Whether you have allergies or need to keep a Halal, kosher, or vegan diet, you should prepare to advocate for yourself while in Korea. Dietary restrictions are relatively uncommon and poorly-understood in Korea, so don’t assume that people know what you mean when you say that you can “only eat halal food” or “have a gluten allergy.”
While it’s not as easy to eat 100% vegan or halal in Seoul as in say, San Francisco or Brooklyn, NYC, the situation for those with dietary restrictions in Korea (and Seoul in particular) is MUCH better than it used to be. I personally know lots of people with religious, philosophical, or health-based dietary restrictions, so it can be done with a bit of preparation.
One thing I did for my NSLI-Y students in 2023 was make them laminated cards that they could keep in their wallets which described in Korean what they can and cannot eat in detail. If students were in a situation where they were unsure whether a restaurant was able to accommodate their needs, they simply showed the staff the card and were usually able to get the information they needed.
I’m proud to say that there were zero food- related emergencies or allergic reactions among any of my 44 students over the entire six-week duration of the program, and I think the extra preparation I did with the students helped contribute to that.
Don’t feel bad asking for what you need - eating is a requirement, and you deserve to eat food that won’t make you sick or violate your principles! Doing so might require a little more foresight than it would back at home, but if you clearly communicate your needs ahead of time you are not being unreasonable or burdensome.
If you have animal product-based dietary restrictions, it’s usually safe to consume vegan food since it is always halal, always vegetarian, and always kosher. Awareness of vegan food among Koreans has skyrocketed in recent years, and there are tons of vegan restaurants and dishes in Seoul! So when in doubt, just ask, “이거 비건이에요?” and you can act accordingly.
Here are some helpful links:
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