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Korean Survival Phrases: At the Hospital and Pharmacy

Level

Type

Guide

Theme

Travel

작성자

Yanghwa

작성시각

Apr 2, 2026 10:29 AM

Nobody plans to get sick while traveling. But if it happens in Korea, here's the good news: Korean healthcare is efficient, affordable, and surprisingly easy to navigate — even with limited Korean. Knowing a handful of key phrases gets you from "I feel terrible" to "here's your medicine" in under an hour.

The Essential Vocabulary

Korean	Pronunciation	Meaning
병원	byeongwon	hospital / clinic
약국	yakguk	pharmacy
의사	uisa	doctor
약	yak	medicine
아프다	apeuda	to hurt / to be sick
처방전	cheobangjon	prescription

Step 1: Deciding Where to Go

Korea has two main levels of medical care:

Korean	Pronunciation	What It Is
의원	uiwon	small clinic (for colds, minor issues)
종합병원	jonghap-byeongwon	general hospital (serious stuff)

For a cold, stomach bug, or minor injury, go to a 의원 (small clinic). They're everywhere, wait times are short, and a visit typically costs ₩5,000–15,000 with Korean health insurance. Even without insurance, costs are reasonable by international standards.

Look for signs that say 내과 (naegwa, internal medicine) for general illness, or 이비인후과 (ibiin-hugwa, ear-nose-throat) for cold symptoms.

Step 2: At the Clinic

When you arrive, the receptionist will ask:

"어디 아프세요?" (Eodi apeuseyo?) — "Where does it hurt?" / "What's wrong?"

Here's how to describe common symptoms:

Korean	Pronunciation	Meaning
감기	gamgi	cold
열이 나요	yeori nayo	I have a fever
두통이 있어요	dutong-i isseoyo	I have a headache
배가 아파요	baega apayo	My stomach hurts
목이 아파요	mogi apayo	My throat hurts
기침이 나요	gichimi nayo	I'm coughing
콧물이 나요	konmuri nayo	I have a runny nose
설사해요	seolsahaeyo	I have diarrhea
어지러워요	eojireoweoyo	I'm dizzy

The simple pattern: [body part] + 아파요 (apayo, it hurts)

•

머리 아파요 (meori apayo) — My head hurts

•

배 아파요 (bae apayo) — My stomach hurts

•

이 아파요 (i apayo) — My tooth hurts

Real moment: You wake up in your hotel with a terrible cold. You find a nearby 내과 clinic. The receptionist asks what's wrong. You say: "목이 아파요. 기침도 나요." (My throat hurts. I'm also coughing.) You're in.

Step 3: Talking to the Doctor

The doctor might ask:

"언제부터 아팠어요?" (Eonjebuteo apasseoyo?) — "Since when have you been sick?"

Useful answers:

•

"어제부터요." (Eojebuteoyo.) — "Since yesterday."

•

"이틀 전부터요." (Iteul jeonbuteoyo.) — "Since two days ago."

•

"오늘 아침부터요." (Oneul achimbuteoyo.) — "Since this morning."

The doctor might say:

•

"입 벌려 보세요." (Ip beollyeo boseyo.) — "Open your mouth."

•

"심호흡 하세요." (Simhoheup haseyo.) — "Take a deep breath."

•

"주사 맞으실래요?" (Jusa madeusilraeyo?) — "Would you like an injection?"

The Korean Shot Culture

Here's something that surprises many foreigners: Korean doctors love injections. Got a cold? They might offer a shot. Stomach flu? Shot. Even hangovers have their own vitamin injection (비타민 주사, bitamin jusa).

The logic: injections deliver medicine faster than pills. Koreans trust them and often prefer them for quicker relief.

If you're comfortable with it, the shot is usually effective and fast-acting. If you'd rather have pills:

"주사 말고 약으로 주세요." (Jusa malgo yageuro juseyo.) — "Instead of a shot, please give me medicine."

No judgment either way.

Step 4: At the Pharmacy

After your clinic visit, you'll receive a 처방전 (prescription). Take it to the nearest 약국 (pharmacy) — usually right next door or across the street from the clinic.

At the counter:
"처방전 있어요." (Cheobangjon isseoyo.) — "I have a prescription."

The pharmacist will prepare your medicine (usually in individually wrapped daily packets) and explain the dosage:

Korean	Pronunciation	Meaning
하루에 세 번	harue se beon	three times a day
식후에 드세요	sikhu-e deuseyo	take after meals
식전에 드세요	sikjeon-e deuseyo	take before meals

For over-the-counter medicine (no prescription needed):

Korean	What to Say
Cold medicine	"감기약 있어요?" (Gamgi-yak isseoyo?)
Headache medicine	"두통약 주세요." (Dutong-yak juseyo.)
Stomach medicine	"소화제 주세요." (Sohwaje juseyo.)
Band-aid	"반창고 주세요." (Banchanggo juseyo.)

Pharmacies in Korea are marked with a green cross sign and are everywhere — especially near subway stations and clinics.

Good to Know

Korean healthcare is affordable. A clinic visit with national health insurance costs ₩5,000–15,000. Medicine is usually ₩3,000–10,000. Even without insurance, a basic clinic visit rarely exceeds ₩30,000.

Bring your insurance card (if you have Korean health insurance — 국민건강보험). If you're a tourist, you'll pay full price but it's still reasonable. Keep receipts for your travel insurance claims.

Clinics are everywhere. In Korean cities, you're never far from a clinic. Look for buildings with medical floor directories — it's common to have multiple clinics stacked in one building (dermatology on 3rd floor, dentistry on 4th, internal medicine on 5th).

Pharmacists in Korea are knowledgeable. For minor issues, you can sometimes skip the clinic entirely and describe your symptoms to the pharmacist. They can recommend appropriate over-the-counter medication.

Quick Phrase Summary

Situation	What to Say
Arriving at clinic	"감기에 걸린 것 같아요." (I think I have a cold.)
Describing pain	"[body part] 아파요."
When it started	"어제부터요." (Since yesterday.)
Preferring medicine over injection	"주사 말고 약으로 주세요."
At pharmacy	"처방전 있어요."
Asking for OTC medicine	"[symptom]약 있어요?"
Asking about side effects	"부작용 있어요?" (Are there side effects?)

Real moment 2: You've been in Korea for a week and your allergies are acting up — runny nose, sneezy, itchy eyes. You don't want to go to a clinic for allergies, so you walk into a 약국 (yakguk, pharmacy) near your hotel. You say "코가 막히고 재채기가 나요. 알레르기인 것 같아요." (Koga makhigo jaechaegiga nayo. Allereugi-in geot gatayo. — "My nose is stuffy and I'm sneezing. I think it's allergies.") The pharmacist nods knowingly — spring allergy season (봄 알레르기, bom allereugi) is a national event in Korea. She hands you antihistamines and a nasal spray, explains "하루에 한 번, 아침에 드세요" (Harue han beon, achime deuseyo — "Once a day, take it in the morning"), and charges you ₩8,000. The whole interaction took three minutes. You feel better by lunch.

Emergency Numbers

Number	What It's For
119	Fire / Ambulance / Emergency
112	Police
1339	Medical emergency hotline (has English service)
1345	Immigration / Foreigner assistance

If you need an ambulance, call 119 and say "응급이에요!" (Eunggeupieyo! — "It's an emergency!") followed by your location. Many 119 operators have access to interpretation services for foreign callers.

Korean healthcare runs like clockwork. The wait times are short, the costs are low, and the process is straightforward. Knowing these phrases won't make getting sick fun — but it will make getting better a lot easier.

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