Food allergy care

Allergy can pass lightly — but breathing difficulty means 119 immediately.

If you suspect an allergy

1. Note what you ate and when symptoms appeared.
2. See an allergy specialist or paediatrician.
3. Blood tests and skin prick tests identify the cause.
4. Once diagnosed, you are advised on avoidance and emergency medication.
5. In severe cases you are prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector and taught to use it.

Food labelling in Korea

Korea requires allergen labelling on processed foods.

• Check the "알레르기 유발물질" (allergens) line on the back of the packet.
• Milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, crustaceans, fish and buckwheat are commonly listed.
• Restaurants may not label, so ask directly.

Phrases for restaurants

• "저는 ○○ 알레르기가 있어요" — I have a ○○ allergy.
• "○○ 들어갔나요?" — Does this contain ○○?
• Carrying a card with your allergens written in Korean is the safest approach.

Where to go

• A hospital with an allergy department (see hospital-finder)
• 1339 Korea Disease Control Agency
• 119 emergencies (breathing difficulty, whole-body hives, reduced consciousness)
• Food Safety Korea www.foodsafetykorea.go.kr (labelling information)

Questions people ask

My child has an allergy. Should I tell the school? Definitely. Submit a medical certificate and school meals can be adjusted.

Which ingredients are common in Korean food? Soy sauce (wheat and soy), sesame and perilla oil, ground nuts, salted shrimp and anchovy stock are frequent. Always ask about soups and stews.

How do I recognise an emergency? Swelling of the lips or tongue, breathing difficulty, whole-body hives, dizziness or reduced consciousness — call 119 at once.

Can I buy medication at a pharmacy? Antihistamines are available for mild symptoms, but if it recurs, see a doctor. See otc-medicine.

Take care

"A little will be fine" is the most dangerous thought. A severe allergy can be life-threatening in tiny amounts. Always carry your prescribed emergency medication and show family and colleagues how to use it.

Related

emergency-symptoms · otc-medicine · hospital-finder · restaurant-etiquette · halal-food

Source

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety www.mfds.go.kr / As of 2026-08