Vegans Abroad: Navigating Grocery Stores in Seoul

Moving to Seoul with tofu-powered dreams and a suitcase full of oat milk can feel equal parts exciting and terrifying. On one hand there’s the K-pop soundtrack to your grocery run; on the other, the shelves are packed with mysterious hangul and “fish sauce in everything” warnings ringing in your ears.

During my first month here, I accidentally seasoned roasted veggies with gamtae (laver flakes seasoned with anchovy powder) and learned—tongue still tingling—that a little label literacy could save both dinner and dignity.

Below is the survival guide I wish I’d had: a no-nonsense, occasionally cheeky walkthrough of Seoul’s supermarket scene for vegans, sprinkled with first-hand anecdotes and pro tips from BorderPilot’s data wizards. Whether you’re a budget backpacker or a Whole-Foods-forever gourmand, you’ll walk away knowing exactly where—and how—to shop cruelty-free in Korea’s capital.

Korean Labels Decoded 🧐

Must-Know Hangul for Plant-Powered Shoppers

The most powerful tool in your eco-cotton tote is neither a bilingual buddy nor Google Translate’s camera mode (though both help); it’s a five-minute crash course in ingredient spotting. Memorize—or at least screenshot—these common animal-derived culprits:

Sneaky Non-Obvious Terms

1. 육수 (yuk-su) – Broth, often meat-based even in veggie-looking soups.
2. 젤라틴 (jellatin) – Gelatin, typically pork-derived.
3. L-글루타민산나트륨 – MSG; usually plant-based but occasionally paired with fish sauce. Double-check if it’s critical to you.

Pull-Quote:

“If the ingredient list is longer than a K-drama synopsis, assume the default answer is fish sauce until proven otherwise.” —Me, after misidentifying gochujang brands for weeks.

Deciphering Food Additive Codes

Korea sometimes lists EU-style E-numbers or generic chemical names. Good news: Most emulsifiers are soy-based here. Bad news: Colorant 붉은색 7호 (Red No. 7) can contain cochineal. If you’re strict, skip hot-pink snacks unless labelled 천연색소 (식물성) – “natural color (plant-based).”

Pro Tip: The app “HappyCow” is great for restaurants, but “Ivegan” (Korean-language) lets you scan barcodes in stores to flag animal ingredients.

Budget vs. Premium Stores: Where to Shop

Big-Box Bargains: Emart, Homeplus & Lotte Mart

If you’re arriving from abroad with sticker-shock trauma, relax—basic staples are affordable if you know where to look.

• Emart (이마트)
- Best for: Bulk rice, seasonal produce, and private-label tofu that’s shockingly cheap (a 540 g block can cost ₩1,200).
- Vegan gem: House-brand vegan kimbap set in the ready-to-eat section—look for the green ‘V’ icon.

• Homeplus
- Think of it as Target’s Korean cousin. Plant milks (almond, oat, soy) are around ₩2,900/litre if you catch a two-for-one promo.
- Beware: The pre-made bibimbap bowls often hide minced beef under the veggies. Check the underside label.

• Lotte Mart
- Great for snack hunters; try sweet potato ojingeo-twigim chips—yes, the word ojingeo means squid, but this variation is squid-free (read the back to be safe).
- Loyalty app yields ₩3,000 coupons on your first download, so stock up on gochujang.

Money-Saving Hack: Go within two hours of closing; banchan (side dish) counters discount up to 50%. Grab kimchi labeled 채식 김치 (vegetarian kimchi) to avoid shrimp paste.

Mid-Range & Trendy: No Brand, Olive Young, and Loft-Style Markets

1. No Brand (노브랜드) by Emart
2. Yellow-packaged minimalism, IKEA vibes. Their tortilla chips, salsas, and hummus are vegan.

3. Downside: Little fresh produce. Make it your snack stop, not a full grocery.

4. Olive Young

5. Korea’s Sephora meets 7-Eleven. Recently launched a refrigerated vegan deli: chickpea salads, tofu jerky, and even vegan yakgwa (traditional honey cookie remade with rice syrup).

6. It’s pricier—think “airport convenience store” mark-ups.

7. Market Kurly (online)

8. Midnight delivery magic. Place an order before 11 p.m.; wake up to purple crates of organic produce at your door by 7 a.m.
9. My latest haul: jackfruit, tempeh by local brand “In the Mood,” and miso-marinated mushrooms—all fresh, all vegan.

Luxe & Imported: SSG, Foreign Food Mart & High Street Market

Blame Netflix for making us crave artisanal everything. If you need Miyoko’s Creamery butter or Beyond Meat sausages, head here:

• SSG Food Market (청담)
- Seoul’s answer to Whole Foods. Vegan cheese aisle longer than my visa application.
- SSG’s private-label “Better Food” series includes a kimchi free from fish sauce—rare but glorious.

• Foreign Food Mart (Itaewon)
- Closet-sized, but carries Daiya shreds, nutritional yeast, and yes, Vegemite.
- Cash only on Mondays.

• High Street Market (Hannam-dong)
- Deli counter with house-made seitan. The team once let me taste-test a Korean BBQ-flavoured version—instantly convinced me Seoul’s vegan scene is leveling up.

Cost Reality Check: Imported vegan cheese can cost ₩12,000 for 200 g. This is why many long-term expats buy a blender and make cashew cream at home.

Eating Out Vegan: Surviving K-BBQ Culture Without Becoming a Side Dish

Temple Food & Beyond

Korean Buddhism’s temple cuisine, sachal eumsik, is 100 % vegan by doctrine—no meat, fish, garlic, or onions. Restaurants like Balwoo Gongyang (Insadong) offer prix fixe courses of lotus-leaf rice, fermented soybean “meats,” and pine-nut porridge. Reserve ahead; Michelin stars attract omnivores and vegans alike.

Vegan-Friendly Chains

1. A Twosome Place
2. Soy or oat milk lattes cost an extra ₩500. Skip the scones; butter bomb alert.
3. Sulbing
4. Order injeolmi bingsu with soy milk—bonus points if you ask to hold the condensed milk.
5. Maru Jeju Burger
6. Fully vegan; the kimchi burger converts sceptical carnivores.

The K-BBQ Workaround

When the office dinner inevitably lands at a grill joint, deploy this game plan:

1. Call ahead: Ask if they have 버섯모듬 (assorted mushrooms) or 채소구이 (grilled veggies).
2. Bring marinated tofu in a sealed container. Most restaurants will grill it for you if you explain dietary needs.
3. Feast on side dishes: Ssam lettuce wraps, radish musaengchae, soybean sprouts (kongnamul), and perilla leaves. Double-check 김치 for shrimp paste.

Not the smoothest? No worries—we’ve all munched rice and lettuce while colleagues demolished galbi. But your iron-clad stomach and moral compass can handle it.

Community Meet-Ups: Finding Your Plant-Based Tribe

Moving abroad is easier when you have people to text “Which gochujang is vegan?” at 11 p.m. Seoul’s vegan community is friendly, active, and weirdly good at karaoke.

Regular Events & Groups

• Seoul Vegan Potluck – Monthly gathering in Gyeongnidan Park. Bring a homemade dish; leave with 20 new recipes.
• VeggieHappy Seoul (KakaoTalk) – Real-time grocery tips, flash sales alerts, and occasional dog-rescue fundraisers.
• Run Vegan Crew – Jog along the Han River Sunday mornings, then share smoothie bowls at Plant Hannam.

Personal Anecdote: At my first Vegan Potluck, I served kimchi pancakes using rice-flour batter and Gwangju-brand vegan kimchi. I met Hana, who later introduced me to her startup sourcing pesticide-free mung-bean sprouts—a relationship that now saves me 30 % on produce and earned BorderPilot fresh on-the-ground data.

Personal Anecdotes: Epic Wins, Cringe Fails & Lessons Learned

1. The Tofu Tower
   Day two in Seoul, I misread “두부 한모” sale as “buy one, get one free.” I bought six, thinking I’d scored a month’s supply. Korean fridges are shoeboxes. I ended up marinating, freezing, and stealthily gifting tofu blocks like holiday fruitcakes. Lesson: Know your space, not just the deal.

2. Gochugaru Confusion
   Accidentally grabbed taeyangcho (sun-dried, coarse chili flakes)—great!—but later learned some brands mix shrimp powder for “umami.” After a mild identity crisis, I found Hansung brand labeled 채식 and never looked back.

3. Customs Catastrophe
   I tried importing nutritional yeast “just in case.” Korean customs flagged it as potential livestock feed (long story). Had I read BorderPilot’s shipping database, I’d have seen domestic supply is ample. (Cue shameless but genuine plug: our relocation tool prevents exactly this.)

Why Seoul’s Vegan Scene Is a Model for Global Relocation Strategy

When BorderPilot analyzed 27 countries’ plant-based infrastructure, Seoul ranked third in “growth velocity” behind Berlin and Taipei. That data matters for would-be nomads comparing destinations for health, ethics, or climate impact. But just as bilingual job markets influence career moves, a city’s grocery compatibility can make or break daily life satisfaction.

Similarly, investors weighing lifestyle perks alongside visas might review plant-based amenities the same way our users assess Golden Visa prospects in Dubai. Food is culture, comfort, and community rolled into one—ignore it, and spreadsheets won’t save you.

Packing List: Vegan Essentials to Bring (or Not)

Bring: • B12 supplements – still expensive here.
• Your fav vegan protein powder – niche brands limited.
• Reusable produce bags – supermarkets over-plasticize.

Skip: • Oat milk – local brand Oatly-K widely stocked.
• Nutritional yeast – Costco sells 400 g tubs.
• Vegan jerky – Veggie Garden brand satisfies cravings.

Quick Reference Cheat-Sheet

• Best all-around store: Emart Traders (membership warehouse)
• Cheapest tofu: Homeplus private label
• Kimchi without fish sauce: SSG “Better Food,” Pulmuone “No.1 Vegan,” and some temple-food stalls at Gwangjang Market
• 24-hour options: Many 7-Eleven branches stock soy lattes and plant-based ramyun (look for Nongshim “Soon” noodles)

Final Thoughts

Grocery shopping as a vegan in Seoul is less about deprivation and more about discovery—yes, you’ll spend time squinting at labels and playing ingredient detective, but you’ll also stumble upon perilla-oil tossed greens at midnight markets and share street-brewed ssanghwa-cha with strangers who—once you explain—find your “no meat” stance refreshingly cool.

If a data-backed relocation plan, grocery maps included, sounds like a stress reducer, BorderPilot can craft one faster than I can finish a bowl of tteok-bokki. Start your free relocation plan today, and let’s make your plant-powered life in Seoul (or anywhere) as seamless as bulgogi on a tabletop grill—minus the bulgogi, of course.