waynelorentz

I have a trip to South Korea coming up and I'm getting some conflicting information.

I have two guidebooks (2006 and 2008) which say don't drink the tap water.
I have a third guidebook and saw a TV show which both claimed the tap water is fine.

All four said that bottled water is plentiful and cheap wherever you go, which based on my previous travels, is usually a sign that you shouldn't drink the local stuff.

Does anyone know for sure?

splatnz

I drink bottled water in Korea. I suspect it's probably fine as Korea is a pretty clean place but the water is cheap (or free in most hotel rooms) which as you say is usually a sign to steer clear of it.

I've never been sick from anything I've eaten or drunk in Korea so I wouldn't go to huge efforts or worry too much though. Probably similar level on care on my part as drinking in Taiwan, HK etc

Peregrine415

If you mean from the tap in your hotel room, yes it is safe. I assume the water I drink in restaurants I patronize in Korea is tap water.

I buy bottled water only because I drink water a lot and I'm not always in my room when I'm in Korea.

Shareholder

These days I'd suspect the safety of the water in most American cities. I spent a week in Seould and while I generally drank bottled water, I had no problem with the water I used in the bathroom of my hotel.

hilodave

A few years ago and friend and I had a 10 hour layover in Seoul. It was novembr and we were returning from a trip to Bangkok. Our final destination was Honolulu. I did not bring a jacket and damned near froze to death.

We stopped off at a small noodle shop and drank the water that was on the table in a large jug. My friend barely made it back to Honolulu. He as sick for over two weeks. I got sick a day later but it was pretty bad for week. My advise is to not drink the water. Aloha

Pickles

Could have been what you ate, not what you drank. I've never had an issue drinking tap water in Korea, having spent months of my life (that I'm not getting back) there.

bizclassboy

Its also safe to say where ever you go the water can have a big effect on your guts due to its mineral content alone. When I go to some places in UK I can smell chlorine in the water and boy will that stuff have an effect on you. you may also want to look at http://www.environmental-expert.com/...dproducttype=8

brahms77

It is safe to drink tap water in Korea but as you may see, most of restaurants will have filtered water available. In any place in the world, the practice of boiling tap water before drinking is a good idea. Nonetheless, it's odd to find such question for Korea... and see a post by someone claiming that they got sick after drinking water in a restaurant in Korea - how do you know if the sickness is caused by water? There are many confounding factors.

waynelorentz

No, not really. You don't need to boil the tap water in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Singapore, or even Hong Kong.
I don't think it's odd. As I stated earlier, I have two books which both advise against drinking the tap water in South Korea. There must be a reason for it.
Are you implying that Korean chefs don't know how to cook food to a safe temperature?

biggestbopper

Which guidebooks are you looking at? If it's Lonely Planet, that's one thing, if Foders, that's another.

brahms77

I said it's a good idea to boil tap water in general whether or not you are drinking the tap water in the US, Japan, Korea, etc.

Perhaps it's just that those books are outdated. Your comment came across as being ignorant... questioning that (based on two book sources) Korea's water is unsafe to drink like the waters in developing country. But then again, you are free to ask any questions... so I am not going to delve in this potentially controversial issue.


Where did I say anything about Korea chef? Someone seemed to have claimed that they got sick because of water they drank at a restaurant in Korea. I was merely suggesting that the temporal sickness was probably due to other confounding factors and cannot isolate water as the main source of the illness.

Obviously you have never been to Korea... and perhaps never to Japan or Asia. Please do some more reading and researching and post such questions.

waynelorentz

I'm sorry this topic bothers you so much. I was merely trying to clear up some conflicting information.

I'm sure you have great pride in your country, but that pride seems to be getting in the way of your judgement. My inquiry was not meant to offend you. There are many great cities and nations where it is not safe to drink the tap water. If yours is one of them, that's OK. There's no reason to be ashamed of it. My intention was not to hurt your pride.
It would be beyond absurd to boil tap water in the United States or Japan. I'm not sure what "good idea" you're talking about. You might filter the water if you don't like the aftertaste of the treatment in some cities, but to suggest it's a "good idea" is ludicrous.
All of the books were published from 2006-2008. And I trust what is written in a book more than what some random very defensive person says on the internet. Your level of hostility and defense makes you less credible.
I merely stated facts -- that I have several books which conflict with each other. How is that ignorant? I came here for advice and clarification. All you have given me is hostility and jingoism.
You suggested the problem wasn't the water at the restaurant mentioned above, so that leaves the food. Is there another factor I might be overlooking that you did not state?
You fail to elaborate on "confounding factors." What else is there at a restaurant besides food and drink? You insist the drink is not the problem, so it must be the food.
You are correct, I have not been to Korea. If I had I wouldn't have to ask these questions. But the 44 stamps in my passport attest to the fact that I have traveled all over Asia.
Posting the question IS part of my research. I'm researching wether the tap water is safe to drink. What did you think I was doing?

From Frommer's South Korea, published in 2008, page 27: "Tap water is not potable in South Korea, but all restaurants and even offices and banks offer free filtered or bottled water."

After seeing how irrationally offended you have become at this imagined sleight, I'll go with the book and be sure not to drink the water. And I'll be sure to make everyone I know aware that the water in South Korea is not safe to drink.

christep

I disagree. Water in different countries comes with different bacteria. If your body is used to them then no problem, but if it isn't then it can be a problem. Personally I trust in my immune system to deal with it, but to claim that the tap water in the US or Japan is somehow superior to other countries' tap water is ridiculous. Different yes, superior, no.

brahms77

okay, whatever.

Where in my post did I indicate that I am Korean and I have a sense of pride of Korea? It's your assumption. And if you were intent is to just clear up the some 'conflicting information' why do you go and waste your time in trying to argue with every single point I made in the previous post? Save your time for packing.

Confounding factors that I may list here could be 1) food (various types from raw sea food to cooked meat), 2) allergic reactions (including other medical condition one may carry), 3) psychological, 4) fatigue, etc.

Signing off from the thread.

manneca

I was in Seoul last summer and drank tap water and didn't get sick. YMMV.

A couple of guide books said not, but that seemed really strange to me.

There is an interesting scene in Slumdog Millionaire. One character (Jamal I think) is working in a restaurant. He picks up an empty plastic water bottle and fills it from the tap and recaps it and then runs a thin line of glue around the cap.