Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bradshaw]

Up until recently, I'd had 20/20 vision ... but I'm not so sure I do anymore, as age is catching up with me! I have seen a million eye glass shops around here in Seoul, and have even been in them myself with a friend to purchase a pair of glasses. I noticed they tested her eye sight with some sort of headgear. Is this machine legit? She wears glasses back in North America, and simply forgot her eyeglass prescription in Korea. My question is, since I've never worn glasses or contacts before, should I see a proper optomotrist, or is visiting an eye glass shop good enough?

[BadBadMan]

If you're worried about astigmatism and other ailments that come with age, check with an optometrist first. It only costs a few bucks for a checkup. Surgery for astigmatism only cost ~300k a few years back.

If you know you have no other eye problems than simple near/farsightedness, visit the largest optician store you see. Sometimes those guys make much better lenses from their own tests than if they use an optometrist's prescription.

[bradshaw]

Thank you for you advice! I suspect a slight astigmatism ... Can anybody recommend a good optometrist?

[taobenli]

What are symptoms of astigmatism? I need to get my eyes checked (for the first time in a long time, and I also had 20/20 vision before).

[jsk]

The eyeglass shops in Korea just estimate your prescription using an autorefractor, which takes only a minute. Every eye exam I had in the U.S. used one of these too, but always in conjunction with a comprehensive exam. If you're getting an eye exam for the first time, I would think it would be better to get a comprehensive exam by a real optometrist. The optician I saw did not know how to deal with my right eye astigmatism. I'm not sure where to get a complete exam, but I'd also be interested to know where.