Food Allergies in Korea | Allergy Cards, Labels & Emergency Help

Travelers with food allergies should prepare more than a translated dish name. Korean recipes can include soy, wheat, sesame, seafood stock or fermented sauces that are not obvious from the finished food, and shared kitchens can create cross-contact.

Carry a clear allergy card

Write the exact allergen, the seriousness of the reaction and the need to avoid cross-contact in Korean. Show the card before ordering and wait for a clear answer. A card improves communication but cannot guarantee that a restaurant knows every ingredient or can prevent cross-contact.

Check packaged-food labels

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety requires specified allergens to be displayed near the ingredient information on packaged foods. Korean labels may also warn that a product was made in a facility handling other allergens. Imported foods and small packages can use different layouts, so ask for help if you cannot read the label.

Officially listed allergens

The MFDS list includes eggs, milk, buckwheat, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, mackerel, crab, shrimp, pork, peach, tomato, sulphites at the specified level, walnuts, chicken, beef, squid, clams including oyster, abalone and mussels, and pine nuts.

This list does not replace your personal avoidance plan. Ingredients outside the mandatory list can still cause an allergy.

Questions to ask at a restaurant

• 이 음식에 [알레르기 유발 식품]이 들어가나요?
  Does this food contain [allergen]?
• 같은 조리도구나 기름을 사용하나요?
  Do you use the same cooking utensils or oil for other foods?
• 저는 [알레르기 유발 식품]에 심한 알레르기가 있어요.
  I have a severe allergy to [allergen].

Replace the brackets with the exact food name in Korean before showing these sentences. Ask about ingredients and shared preparation separately. These questions help communication; they do not establish that a dish is safe for you.

If staff cannot confirm the ingredients or cooking process, choose another food rather than asking them to guess.

Emergency plan

Keep prescribed emergency medication accessible and follow the plan provided by your clinician. For a severe reaction or breathing difficulty, call 119 immediately and state your location. If you do not speak Korean, request an English interpreter. Travel companions should know where your medication and identification are stored.

Official sources

• Ministry of Food and Drug Safety: Allergen labeling standards
• MFDS: Food labeling information
• VISITKOREA: Emergency number 119

Check the linked official pages again before travel because services and guidance can change.