Vaccinations for Seoul/SK?

The main thing people overlook is tetanus. You're going to be walking everywhere in Seoul and the sidewalks are uneven as hell. I stepped on a rusty nail in Hongdae my first week and had to get a shot at a clinic anyway. Just check your last booster date.

If you're coming in summer or fall, Japanese encephalitis is worth thinking about if you'll be near any parks near the Han river. Mosquitoes there carry it and while it's rare, the vaccine is one shot and lasts years. The SNUH international clinic in Jongno does it for about 60,000 won.

You can ignore typhoid unless you're going to be in the countryside buying street eggs from random ajummas. Seoul tap water is fine once boiled and the street food turnover is so high you won't get sick.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

i'd add that hep a is actually worth getting if you're planning to eat at pojangmacha stalls or gwangjang market type spots. those are amazing but the sanitation can be hit or miss and it's a 2 shot vaccine so start now if u want it before your trip

flu shot too since korean winters are brutal indoors with everyone in close quarters. you can get one at any pharmacy for like 15 bucks without an appointment

also just check if you had mmr as a kid. there was a measles outbreak in seoul a couple years back and some schools asked for proof

arrow_drop_up 1 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly unless you're planning on hiking in the countryside or spending time around stray animals you're prob fine without anything special. i've lived here 3 years and never got any extra shots beyond what i already had

if you're really worried, the most common rec is hep A and typhoid since street food and tap water are a thing here, but most people don't bother. there's a big international clinic near gangnam station called the seoul international medical center that can do walk-in consultations if you want peace of mind

one thing nobody mentions is that korean pharmacies are everywhere and super cheap for basic stuff like antihistamines or painkillers, so you don't need to bring a whole pharmacy with you. just make sure your routine vaccines are up to date and you'll be fine

arrow_drop_up 1 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

the whispering thing is real but its not about the sauce lol. that guy runs a 2am handoff with the chicken supplier, they drop off fresh birds from a farm near Chuncheon three times a week instead of using the frozen stuff most hongdae spots rely on. thats why the texture hits different, not the sauce itself. if u go back ask for the neck & wing combo off menu, its cheaper & honestly the best cut they do

arrow_drop_up 24 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

the thing nobody mentions is that Dogdogdog's sauce gets its body from cheong, the Korean rice syrup, not sugar. thats why it coats the wing so thick and stays glossy instead of going sticky. i asked a guy who worked there and he said they also add a splash of maesil (plum) extract at the end off the heat. that fruity tang under the garlic is what you're tasting. go on a weekday before 6, weekends the wait hits 40 min easy.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly the "secret sauce" thing is prob just marketing. every fried chicken place in Seoul has a version of that story. the real difference at Dogdogdog is they double fry in rice bran oil and toss the wings in the sauce twice, once right out of the fryer and again after a 30 sec rest. thats where the crunch comes from, not some mystery ingredient. if u wanna taste the actual base, order the banban half plain half spicy and dip the plain one in the spicy sauce yourself.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply