How To Eat Gluten-Free in South Korea: South Korea Gluten Free Restaurants + Guide

After spending two weeks in Japan and one week in Taiwan, we finally moved to our last destination — two weeks in South Korea. Which meant it was time for another new challenge, of finding out what it was like to be gluten free in South Korea.

Even after learning a lot about being gluten free in Japan and gluten free in Taiwan throughout the course of this trip, South Korea was still quite a challenge. Especially taking into consideration that I only got diagnosed as celiac a few months ago.

Of course, I tried to do as much research about being gluten free in these countries as I could before the trip. There was a ton of information about Japan, not very much about Taiwan, and I would say that South Korea was somewhere in the middle. I’m thankful for the gluten-free community of travelers who have shared their stories and tips, but I still feel like there’s a long way to go.

In particular, these were a few things I wanted to help me plan my visit as a gluten-free traveler in South Korea, that seemed to be missing: a comprehensive Google Map of safe restaurants with a clear key/guide, photos of what kinds of snacks I could look for in convenience stores, and a list of the restaurants you absolutely could not miss.

So, since I didn’t have those things, I set out to create them myself. And now I’m happy to share them with you. 🙂

Gluten-Free Maps of South Korea

Note: These maps can be really helpful on your computer, but I also wanted to have them on my phone — that way, I could pull them up while we were out and about in South Korea and see what options were nearby. If you save these to your Google My Maps, there should be a way for you to make a shortcut to open them with just a tap or two from your phone. This is what I did and it worked pretty well!

Gluten-Free Seoul Food Map

Map Key (Colors)

• Green: Dedicated gluten-free establishment
• Dark pink: Not dedicated gluten-free, but has a 5-heart safety rating on the FindMeGF app
• Light pink: Not dedicated gluten-free, but has a 4 or 4.5-heart safety rating on the FindMeGF app
• Orange: Something I read about or heard about from a fellow gluten-free traveler’s review
• Blue: Grocery stores/shops

Map Key (Symbols)

• Noodle bowl: Korean food
• Spoon & knife: Not Korean food, but some other kind of “real” food that could constitute a meal
• Pizza: Italian restaurant
• Cow: Korean Barbecue
• Chicken: Korean fried chicken
• Coffee cup: Coffee shop/cafe
• Birthday cake: Bakery
• Ice cream cone: A dessert restaurant (might be ice cream, might be cake, etc)
• Shopping cart: Shops that are more likely to sell gluten-free snacks
• Exclamation point: Restaurant is listed as temporarily closed (date last checked in comment)

*Note: If we ate somewhere, my review will pop up when you click on the icon!

Gluten-Free Busan Food Map

 The same key as above applies. 🙂

Gluten-Free Snacks in Convenience Stores: 7-Eleven, C-U, and GS25

I joined Facebook groups for gluten-free travelers in each of the countries I visited on this trip. In “Gluten-Free in Japan” — a group with nearly 24,000 members — people were always posting pictures of their gluten-free snacks they got from convenience stores. And each time, I would save their pictures to a new Pinterest board I created. That way, when I went into a convenience store looking for snacks, I had a good starting point.

The group “Wheat and Gluten-Free in South Korea” doesn’t have nearly as many members — only about 3,000 — so it’s not quite as active, and not as many pictures of snacks are getting posted. So I decided to take some pictures of safe snacks myself. There aren’t a ton of options, but there’s enough to get you by in a pinch.

Fun fact: I ate soooo much gummy candy in South Korea, because many of the convenience stores carry the Trolli brand gummies, and they’re all labeled “gluten free.” 🤣

This is just to give you a few ideas, but remember to still read labels in case something changes. It’s still important to carefully review each label and look for these symbols:

• Wheat: 밀
• Barley: 보리
• Rye: 호밀
• Oats: 귀리

Why It’s So Hard To Read Ingredient Labels in South Korea

Before arriving in Asia for this trip, I thought that “reading” ingredient labels would be fairly simple. I had downloaded Google Translate in all the languages I needed, so I expected I could just walk into 7-Eleven and start translating away. And it would be easy to figure out if something was gluten free or not, as long as I looked for the above symbols.

Sadly, this was definitely not the case.

First of all, Google Translate did NOT come in clutch. It would sometimes superimpose the English translations right over the Korean, making all of it impossible to read. I fixed this by downloading the Papago app instead, which had a much cleaner interface (most of the time). It’s also a great tool because it can help you start to learn and practice your recognition of different gluten-containing words by highlighting only certain phrases on the ingredient label to translate.

Second, there are so many names of ingredients that you’ll genuinely have no idea if they’re gluten-free or not. For example, I tried to buy a bottle of cold brew from a GS25. But when I scanned the ingredients, it said it included “three types of perfumes.” What does that mean?? And why did every bottle of cold brew say something similar?

And while it was likely that these “perfumes” didn’t include gluten, there was just no way to be sure. So I couldn’t buy any of it.

I had originally planned to do a lot more label reading — and I did earlier in the trip — but by the time I got to South Korea I was honestly just so burnt out from label reading for three weeks (and scarred from my experiences in Taiwan) that I pretty much refused to eat any packaged food that didn’t explicitly say, in English, “GLUTEN FREE.”

Allergen Declarations in South Korea

If you’re planning to read labels and try some things out, one thing that will help you know right away if something ISN’T gluten-free is South Korea’s allergy labeling system. There are 19 allergens that are required to be declared on packaged food products. The one that is most relevant to celiacs is WHEAT: 밀. Unfortunately, barley, rye, and oats aren’t considered allergens so they won’t be declared.

(Milk 우유 is also another one that could be of interest to you if you are lactose-intolerant as well.)

Typically, on the back of a food label, if these allergens are present they will be noted with the characters in bold. So, while this may not help you figure out what IS safe to eat, if you see 밀 listed in the allergy labeling on a product, you can save yourself a step by putting that down and moving on to scrutinize something else. 😅

Why Is It So Hard To Be Gluten Free in South Korea?

One of my biggest struggles in South Korea (and in Taiwan) was that there isn’t a big community of celiac travelers who are able to share their lived experiences of being celiac in South Korea. Remember the “Gluten-Free in Japan” group with its 24,000 members? So much of what I was able to recognize as “safe” foods in Japan came from their experiences — others who were symptomatic celiacs, had tried different foods that looked like they could be safe, and then reported back whether they had a reaction or not.

That kind of community doesn’t exist on the same scale for South Korea, which made it hard. Japan was the 15th-most visited country in the world in 2023… and South Korea didn’t even crack the top 50. So, while it’s pretty cool to travel places that are a bit less visited by tourists, there really is safety in numbers for celiacs. It’s so important to have other peoples’ experiences to lean on and help you figure things out.

(So while I’m not a highly reactive celiac and can’t give you specifics on foods that are/aren’t safe, this is my contribution — trying to explain the situation so you come in more prepared than I did!) 🙂

Where To Buy Gluten-Free Food in South Korea

Any time we saw a grocery store (not just a convenience store) we would typically stop in and wander around a bit, just to see whether there were any options for me. And South Korea, surprisingly, had the best grocery store options of the three countries we visited! You can find these on the maps above, with the blue shopping cart icon.

In Seoul and Busan — and probably other cities, too — there are these big department stores called Lotte Mart. They’re like 10-15 stories tall, but if you go down to the basement, there’s usually a grocery store that has a ton of imported products. And a lot of those imports specifically say gluten-free on them!

We visited one Lotte Mart in Seoul and two in Busan, and they all had slightly different things, but each had several decent options that helped get me through my last two weeks in South Korea. (Especially once we got to Jeju Island and my food situation became even more dire.)

Here’s what we found:

• Blue Frog (Oat-Free) Granola from New Zealand
• Smart Food White Cheddar Popcorn from the U.S. (didn’t get a pic)
• Happy Village Organic Soft-Dried Fruit from the U.S.
• Eden Foods Dried Fruit from the U.S.
• Cobs Aussie Popcorn from Australia
• Nature’s Garden Probiotic Yoggies from the U.S.
• Gluten-free pasta!*

*We saw a different type at each of the Lotte Marts we went to, so you might have to look around a bit. But this could be a great option if you actually have a kitchen to cook in!

You’ll notice that 1. all of these specifically say “Gluten Free” on them(!!); and 2. there are some weird stickers on some of the packages. My first thought was “government censorship” but I’m pretty sure it’s just because South Korea has different food labeling standards than other countries, so they update the packaging on imported products to align with their laws.

Another option for buying some gluten-free food in Busan specifically is at a little shop called Vegan Mart, which is above the Rainbow Crust bakery. The bakery is NOT gluten-free despite it sounding promising because of the rice flour they use. But if you go into the bakery and ask the owner for Vegan Mart, she’ll take you up to the third floor where they have a small shop full of (you guessed it) vegan products, including about 4-5 different gluten-free instant noodle soups!

Best Gluten-Free Restaurants in Seoul

So, not only did South Korea have the best grocery store options for gluten-free food, but I also felt that the overall taste and quality of the gluten-free food we ate there (especially in Seoul) was by far the best of the trip!

There were several dedicated gluten-free restaurants that were really tasty, others that had gluten-free options on the menu, and others that had a really good understanding of gluten-free needs. Like we would show them the GF translation card and they instantly knew what it was all about and what to do.

Of course, we went to these places specifically because of other celiacs who had been there and left reviews on the FindMeGF app. While the celiac community of travelers in South Korea may be smaller when it comes to trying convenience store snacks, they’ve really come through on reviewing restaurants. 🙂

Here were our top picks in Seoul:

• Sunnyhouse: This place was super hyped online, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a dedicated gluten-free restaurant, so everything on the menu is gluten-free, including a bunch of fun coffee drinks! The owner herself (Sunny) is celiac and she was happy to answer our questions about being gluten free in South Korea.
• 6Day Chicken: It’s a bit outside the city center, but I promise the trek is worth it. It’s a 100% gluten-free Korean fried chicken restaurant. Apparently, the owners have patented their gluten-free fried chicken recipe and came up with it when they realized how many people there are in the world with gluten intolerance. They also have tteokbokki, and this was the only place in South Korea I was able to eat it! Everything was delicious.
• 237 Pizza: Another 100% gluten-free restaurant! This was the best gluten-free pizza I’ve had in my three short months being celiac. It turns out that it’s because they use gluten-removed wheat starch, which is apparently still safe for celiacs. It’s Caputo brand, from Italy, which has really high standards, so I trust it. Other reviewers said one of the owners is also celiac/gluten intolerant.
• 853: Not a dedicated gluten-free restaurant, but they knew exactly what to do when we showed the GF translation card. This is a Korean barbecue place, and most of the time, the meats come unmarinated, so it’s pretty easy to stay gluten-free as long as the grill is clean. They also brought out separate side dishes for me and Matt and told me which ones were safe for me and which weren’t. We actually came here twice because it was tasty, filling, close to our hotel, and seemed safe!
• Buddha’s Belly: This is a Thai restaurant that’s not dedicated gluten-free, but they have a gluten-free section of their menu. And I talked to one of the workers, a native English speaker, who confirmed with me that they have a separate fryer for gluten-free dishes. Also, the food was AMAZING. The portion sizes were huge and absolutely delicious.

Best Gluten-Free Restaurants in Busan

Busan did not have nearly as many options for us as Seoul did, and there was only one dedicated gluten-free restaurant in the whole city — which was inexplicably closed with a handwritten sign on the door the day that we made the trek out there. 🙃 But we still found a handful of places that seemed to be safe. (Again, I’m not highly reactive so take these with a grain of salt.)

• Woojung Dolsot Bibimbap: All the reviewers for this place left explicit instructions on what to do to order a gluten-free meal. You order on a screen at your table, so you select the “Vegan and Meat Free Bibimbap” — regular, not premium — and make sure you remove the sauce from the order. Then for some extra protein, add another egg. I question their definition of vegan since it comes with one egg already. But anyway, it was a good option and allowed me to try another Korean food, bibimbap.
• Yeonhwa Dupbab: When the 100% gluten-free restaurant was closed, we came here instead. You order on a screen outside the door, and when I flagged down a worker to show my GF card, they told me the safe options: the beef sous vide and pork neck plates, and the only safe sauce was tomato sauce. I’m not a big tomato person so I ordered mine plain, without sauce. It seems like you’re supposed to eat your food in a certain way, trying the different sides with your meat and different flavor combos, but I just needed calories and I had no sauce so I just ate it how I normally would.
• Kkachi Kkachi: This is a great option for before/after visiting Gamcheon Culture Village, because it’s super close. It’s not dedicated gluten-free but they offer a vegan GF pasta option on their menu. Even though I’m not vegan, I still thought it was good! They also have the GF pasta for sale so you know what brand they’re using — it’s the same as we found in Lotte Mart.
• Anga Sutbul-gui: Another Korean barbecue place that seemed quite familiar with the GF translation card. They knew exactly what I could and couldn’t eat, so I felt comfortable here.

Gluten-Free Korean Food at the Markets (Gwangjang, Myeongdong, etc)

In the “Wheat and Gluten-Free in South Korea” group, I saw a few mentions of gluten-free food that might be available at some of the markets. For example, some sort of rice bread filled with cheese at Myeongdong market in Seoul. And Sunny, from Sunnyhouse, said Gwangjang Market had a stall with tteokboki that was gluten-free, and another stall had gluten-free walnut bread. However, we looked for these stalls at these markets and never found them, so I wasn’t able to verify any of this information.

I wish I could offer a more solid answer to questions like “What food is gluten-free at Korean night markets?” but unfortunately I never found the answers myself. 🙁 So my experience of visiting these markets pretty much consisted of me just enjoying the sights and smells rather than the tastes.

Other Random Notes & Tips for Being Gluten Free in South Korea

• Korean barbecue will be your best friend. When you’re hungry and you need food, look for a Korean barbecue place. It might not be the most balanced meal you’ve ever eaten, and it might consist almost entirely of plain meat, but you’ll be fed. I think we ate Korean barbecue about four or five times in our two weeks in South Korea. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, your difficulty level for being gluten free in South Korea just went up, I’m sorry. 🙁

• South Korea has a huge cafe culture, but oat milk was extremely common, so I wouldn’t risk ordering any espresso-based drinks like lattes or cappuccinos because of shared equipment. If you don’t want to stick to iced coffees, here’s my recommendation: order an Americano with regular milk. They will look at you like you’re crazy, but they’ll give you a small cup of milk on the side to add to your Americano. But at least you know it’s safe!

• There was a surprising lack of fruit in the convenience stores. In Taiwan, I’d at least been able to lean on grabbing some fruit from 7-Eleven when I needed a snack, but that wasn’t even really an option in South Korea.

• In case you didn’t know this, only about 0.18% of people from Asian backgrounds have celiac disease, compared to like 1-5% of those from European backgrounds. When you’re gluten free in South Korea, it feels like the world of food wasn’t made for you. And it wasn’t. So try to keep that in mind and try not to let it feel personal. Gluten just isn’t really a concept there, and it helps a little bit to understand why.

• One of the toughest things about being celiac in South Korea, wasn’t all the foods I knew I couldn’t eat. Instead, it’s all the foods that I wasn’t sure whether I could eat or not. And sadly, I had to pass them up, just to be safe. When there’s a chance something might be gluten free, you wish you could just know for certain whether it is or isn’t — that way you can either enjoy it, or not, and then move on. But it sucks to just not be able to know, and have to say no anyway.

 

Okay, so this was a lot, but I hope it helps! No matter how much you prepare for your trip, there are some things you’ll only learn by experience. My goal was to share my own experiences along with some tips that would hopefully make things a bit easier. Feel free to share your own favorite tips for surviving being gluten free in South Korea — and let me know what questions you have!

-Cathy

Disclaimer: Everything here is my own experience, and I am not an acutely symptomatic/highly reactive celiac. Please always double check ingredients, ask questions, and read other reviews before eating anything in South Korea.

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