: convenience stores, pharmacies, public late-night pharmacies, phone hotlines, and finally the emergency room. Over-the-counter medicine can be bought at pharmacies without a prescription, while prescription-only drugs require a doctor's visit at a hospital or clinic first.

Without a regular doctor or a familiar pharmacy nearby, it can be confusing to know where to turn, especially at night or on a holiday when a fever or stomach trouble strikes suddenly. Knowing which channel to use for which situation makes the process far less stressful.

Pharmacies and convenience-store medicine

Pharmacies can be spotted by signs reading "약국," and over-the-counter items such as fever reducers or digestive aids can be bought directly after a brief consultation with the pharmacist. Prescription drugs require a visit to a hospital or clinic to obtain a prescription first. Many convenience stores, a large share of them open 24 hours, also sell basic remedies such as fever reducers, cold medicine, digestive aids, anti-diarrheal medicine and muscle-pain patches without pharmacist consultation, though reports advise seeing a doctor if symptoms persist.

Late-night and holiday options

At night or on holidays, local governments designate public late-night pharmacies that typically stay open from around 10 p.m. until midnight or into the early morning. A duty pharmacist on site can advise on mild symptoms such as colds or headaches and recommend over-the-counter medicine. The nearest one can be found by calling 1339 or searching online, and children can be taken to a "Moonlight Children's Hospital," which treats young patients at night and on holidays.

Phone support

1339, run by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, offers 24-hour medical consultation and reportedly can set up a three-way call with an interpreter when it is unclear whether an emergency room visit is needed. Adding the agency's official KakaoTalk account allows real-time medical consultation at no call cost. For general tourism questions there is 1330, said to operate in eight languages including English, Japanese and Chinese from 7 a.m. to midnight, though other sources describe it as 24 hours, so this should be confirmed. The Immigration Contact Center at 1345 operates in 20 languages from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with English, Chinese and Korean service extending to 10 p.m.

Emergencies and foreign prescriptions

Severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding or major trauma call for heading straight to an emergency room or calling 119. The line is for life-threatening emergencies, is free and runs 24 hours, and saying "English, please" to a Korean-speaking responder is reported to connect callers to interpretation, though the number of supported languages differs between sources. Emergency-room check-in procedures and costs could not be confirmed. Prescriptions issued abroad are generally not accepted at Korean pharmacies, so travelers needing ongoing medication may need to see a doctor in Korea and obtain a new, local prescription; noting the English generic name of any regular medicine beforehand makes the consultation easier.

Minor symptoms can usually be handled at a convenience store, pharmacy or late-night pharmacy, or through the 1339 hotline, while anything life-threatening warrants calling 119 without hesitation.

Sources: The Korea Times (2026-03-14), Kormedi, a travel information site. Information is current as of October 2026, may change, and should be confirmed before travel.