Korean Job Discussion Forums

[alibuch]

For any girls who end up needing this...

in Korean the pill is called "sa-hoo-pee-eem-yak"


And agreed... this info should be stickied. I searched for a thread and couldn't find anything with the actual name.

And Chris... seeing as how I'm not a guy, I have no control of where it goes...

[tokyo violet]

I was in Seoul for a month and ended up needing the morning after pill.
You need a prescription for it, and for all you foreign girls out there I
highly recommend this hospital : ASAN Medical Center.
They are wonderful. There is an international clinic where you will be helped by english-speaking staff and doctors, who are incredibly nice, non-judgemental and will go out of their way to help you.
You can call in your moment of desperation, and don't worry, they will find a way to fit you into their busy schedule. My doctor was called Dr. Choi, she is a native english speaker. They have a pharmacy right there in the building, so you don't have to go trekking down the streets, and the nurses do everything for you. After the examination they will go to the pharmacy with you and make sure you get given the right meds.
Just for the record, the name of the morning after pill I was given is Norlevo (levonorgestel).

ASAN Medical Center
International Clinic : (if dialling within Seoul) 3010-5001
If dialling from outside Seoul 02-3010-5001
website : http://eng.amc.seoul.kr
The closest tube station is Jamsillaru on line 2, but you should probably shell out on a taxi because in these cases just get there as fast as possible.

On this thread I saw names of other places, and how foreigners tend to flock to Itaewon, but I called the internatioanl clinic in Itaewon and the receptionist was not only rather rude and didn't understand what the morning after pill was, but also misinformed. She tried to send me to the ER, which would have been a huge hassle.
If the ASAN Medical Center happens to be closed, unavailable, etc. then I would recommend calling the Samsung Medical Centre. The receptionist spoke native english, was professional and well-informed. They close pretty early though, that was the downside, and unlike ASAN they will not go the extra mile for you. Not having gone there I can't vouch for their treatment, but as far as phone manners and information they left a good impression on me.

To all you girls out there, I really understand the feeling of panic and desperation, especially if you are alone in a foreign country, but trust me there are good people out there who will help you and who understand that accidents happen, so don't worry.

[cwflaneur]

At Halla Pharmacy in Itaewon they just hand it out to whoever asks for it. Even if you're a guy. I'm a male and picked it up once for a close female friend who couldn't go there in time or know how to access it anywhere else. It's a little hole-in-the-wall type of place down the street from exit 3.

Might be faster than waiting to see a doctor.

[akcrono]

It's embarrassing that there are stupid comments here. Double embarrassing that they're from men. Some people never grow up.

[kimiki]

You can also have the morning-after effect with a regular pack of birth control pills, which are fully available OTC here. Do some research online. It must be done in a certain way. Many women know of this & the details are out there. It works the same, but do your research well.

[weso1]

I've gotten it twice. Accidents happen.

In Itaewon the first time, the pharmacy near the fire station just gave it to me. Maybe a year or so later, when I needed it again, went back to the same pharmacy. This time she insisted I get a Rx. So I jumped over to the International Clinic and the doc wrote me a scrip for it, no problem.

I don't understand the need for a Rx though. I guess it can be abused and possible harmful to the girl, but lots of things over the counter can be abused and harmful.