South Korea

OVERVIEW

Contraception: Over-the-Counter	condoms, pills
Contraception: Prescription/Clinic Required	IUD, implant, ring (call pharmacy in advance to request)
Emergency Contraception	prescription required
STIs	no travel restrictions; HIV-positive foreigner deported
Menstrual Products	pads, tampons, cups
Abortion Law	legal (as of January 2021)
LGBTQ Laws	homosexuality legal; gender change legal
Related Pages	Busan, Seoul

Generally speaking, South Korea has high-quality and varied medical services. The most options are available in larger cities, such as Seoul and Busan. Some contraceptive options, such as condoms and birth control pills, can be purchased at pharmacies with no prescription (over-the-counter). However, you will need a doctor's prescription for emergency contraception (the morning after pill). While many facilities offer STI/STD tests, it is important to exercise caution and choose anonymous testing centers. If you are a foreigner and test positive for HIV/AIDS or syphilis, you will most likely be deported from South Korea. Abortion became legal in South Korea in January 2021, following a April 2019 ruling that ruled it was unconstitutional to criminalize abortion.

For women seeking counseling or shelter, there are many resources available in larger cities, such as Seoul. Also, with its large expat community, South Korea in general has many resources available to English speakers and foreigners.

Contraception (Birth Control)

General Note: There are many types of contraceptives, also known as "birth control," including IUDs, oral contraceptives, patches, shots, and condoms, etc. If you would like to view a full list, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In South Korea, you can purchase condoms and birth control pills at pharmacies without a prescription. The word for pharmacy is 약국 (yak-guk) and the word for birth control pills is 피임약 (pee-im yak). One of the most common birth control brands is Mercilon (머시론). Other common brands are Meliane and Levonorgestrel.

It is important to note that some contraceptive brands may require a prescription. For example, a female backpacker said that South Korean pharmacists told her that she needed a prescription for Yasmin (a birth control pill brand). However, for other forms of birth control, such as contraceptive implants, injectables, and IUDs, you may need to directly visit a hospital or clinic to obtain them.

In 2012, President Pak Geun-Hye and her conservative government announced that the Korean Food & Drug Administration was considering reclassification of birth control pills, which would make the pills prescription-only. This caused public outrage and wide online discussion of the issue. Three months later, the proposal was dropped. It was decided to put the reclassification on hold for three years—and, to this day, it seems to remain on hold. As reported in Korea Bang, "Asides from the 'woman’s right to choose' argument, one of the reasons Korean women get upset over the issue is perhaps cultural: unmarried Korean women rarely visit a gynaecologist. Even when seriously ill, a visit to a gynaecology clinic would be reluctant for fear of the disapproving stares around them. That’s not to mention the social pressure on Korean women to remain sexually naïve."

According to a 2015 UN report, it was found that 78.7%% of South Korean women (who were married/in unions and between the ages of 15-49) used some form contraception. The most common methods were condoms (23.9%), male sterilization (16.5%), IUDs (12.6%), the rhythm method (9.7%) and female sterilization (5.8%). Meanwhile, the usage of birth control pills by South Korean was very low, with estimates ranging between 2% and 2.8%.

Contraceptive adoption also varies by age. For example, in 2016, it was found that about 32% of unmarried South Korean women who were 19 years old used birth control. Meanwhile, about 56% of unmarried South Korean women who were 28 years old used birth control.

While condoms are the most common form of contraception, intra-uterine devices (IUDs) have become more common. Some people have reported that unmarried women may feel discouraged from getting them, since they are thought to be "for married women." However, other reports share that many clinics provide IUDs, and there are multiple IUD options available (i.e., copper, Mirena, Skyla).

Many men and women underwent the forced sterilization programs of the 1970s and 1980s.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• In Korean, birth control pills are 피임약 (pronounced "pi-im yak"), and they can be purchased in pharmacies. You can just walk into a pharmacy and ask for birth control pills, which are sold over-the-counter (no prescription required).
• If you want a prescription for birth control pills, or if you require a contraceptive that requires a prescription, you can go to a women’s hospital (여성의원). You can visit the Expat Guide Korea website for Women's Hospital options. If you don't speak Korean, you may want to visit an international hospital or clinic, which will have staff that speak different languages.
• The most popular birth control pill brand in South Korea is Mercilon (머시론), which is produced by Merck (an American pharmaceutical company). However, there are many other pill options, including Alesse, Diane-35, Meliane, Minivlar, Minulet, Myvlar, Sexcon, Triquilar, Yasmin and Yaz. There's also 에이리스, which is a low hormone option, costs about 10,000 won for a 21-pill pack. Another brand is 멜리안정 (me-li-an-jung), but some users have reported loss of sex drive. There's also 센스리베.
• You can purchase condoms in convenience stores, pharmacies, Olive Young, Watson's, and sometimes in subway vending machines.
• It appears that you can get the Nuvaring in South Korea, but we don't have much information on this (anyone?).
• If you want the contraceptive patch, Evra (produced by Janssen-Cilag) should be available in South Korea.
• If you want the contraceptive implant, Implanon (produced by Merck) should be available in South Korea.
• For recommended pharmacies and clinics, you can visit local city pages, like the Seoul page.

Here's a helpful table provided by one Gynopedia user (has some details on available birth control pills):

	Product name	Composition		Prescribing information	How to buy?
		Estrogen	progestin
2nd generation	미니보라 (Minivlar) 쎄스콘 (Sexcon)	Ethinyl estradiol 0.03mg	Levonorgestrel 0.15mg	Take one hormone-containing tablet daily for 21 consecutive days. Then discontinue the tablet for 7 consecutive days. Withdrawal bleeding usually occurs within 2 to 3 days following discontinuation.	Over the counter
	에이리스 (Alesse)	Ethinyl estradiol 0.02mg	Levonorgestrel 0.1mg
	트리퀼라 (Triquilar)	Ethinyl estradiol 0.03/0.04/0.03mg	Levonorgestrel 0.05/0.075/0.125mg
3rd generation	마이보라 (Myvlar) 미뉴렛 (Minulet)	Ethinyl estradiol 0.03mg	Gestodene 0.075mg
	멜리안 (Meliane) 디어미 (Dear me) 센스리베 (Senslibe)	Ethinyl estradiol 0.02mg	Gestodene 0.075mg
	머시론 (Mercilon)	Ethinyl estradiol 0.02mg	Desogestrel 0.15mg
4th generation	야스민 (Yasmin)	Ethinyl estradiol 0.03mg	Drospirenone 3mg		Only prescription.
	야즈 (Yaz)	Ethinyl estradiol 0.02mg	Drospirenone 3mg	It contains 28 tablets. You should take one light pink pill daily for 24 consecutive days, followed by one white inert pill daily on Days 25 through 28.
	클래라 (Qlaira)	Estradiol valerate 3/2/1mg	Dienogest 2/3mg	It contains 28 tablets. Tablets must be taken in the order directed on the wallet pack every day at about the same time. One tablet is to be taken daily for 28 consecutive days. Each subsequent pack is started the day after the last tablet of the previous wallet

Costs

• The cost of birth control pills depends on where you buy the pills and which brands you purchase.
  • If you go directly to a pharmacy, you can expect to pay 7,500-9,500 won for pills available over-the-counter (prices from April 2020).
  • If you get birth control pills prescribed by a doctor, you can expect to pay 25,000-33,000 won for a prescription pack (prices from April 2020).
  • Birth control pill brands like Myvolar, Myvlar, and Microgestin are cheaper. Yaz is more expensive.
• The cost of an IUD ranges from 70,000 won to 400,000 won (as of July 2018). The payment is usually not covered by Korean health insurance. One person reported receiving a quote of 150,000 won for non-hormonal copper IUD and 350,000 won for Mirena (a hormonal IUD) in 2020.

Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)

Important Notes: Emergency contraception may prevent pregnancy for three days (72 hours) and sometimes five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Take EC as soon as possible after unprotected sex. If you don't have access to dedicated EC, oral contraceptives can be used as replacement EC, but remember the following: 1) Only some contraceptives work as EC 2) Different contraceptives require different dosages and time schedules to work as EC 3) You must only use the first 21 pills in 28-day packs and 4) They may be less effective than dedicated EC. For general information on emergency contraceptives, click here and here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

Morning after pills (사후 피임약) are only available with a prescription. As explained by the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception, "EC currently still requires a prescription. Although in August 2012 the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) decided to repeal an earlier initiative that would have approved EC for over-the-counter use, due to intense debate within the country among various stakeholders, the KFDA abandoned the reclassification initiative."

What to Get & Where to Get It

Note: The longest-lasting EC is currently ellaOne. It lasts up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Check to see if your country carries ellaOne. If your country doesn't carry ellaOne, copper IUDs may also prevent pregnancy up to 5 days after unprotected sex. If none of these options are available, and it's been over 3 days since you had unprotected sex, you can still take EC, which may work up to 5 days. Note that EC pills are not 100% effective and should be taken as soon as possible.

To get an EC prescription, you will need to go to a doctor. It is recommended to visit a women's clinic for the prescription rather than a hospital. You will find it especially difficult to secure an EC prescription at a Christian hospital. When you are seeking EC, it is customary that the doctor will ask some questions about your cycle, last period, etc. After they have written a prescription, you can bring it to a pharmacy ("yak-guk" in Korean).

For dedicated EC that is anti-progestin, there's ellaOne (take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex). For dedicated EC that is progestin only, there's After1, Norlevo One and Postinor 1 (take 1 pill within 120 hours after unprotected sex). There's also Levonia, Levonormin, MS Pill and Sexcon One&One (take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex). If you absolutely cannot secure emergency contraceptives, you can use some oral contraceptives as EC instead. In Korea, there's Minivlar or Sexcon (take 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later) or Alesse (take 5 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 5 more pills 12 hours later).

Costs

The morning after pill should only cost between 10,000 and 20,000 won. The doctor's visit might cost around 10,000 won.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs/STDs)

Important Notes - Learn about PEP and PrEP: If you think that you've been recently exposed to HIV (i.e. within 72 hours), seek out PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a month-long treatment to prevent HIV infection after exposure, and it may be available in your city. Take PEP as soon as possible. For more information, click here. If you are at risk of HIV exposure, seek out PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a daily oral pill that can prevent HIV infection before exposure. To learn more about PrEP, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

The South Korean government does not allow foreigners with HIV/AIDS or syphilis to enter the country. If you come as a tourist to South Korea, you will not be tested for HIV/AIDS. But, if you are a foreign teacher, you will typically be required to take an HIV test before working in Korea. If foreigners are found to be HIV+ or have syphilis, they will most likely be deported. As for locals with HIV/AIDS, there seems to be no special treatment centers in South Korea. There also no known distributors or trials for PrEP. The word for AIDS in Korean is 에이즈, or "eijeu." If you test positive for HIV or syphilis, and if you are a teacher, contact Legal Office For Foreign Teachers (LOFT) to discuss your options.

In Korean society, STI/STD tests do not appear to be common. Many people hold the perception that they are "clean" though they may have never been tested. While STD rates are lower, particularly for HIV/AIDS, than in many other countries, South Korea is certainly not STD-free, and people should always practice safe sex.

Testing Facilities

Please visit the city pages, like the Seoul and Busan pages, for local recommendations.

Remember: Anonymous testing is especially important in South Korea where foreigners can be deported for positive results.

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• For nearly all medications in Korea, you need a prescription from a doctor.
• For yeast infection medication, you can ask for the "Canesten" at the pharmacy (though I believe you need a prescription first), which is similar to Monistat or Lotrimin. Pharmacies should have both the cream and suppository types of Canesten. The word for suppository in Korean is "좌약" (prounounced as "jwa yak").
• For UTIs, you will also need to see a doctor for treatment. Be sure to specify that you believe it is a UTI, otherwise the doctors may assume that you have an STI (due to the burning sensation).
• For herpes (수포진, or "supojin" in Korean), Valtrex is not readily available (as of 2012), but there is a generic version in Korea.
• Regarding HPV vaccines, the government approved Gardasil for females (ages 9-26) and males (9-15) in 2007. Since 2016, it has been a part of the National Immunization Program, and all children under 12 in South Korea receive the vaccination free of charge.
• Regarding HIV medication, the Korean government seems to bar foreigners with HIV/AIDS from entering the country. It also requires that all foreign teachers take HIV tests. If foreigners are found to be HIV+, they will most likely be deported. As for locals with HIV/AIDS, there seem to be no special treatment centers in South Korea.
• There also no known distributors or trials for PrEP. The word for AIDS in Korean is 에이즈, or "eijeu."

Menstruation

Note: In addition to pads and tampons, you can also use menstrual cups and menstrual underwear for your period. To learn more about menstrual cups, click here. To learn more about menstrual underwear, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

The most commonly used menstrual product in South Korea is pads/pantyliners. While tampons are available, they are not sold everywhere, as most South Korean women only use them for swimming.

As of October 2017, South Korea still does not officially permit the sale of menstrual cups. While the country manufactures menstrual cups that are sold to other countries, the government has not approved of such sales within South Korea.

There is a movement of DIY menstrual products, partially in reaction to the expensive prices of menstrual products in the country. To learn more about the movement, click here.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Pads are available at convenience stores, often sold in “bulky” sizes.
• Tampons with and without applicators are available but the brand selection is pretty limited.
• While menstrual cups can be difficult to find in South Korea, you have some options. There are some online retailers that sell menstrual cups, such as GMarket and iHerb, which sells DivaCup and ships to South Korea, according to this article. Also, here's an an article with instructions/helpful tips on ordering iHerb products from South Korea. Note that menstrual cups are still a new concept to many South Korean women. Finally, some people may choose to purchase menstrual cups abroad (for personal use) and bring them to South Korea. In the East Asian region, there are local sellers of menstrual cups in many countries/territories, such as Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. You can check out this menstrual cup map as a starting point (it's not at all comprehensive but it's a useful reference). For more information on menstrual cups in South Korea, you can read this informative blog post (from 2010, in English) or this blog post (from 2010, in Korean), which went viral.

Costs

• The cost of pads/sanitary napkins (the most common menstrual product in South Korea) is expensive, and the prices continue to rise. On GMarket (the largest ecommerce site in South Korea), a 10-pack of pads costs 2,700원 , as of December 2017. This is more expensive than in many other developed countries. Meanwhile, some pad brands have experienced up to a 42% price increase between 2016 and 2017. To learn more about concerns related to pricing, click here.

Gynecological Exams

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Medi-Flower OB/GYN Clinic - Recommended. Located next to the Seoul National University of Education Metro stop. The female Korean doctor speaks English.

Pregnancy

What to Get & Where to Get It

Check out this fantastic list of Hospitals and Birthing Centers in Korea, updated in 2016, and Doulas, Prenatal, Postpartum, and Breastfeeding Support in Korea, compiled in 2013. And here's a list of International Clinics and Hospitals in Seoul.

Abortion

Important Note: There are two main types of abortions: medical (also known as the "abortion pill") and surgical (also known as "in-clinic"). For medical abortions, you take a pill to induce abortion. For surgical abortions, a procedure is performed to induce abortion. For general information about medical and surgical abortions, click here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

As of 2021, abortion has been decriminalized legal in South Korea.

Old details:

In April 2019, the Constitutional Court in South Korea ruled that the current abortion laws are unconstitutional. This is a victory for pro-choice activists in South Korea, as well as the majority of South Korean women who support liberalization of the laws. So, what's next? Lawmakers will need to develop new abortion laws by 2020 --and, if they don't, the current law will become null and void. We will update this page as changes develop. However, as of April 2019, the current laws are still in place.

Abortion is illegal in South Korea, except in special cases. While the original law in 1953 restricted all abortion, this was changed in 1973 under the Maternal and Child Health Law. With these changes, an abortion could be performed by a physician if 1) the pregnant woman or her spouse suffer from a hereditary mental/physical disease specified by Presidential Decree 2) the pregnant woman or her spouse suffer from a communicable disease specified by Presidential Decree 3) the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest 4) the continuation of the pregnancy threatens the woman's life. In all other cases, abortion is illegal and a woman who induces her own abortion may be subject to imprisonment for one year or a fine. Medical personnel who illegally induce an abortion may face up to two years of imprisonment.

However, Misoprostol (the abortion pill) seems to be available as Misel. It's not clear if you need to buy it online or if you can get it in select hospitals. To get abortion pill online, contact Women on Web for instructions. To try to find the pill or other services in Seoul, check out the next section below.

If you're interested in obtaining an abortion in an East Asian country with more lenient abortion laws, you may want to check out Japan, China, Hong Kong, or Vietnam.

If you would like to read personal accounts of getting an abortion in Korea, check out these links:

• Interview with someone who got an abortion in South Korea (2011)
• Abortion in Korea Story & Podcast
• My Abortion in Korea
• Story of Taking Misoprostol (abortion pill) in Korea
• Not a testimonial but a fabulous blog post with more details on the social/political factors at work

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Note: Check out this useful guide to getting an abortion in South Korea, written in 2017.

• Planned Parenthood Federation of Korea (PPFK): Youngdeungpo-gu dangsan-dong, 6ga 121-146 Seoul 150-808. Tel: +82(2) 467 8201, (2)2634 8211 . Fax: +82(2) 467 1394

• Hosan Hospital: To read a testimonial, please read this blog, which details the experience in two posts. Tel.: 546-3674, Address: 617-5 Shinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

• Mirae Wha Heenang (Future and Hope) Clinic. Tel.: 3446-0011. 532-7 Shinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

• Women on Web: Contact them for Misoprostol.

• Here's a list of countries in the region that provide abortion on request: China, Vietnam, Cambodia.

Advocacy & Counseling

What to Get & Where to Get It

• Center for Health and Social Change (건강과대안) : Provides a well-organized, feminist perspective contraceptive encyclopedia. TEL (02)747-6887 | FAX(02)3672-6887
• Emergency Support Centers for Migrant Women (이주여성긴급지원센터): Provides 24/7 emergency support and shelter services for all foreign women, regardless of nationality, who have been victims of family violence, sexual assault and prostitution. Counseling services in 11 languages (Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, English, Tagalog, Russian, Thai, Mongolian, Cambodian, Uzebek, and Japanese). Telephone: 1577-1366 (no area code required when dialed from ANY type of phone within South Korea), Address: 3rd Floor, Central Place, Seosomunno, Jung-Gu, Seoul, Email: wm1366@naver.com or wm1366@hanmail.net.
• Emergency Call Line (Hotline) for Women(여성긴급전화): Tel 1577-1366 (available in English), Operating hours: 9p.m. - 9a.m.
• Seoul Shelter for Women: Shelter for homeless and intellectually disabled women in Seoul. Under the management of Sister Veronica Kim.
• Korea Legal Aid Corporation (대한법률 구조공단): Offers free legal advice regarding civil, family and sexual harassment. Tel 02-3482-0132 (may not have English speaker available).
• Ajou University Sexual Violence Counseling Center: Tel 031-219-1745 (may not have English speaker available). Website in Korean only. Email: helper@ajou.ac.kr
• Hanyang University Gender Inequality Center: Tel 02-2220-1444, 1783 (may not have English speaker available). Website supposedly has information in English, Chinese but looks to be only Korean on quick glance. Consulting can be done by phone and in person.
• Kookmin University Sexual Violence Counseling Center: Tel 02-910-4231~2 (may not have English speaker available). Website is in Korean only. Email: sangdam@kookmin.ac.kr. Consulting can be done by phone, e-mail and in person.
• Seoul National University Center for Sexual Assault Prevention: Tel 02-880-5073 (may not have English speaker available). Website is in Korean only. Email: helpyou@snu.ac.kr , online counseling in English is possible. Consulting can be done by phone, in person and e-mail.
• Yonsei University Sexual Violence Counseling Center: Tel 02-2123-2118 (may not have English speaker available). Website is in Korean only. Email: helpyou@yonsei.ac.kr. Consulting can be done by phone, in person and e-mail.

Note: Thanks to Korea4Expats for providing much of this information!