Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Zanniati]

I've heard really mixed things about the water here and it seems like most people prefer to go bottled or filtered. Is the water okay to drink or should I stick to bottled? I just really don't feel like spending $5-10 a week on water.

[Weigookin74]

Will it kill you? No. Does it taste crappy? Yep. All that chlorine's got to have some effect. Use a brita water filter. I use this and drink from the tap. But occasionally use bottled water too. Bottled does taste better. But I use the Brita to cut costs down.

[jonski]

In home plus, you can buy 6x 2l bottled mineral water for less than 3,000 won.

[nw25th]

I got a Kenwood water thing from Costco. The wife's brother works for K-water...the water is 100% fine!!

[DorkothyParker]

In Bucheon, I thought the water was nasty but I would drink it boiled for tea or in soup. Here in Jeju I drink from the sink.

It's safe, but it can taste unpleasant depending on pipes (I think).

[young_clinton]

It won't make you sick, at least not right away. Nobody drinks it though. If I remember correctly according to the Lonely Planet there's places like Busan where the water should never be consumed (drank, drunk, drunken, whatever). Look it up in the lonely planet.

[Lazio]

[Weigookin74]

[Ramen]

korean water is douced with dead cow and pig carcasses and also some anti-biotics. they're also claiming that agent orange is in it as well.

[schlotzy]

I agree with the above poster. Lonely Planet information is getting old.

I've started drinking the Busan tap water this past year. I'm in a newer building though so the pipes are fine. It tastes good to me! I can't sense any chlorine or metallic taste at all. I'm so happy to be over the whole bottled water thing.

[trying2getthere]

I must agree with the others above... this really depends on where you live. Here in Gwangju the tap water tastes fine and all the foreigners (and Koreans) drink it. I wouldn't think of wasting the time, energy, and money to purchase bottled water.

[SeoulNate]

Been drinking Seoul's water for 4 years now w/o a problem.

[djloekee27]

i used to make tea with it (my apt. installed a shared water cooler with hot water in the hallway) and i make ice with it for when i make mixed drinks (rum, jack daniels, ect). but i don't drink it straight because i don't like the taste of water (i buy bottled water here, and i only drank Ozarka bottled water from a natural spring in the states because i had it once and found out that i actually liked the taste).

[akcrono]

There have been articles about the safety of Seoul's water. The government has even had promotional events about the taste of the water. If you don't like the flavor, get a Britta filter from HomePlus which will save money in the long run.

[Capo]

since moving house i drink from the tap. My old place tasted nasty but new place is fine. Seoul water is safe to drink.