Travelers with food allergies or strict dietary needs should separate two questions: what a packaged-food label tells you, and what a restaurant can reliably confirm about a prepared dish.
Packaged foods
Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety requires designated allergens to be identified on packaged foods when applicable. The current official list includes common allergens such as egg, milk, buckwheat, peanut, soybean, wheat, mackerel, crab, shrimp, pork, peach, tomato, walnut, chicken, beef, squid, shellfish categories and pine nut, with specific rules for some ingredients.
This is useful in convenience stores and supermarkets, but it does not mean every restaurant menu uses the same level of labeling.
Restaurants require a separate check
For a serious allergy, ask about the actual dish, including sauces, broth and shared preparation. A staff member may need time to check with the kitchen. Do not assume that removing a visible ingredient proves the dish is free of that allergen or of cross-contact.
A practical Korean sentence is: "저는 ___ 알레르기가 있어요. 먹으면 위험합니다." It means, "I have a ___ allergy. It is dangerous for me to eat it." Another useful question is "같은 기름이나 조리도구를 사용하나요?" — "Do you use the same oil or cooking utensils?"
Muslim-friendly categories are different from allergy labeling
Korea Tourism Organization currently separates restaurants into categories including Halal Certified, Self-certified, Muslim Friendly and Pork free. These labels are not interchangeable. KTO specifically notes that a Muslim Friendly venue may sell alcohol, while a Pork free venue is not necessarily a halal restaurant and may also sell alcohol. Some hotel restaurants categorized as Muslim Friendly may serve other dishes containing pork.
Use the official KTO list as a starting point, then confirm the current menu and preparation practices with the restaurant if the distinction matters to you.
Vegetarian and vegan travelers
The same verification habit helps with vegetarian or vegan diets. Ask specifically about broths, sauces and other components instead of relying only on the visible main ingredient. Restaurant practices vary, so a translated dietary card can be useful when the restriction is strict.
A safer planning pattern
Before a travel day, identify a few suitable restaurants near your route rather than waiting until you are hungry. Save the Korean name and address, and keep a backup convenience-store option where you can read a packaged-food label. If a restaurant cannot confidently answer an important ingredient question, choose another meal rather than forcing a definitive answer.