Can you drink tap water in Korea?

Yes — Korean tap water (called Arisu in Seoul) meets WHO drinking standards and is safe. That said, most locals drink filtered or bottled water by habit. Bottled water costs about ₩1,000 at any convenience store.

Restaurants serve free filtered water (often barley tea) as standard, and free purifiers are common in hotels, malls and subway stations for refilling a bottle.

🔗 Related guides