Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jessegb]

Is anybody able to give me an idea of lens prices in ROK? I am about to switch from dailies (Daysoft - new silk lenses messed up my eyes) to monthlies/continuous wear silicone-hydragel-based-lenses. I am just wondering whether to buy these here before I leave. I have found Coopervision's Biofinity lenses for �10.95 for a box of 3 lenses (approx. WON19,280).

More importantly, it would be good to have an idea of how much solution is, like Renu Multi-Purpose? I really need to save suitcase space and weight!

Thanks

[northway]

Last time I purchased my Acuvue 2s I think it was 70,000 for two boxes. I'm not sure how many lenses that was, I believe it's eight or ten per box. I tend to wear mine longer than prescribed, but that was about six months ago. I can't speak to the cost of your specific lenses. The nice thing is that you don't need a prescription, which saves on the hassle and expense of seeing an eye doctor (although I'm pretty sure it's covered by health insurance here).

The solution goes from around 5,000-7,000, generally, depending on where you're buying it.

[jessegb]

Price of lenses is pretty similar then, maybe a little cheaper in the UK from what I can see. Whatever the case, it's good to know the price of them, and the solution, is relatively comparable. I guess I will get 6 months supply of my lenses and just get the solution out there.

Cheers

[Swampfox10mm]

Renu Multi-Purpose is easy to find, and cheap. Here it is online, but i've seen it all over:

http://item.gmarket.co.kr/detailview/Item.asp?goodscode=230302844&pos_shop_cd=SH&pos_class_cd=111111111&pos_class_kind=T&keyword_seqno=796890319&search_keyword=Renu

I think it's usually around 3,000-3,500 won per bottle or something. Just bring yourself one small bottle and then buy some when you are here.

As for buying lenses, I bought mine in bulk in the USA, and have been using my 1 year supply for the past 3 years (I don't wear them as often). The Acuvue lenses I have seem to be good in the package for 3 to 5 years or so. That's what the due date says, anyway.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

When I first got here, I was using the 2-week lenses, and a box cost me 28,000 won. Solution is about 3-5,000 won. Now, I use Bausch and Lomb dailies, and each lens costs me 1,000 won. I buy them in 40 lens increments, because I have the same prescription for each eye, but if I had differing prescriptions, I'd have to buy 80 lenses at a time.

Have you tried a different brand of dailies? Perhaps that would work. I could never go back to the 2-week kind. They feel so dirty compared to a fresh pair every day.

On a side note: glasses are really cheap here. I got a new pair yesterday for 178,000 won. They are flexible pastic with thin lenses and an anti-glare coating. Back home, the lenses alone would have cost that price.

[pikadoopoo]

I heard that it's difficult to find special contact lenses in Korea, and if I do find them, they'd be pretty expensive.

I wear toric lenses for high astigmatism, specifically the Proclear XR brand. Should I just order them before I go to Korea? I don't know how to look for online Korean retailers that sell contacts.

I hate being cursed with awful eyesight. I'm definitely going to get that LASEK procedure everyone here raves about one day.

[Squire]

I have a 120ml bottle of Renu solution that cost 2k won

As an aside, do all optician's in the US require a prescription for lenses or can you just walk in and buy? Perhaps requiring people to pay their optician for an eye exam (in the UK) is the state's way of passing on the cost from everyone to just the people who have bad eyesight (which makes sense in a way)

It's awesome just walking in and buying glasses or lenses without any fuss

[Kimchifart]

[PaperTiger]

[pip 001]

you can get bosch and lomb and johnson and johnson accure. both make soft lense disposables dailies or 2weekly/monthlies here.

accure is the favoured brand here. i just bought more today. with accure, most- even odd perscriptions are in stock and dont need to be made, just ordered in from another premisis- 2 working days.

ive worn bosch and lomb for 9 years. if you have a strange perscription and its not in stock, bosch and lomb korea will take 6-8 weeks to make lenses for you.

you can get lense solution everywhere- supermarket, all pharmacies, glasses shops.. its really easy and cheap.

[pip 001]

sorry, for me- both accure and bosch and lomb were 45,000 won per 6 pack (2 weekly) so 90,000 for both eyes.

[pkang0202]