South Korea Travel

Korean Food Allergy Card

Create a bilingual English-Korean food allergy card for safe dining in South Korea and Korean restaurants worldwide.

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Eating Safely in Korea with Food Allergies

Korean cuisine is bold, flavorful, and deeply communal — but it presents real challenges for allergy sufferers. Sesame oil appears in nearly every dish, shellfish and fish pastes are core to Korean fermented foods like kimchi and doenjang, and shared banchan (side dishes) create cross-contamination risks.

A Korean allergy card (알레르기 카드) helps you communicate clearly with restaurant staff in Korean, specifying exactly what you cannot eat and why. Korean restaurant staff are generally attentive to food restrictions when they understand them clearly.

Korea's food culture hides allergens in places that can surprise even experienced travelers. Sesame oil (참기름) is used in nearly every side dish (banchan) and rice bowl. Soybean paste (된장) forms the base of soups and stews that appear vegetarian. Seafood stock is found in seemingly meat-free dishes including many versions of kimchi and bibimbap. Perilla (들깨) is a common garnish that cross-reacts with tree nuts for some people. Shrimp and anchovy broth appear in most Korean soups — from gomtang to doenjang jjigae. Showing your Korean allergy card to both waitstaff and kitchen staff is essential.

Common Allergen Risks in Korean Cuisine

Sesame oil & seeds

Used as a finishing oil in most Korean dishes — essential to address in your card.

Seafood in kimchi

Traditional kimchi is made with fermented shrimp or anchovy paste (새우젓).

Shared banchan

Side dishes are communal and often contain multiple allergens.

Soy & wheat

Soy sauce, doenjang, and gochujang all contain wheat and soy.

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How to Create Your Korean Allergy Card

Select allergens

Sesame, shellfish, soy, and wheat are especially important for Korean cuisine.

Choose English + Korean

Your card will display Hangul text for restaurant staff.

Request vegan kimchi if needed

Add a note requesting fish-free kimchi.

Save and share

Download to your phone before your trip to Korea.

Start Creating

South Korea Travel Tips for Allergy Sufferers

Banchan (side dishes) are communal and refillable — always ask what is in them before eating, as sesame oil, fish paste, and soy derivatives appear in most.
Korean BBQ restaurants use shared grills. Request a new, clean grill plate if you have severe allergies to avoid cross-contamination from previous customers' meat.
Doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew) and ganjang (soy sauce) contain both soy and wheat — critical to note for wheat and soy allergy sufferers.
Street food markets like Gwangjang in Seoul are difficult for allergy management due to open-air cooking and shared utensils. Opt for sit-down restaurants for better communication.
The phrase "저는 ～ 알레르기가 있어요" (I have a ～ allergy) followed by showing your card is the most effective opening at Korean restaurants.
Korean convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) label packaged food with the 18 major Korean allergens. Look for the 알레르기 성분 section on packaging.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I say I have a sesame allergy in Korean?

저는 참깨 알레르기가 있습니다 (Jeoneun chamkkae allereugi ga itsseumnida). Our cards include this in clear Korean characters.

Does kimchi always contain shellfish?

Traditional kimchi contains fermented shrimp paste (새우젓) or anchovy sauce. Vegetarian/vegan kimchi exists but must be specifically requested. Our cards include a note for this.

Is English widely spoken in Korean restaurants?

In Seoul and tourist areas, many restaurants have English menus. However, kitchen staff often speak only Korean, making a Korean allergy card essential for communicating restrictions to the people actually preparing your food.

What allergens does Korea regulate?

South Korea regulates 18 major allergens for packaged food labeling including eggs, milk, buckwheat, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, mackerel, crab, shrimp, pork, peaches, tomatoes, sulfites, walnuts, chicken, beef, squid, and clams.

Is gochujang safe for wheat allergy sufferers?

No. Traditional gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) contains glutinous rice flour and sometimes wheat. It is used in bibimbap, tteokbokki, and many Korean marinades. Always mention wheat/gluten on your card.

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Eating Safely in Korea with Food Allergies

Common Allergen Risks in Korean Cuisine

Sesame oil & seeds

Used as a finishing oil in most Korean dishes — essential to address in your card.

Seafood in kimchi

Traditional kimchi is made with fermented shrimp or anchovy paste (새우젓).

Shared banchan

Side dishes are communal and often contain multiple allergens.

Soy & wheat

Soy sauce, doenjang, and gochujang all contain wheat and soy.

How to Create Your Korean Allergy Card

Select allergens

Sesame, shellfish, soy, and wheat are especially important for Korean cuisine.

Choose English + Korean

Your card will display Hangul text for restaurant staff.

Request vegan kimchi if needed

Add a note requesting fish-free kimchi.

Save and share

Download to your phone before your trip to Korea.

South Korea Travel Tips for Allergy Sufferers

Banchan (side dishes) are communal and refillable — always ask what is in them before eating, as sesame oil, fish paste, and soy derivatives appear in most.

Korean BBQ restaurants use shared grills. Request a new, clean grill plate if you have severe allergies to avoid cross-contamination from previous customers' meat.

Doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew) and ganjang (soy sauce) contain both soy and wheat — critical to note for wheat and soy allergy sufferers.

Street food markets like Gwangjang in Seoul are difficult for allergy management due to open-air cooking and shared utensils. Opt for sit-down restaurants for better communication.

The phrase "저는 ～ 알레르기가 있어요" (I have a ～ allergy) followed by showing your card is the most effective opening at Korean restaurants.

Korean convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) label packaged food with the 18 major Korean allergens. Look for the 알레르기 성분 section on packaging.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I say I have a sesame allergy in Korean?

저는 참깨 알레르기가 있습니다 (Jeoneun chamkkae allereugi ga itsseumnida). Our cards include this in clear Korean characters.

Does kimchi always contain shellfish?

Traditional kimchi contains fermented shrimp paste (새우젓) or anchovy sauce. Vegetarian/vegan kimchi exists but must be specifically requested. Our cards include a note for this.

Is English widely spoken in Korean restaurants?

What allergens does Korea regulate?

Is gochujang safe for wheat allergy sufferers?