Eye care and glasses
Eyesight is hard to recover once damaged. If something is wrong, do not delay.
When to see an eye doctor
- Sudden blurring or loss of vision — emergency
- Eye pain or redness
- Something in the eye
- Black spots or flashes in your vision — emergency
- Persistent itching and discharge
- Regular checks if you have diabetes
Glasses and lenses
- Glasses are fitted at an optician (안경원), who also test your vision.
- Eye health examinations are done at an eye clinic. An optician is not a medical institution.
- Have your eyes checked at a clinic before using contact lenses.
- Never sleep in lenses — the risk of corneal damage is high.
Steps
- Choose eye clinic or optician based on the symptom.
- Bring ID and insurance details to the clinic.
- Describe the symptom — since when, one eye or both, any pain.
- Take any prescription to a pharmacy for eye drops.
Where to go
- A nearby eye clinic
- An optician (glasses, lenses)
- 119 for sudden loss of vision or chemicals in the eye
- 1577-1000 National Health Insurance Service
- 1345 · 1577-1366 interpretation
Questions people ask
Something got in my eye at work. Do not rub it. Rinse with clean water for at least 15 minutes and go to an eye clinic. For chemicals, call 119 while rinsing. It qualifies as an industrial accident.
Are glasses covered by insurance? Ordinary glasses are not covered. Prices differ between opticians, so compare.
I just want a vision test. Opticians often do it free. But diagnosis of eye disease must come from a clinic.
I do welding and my eyes hurt. It may be corneal damage from welding light. Go to an eye clinic immediately and always use a welding mask.
Take care
Always wear eye protection at work. Eye injuries are hard to recover from and can lead to blindness. If protective equipment is not provided, demand it — and report it if refused.
Related
protective-equipment · hospital-system-overview · occupational-disease
Source
Ministry of Health and Welfare www.mohw.go.kr / As of 2026-08