Finding a pharmacy in Korea at night, on Sundays or on holidays

Updated November 6, 2026 · from official open data

Pharmacies (약국, yakguk) are everywhere in Korean cities — look for a green cross or the character 藥. Pharmacists can sell over-the-counter medicine and advise you; prescription medicine needs a prescription from a Korean clinic, usually filled at a pharmacy next door.

Sundays, holidays and late nights

Of the 25,437 pharmacies registered with the National Medical Center, 5,358 open on Sundays, 6,280 list public-holiday hours and 2,006 stay open past 10 pm on at least one day. In Seoul it is 1,531 on Sundays, 1,430 on holidays and 507 late at night. Holiday hours are the least reliable — call ahead.

Seoul pharmacies by district → · Busan · Jeju · or tap 📍 Near me at the top to see the nearest ones open now.

Convenience stores

24-hour convenience stores registered for it may sell a small set of household medicines — painkillers/fever reducers, cold medicine, digestive medicine and pain-relief patches (13 products in four groups under Korean law). Ask the staff: “상비약 있어요?” (sangbiyak isseoyo?).

Useful phrases

• 약국 어디 있어요? — Where is a pharmacy?
• 열이 나요 — I have a fever.
• 배가 아파요 — My stomach hurts.
• 처방전 있어요 — I have a prescription.

Emergencies

Call 119 for an ambulance (ask for English) and 112 for police. The Korea Travel Hotline 1330 answers in English 24 hours a day (from abroad +82-2-1330). For clinics open on Sundays and holidays, see clinics by district.

Rules and fees can change. When in doubt, call the venue or the Korea Travel Hotline 1330 (English, 24 hours).