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How do I find a pharmacy open at night or on a holiday?

Short answer

Search for “pharmacy” (약국) in a map app and check whether it is open now. Late at night, look for a public late-night pharmacy; on holidays, a holiday pharmacy. You can find both on the Korean Pharmaceutical Association website. If every pharmacy is closed, 24-hour convenience stores with a medicine sign sell basic medicines: fever and pain relievers, cold medicine, digestive medicine and pain patches. In an emergency, call 119.

In an emergency, call 119 instead of looking for a pharmacy.

What to do
  1. Search for “약국” (pharmacy) in a map app such as Naver Map and check the opening hours.
  2. Late at night or on a holiday, go to pharm114.or.kr (Korean). Choose your area or tap “공공심야약국 목록 조회” (late-night public pharmacy list).
  3. Call the pharmacy before you go to check that it is open.
  4. If pharmacies are closed, go to a 24-hour convenience store with the medicine sign near the door. It sells basic fever and pain relievers, cold medicine, digestive medicine and pain patches — one day’s supply per purchase, and not to children under 12.
  5. If someone has trouble breathing or is not fully conscious, don't go to a pharmacy. Call 119 straight away.

If that doesn't work

  • If the Korean website is hard to use, call 1330 (Korea Travel Hotline) and ask for interpretation.
Check before relying on this
  • Hours differ by pharmacy. The association asks you to call before visiting.
  • Convenience-store medicines are for mild symptoms. If symptoms are severe or don’t improve, see a doctor.
More details and examples Expand

Public late-night pharmacies

On October 22, 2026, the association's list had 302 public late-night pharmacies nationwide. The most common hours were until 1 a.m. (listed as 25:00), but some close in the evening and some say to check with the pharmacy.

Medicine at convenience stores

Korea lets registered 24-hour convenience stores sell a short list of “safe household medicines”: fever and pain relievers, cold medicine, digestive medicine and pain patches. Each sale is limited to one day’s supply, children under 12 cannot buy them, and stores that sell them have a sign near the entrance (Ministry of Health and Welfare, announced when sales began in November 2012). The exact products can change, so read the label or ask the staff.

Sources and provider examples

External sources may use another language.

Sources last checked: . Rules, hours and services can change.