Supplements in Korea

For anyone arriving from North America, this is usually the first surprise. Melatonin sits beside the vitamins in any US pharmacy. In Korea it’s behind a prescription pad. The reason isn’t that Korea considers it dangerous. It’s that Korea and the US answered a classification question differently — and everything follows from that one decision. … Read more

The title says three tiers(Prescription, OTC, Supplement). There are actually four, and the one most people don’t know about is the reason some familiar products turn up in convenience stores rather than pharmacies. Understanding the categories explains where to look, what claims a product may carry, and why something you bought easily at home is … Read more

Buying supplements in Korea comes down to three routes, and they aren’t really competing on price. They’re three different regulatory situations that happen to end with a bottle arriving. Understanding which situation you’re in determines what protections you have, what limits apply, and what recourse exists if something goes wrong. This post compares the frameworks, … Read more

Supplements are sold almost everywhere in Korea — pharmacies, marts, convenience stores, department stores, online platforms, and by direct sellers. The channels differ in price, selection and what advice you get. But there’s one thing they all have in common, and it turns out to be useful.   Every legitimate seller is registered This is … Read more

The mark on a Korean supplement package tells you something real. It also gets read as guaranteeing considerably more than it does. Knowing where the guarantee ends is what makes the mark useful rather than reassuring.   What the mark actually certifies A health functional food in Korea is a product made with ingredients whose … Read more