Maybe you’re moving to South Korea and you’re worried about continuing your birth control after you arrive. Maybe you already live in South Korea, but you’ve just decided to go on birth control after meeting your hot new Korean boyfriend. Or maybe you’re just interested in learning about contraception in South Korean. Whatever you reason for visiting this post, you’re in luck!

I’ve compiled useful information about birth control that I wish I had known before having to bumble through my first interaction with a Korean pharmacist. It’s actually crazy easy to get birth control in South Korea. The monthly contraceptive pill is available over-the-counter at pharmacies and has been since the 1970s. You don’t even need to go to a doctor for a prescription first. (Crazy, I know.) And the best part of all this, is that the price for a month’s supply is less than ₩10,000! That’s less than $9 per month!

A Note About Condoms

Condoms are available at most convenience stores (CU, FamilyMart, 7-11, Ministop, etc.), pharmacies, and chain stores (such as Emart or LotteMart). They usually only have Korean or (sometimes) Japanese brands available. Condoms are also inexpensive in Korea. If you’re looking for this kind of contraceptive, then it’s easy to obtain. And, since most convenient stores are 24/7, you’ll always have access.

Birth Control Basics

In Korean, birth control pills are called 피임약 (pronounced “pee-im yak”). “피임” stands for birth control, and “약” stands for medicine. The most popular brand in Korea at the moment is called Mercilon (머시론). It’s a monophasic oral contraceptive. There are also low-hormone options available if you prefer. However, I’ve tried one of the low-hormone options, 멜리안정 (pronounced “me-li-an-jeong”), and it messed with my sex drive. That’s a common complaint of the low-hormone options.

Before I came to Korea, I stocked up on my preferred brand. However, after six months I finally had to run out and search for a Korean one. I brought my U.S. brand with me to the pharmacy so that the pharmacist would be able to match the estrogen levels to my preferred pill. Often times when looking for a new birth control pill it’s a guessing game of “try this for a couple of months and we’ll see how you feel.” And if you’re not lucky enough to find something that works for you on the first or second try, it can become a really long and difficult process full of hormonal and physical side effects. For many, this is exactly why when we find a brand that works for us, we really want to stick with it.

At the Pharmacy

There are tons of pharmacies about in Korea, so if you’re ready to venture out and get your birth control, just go to the nearest one. Pharmacy in Korean is 약국 (pronounced “yak-guk”), and I usually just go to my neighborhood pharmacy, which happens to be a big chain pharmacy called, Onnuri Pharmacy (온누리약국).

Like I mentioned before, the first time I went to the pharmacy I brought my previous birth control with me. Initially, the pharmacist recommended that I try a low-dose pill called Meliane (멜리안정), but I didn’t like the way it reduced my sex drive. So I switched to Mercilon (머시론) after two months, and I’ve felt much better using it. When I ask the pharmacist for my birth control I usually say:

‘머시론‘ 이라는  피임약 주세요.’

(pronounced: ‘muh-shee-ron’     ee-rah-neun     pee-im yak     ju-se-yo)

You can replace ‘Mercilon’ (in italics) with the name of another brand of birth control you prefer. Translated, the above basically means “Please give me the birth control called ‘Mercilon.’

When I purchase my birth control, I often purchase three months worth at the same time. That way, I have a supply at home, and I don’t need to worry about running out. It’s another bonus that you can purchase more than one pack during one visit.

Here’s a picture of Mercilon.

About Mercilon

Mercilon comes in a 21-day pill pack and at the time that I’m writing this, one pack costs ₩7,800 (which is a little less than $7 USD). Even though I’ve been here awhile, it still astounds me how cheap birth control is in Korea.

On the back of the pill pack, you’ll find writing on the foil for each of the days. This is just a recommendation for which day to take the pills. However, since Mercilon is monophasic, it delivers the same amount of hormones every day, and you don’t need to worry about taking the pills in a certain order.  For me, this is definitely an advantage for monophasic birth control, and when the hormone levels are the same every day, it means you can skip periods by just continuing with your next pack. If you’d like more information about Mercilon, you can find it here.

In conclusion

Overall, birth control is easily accessible and crazy cheap in Korea, which is pretty much the opposite of the U.S. You’ll probably be a little nervous the first time you go to the pharmacy for birth control, but it’s definitely not something to stress about. And whether you want birth control as a form of contraception, or to regulate your menstrual cycle, or to clear acne (maybe even for all three!), I hope this information has helped to ease any concerns you might have.

Important note

I do want to write a short side-note. For those of you who are looking to obtain emergency contraception (i.e. the morning after pill), you will need a prescription from a doctor. It’s not available over-the-counter. In Korean, the morning after pill is called 사후피임약 (pronounced “sa-hu pee-im yak”). It’s easiest to go to a women’s clinic for the prescription. Once you have the prescription, you can then go to a pharmacy and have it filled. Overall, the visit to the doctor shouldn’t cost you more than ₩10,000 depending on your insurance and the pill should only cost between ₩10,000 – ₩20,000. It’s not overly difficult or expensive.