Medical Service
Qualified
doctors are on duty at specified hours, and on call
24-hours-a-day for emergency treatment. There are
also many government and private hospitals with
24-hour emergency and out-patient departments. English
is generally spoken in most large hospitals. Some
of the bigger ones such as Severance
Hospital and Asan Medical Center have an
International Clinic with English-speaking staff.
Korea's medical facilities
are good, and many of the territory's registered
doctors and dentists were trained or have undergone
postgraduate training overseas. Pharmacists, too,
are registered; their dispensing hours are usually
9am to 8pm.
Water
The government-run water
supply more than satisfies United Nations World
Health Organization standards. However, Freshwater
lakes and streams and water at ocean beaches pose
health risks due to pollution in some areas, so
avoid them unless you know they are safe. Bottled
water is widely available in hotels, restaurants
and convenience stores.
Safety and Security
Korea is generally considered
a very safe country both at night and during
the day. As everywhere, however, protect yourself
from pickpockets and carry as little cash
and as few valuables as possible. Women should
exercise caution when traveling alone in taxis,
especially at night, as there have been incidents
reported involving unwanted attention by taxi
drivers towards unaccompanied female passengers.
The Korean National Police (KNP) operate a
Central Interpretation Center (CIC) where
foreigners can report incidents of crime.
The CIC is available on a twenty-four hour,
seven-day-a-week basis.
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Health & Safety