Let’s be honest: Korea is one of the trickier countries to travel vegan. Broth hides in dishes that look meat-free, fish sauce and tiny dried anchovies find their way into “vegetable” side dishes, and fermented shrimp or fish (jeotgal) seasons a lot of the classics. The good news is that Seoul has changed fast — there are now more fully vegan restaurants in Seoul than ever, alongside a centuries-old temple-food tradition that’s naturally plant-based. This is a local’s guide to eating vegan here: what to watch for, the phrases that help, and the places I’ve actually eaten at.
Why eating vegan in Korea takes a little strategy
The hardest part isn’t finding vegetables — it’s the hidden animal ingredients. A few of the usual culprits:
- Broth (육수): many soups, stews and even plain-looking noodle dishes start with an anchovy or beef stock. “Vegetable” kimchi often contains fermented fish.
- Fish sauce and jeotgal (젓갈): salted, fermented seafood used as seasoning — common in kimchi, stews and banchan.
- Egg and dairy: less hidden, but worth checking in breads, sauces and banchan.
- Anchovies and dried shrimp: used as a base flavor even when nothing fishy is visible.
So the move is to lean on places that are explicitly vegan (or clearly label vegan items), and to carry a few Korean phrases for everywhere else.
Korean phrases that help
You don’t need fluent Korean — a few lines cover most situations. Show them on your phone if pronunciation feels tricky:
- 저는 비건이에요. (jeoneun bigeon-ieyo) — “I’m vegan.”
- 고기, 생선, 계란, 우유 다 안 먹어요. (gogi, saengseon, gyeran, uyu da an meogeoyo) — “I don’t eat meat, fish, egg or dairy.”
- 이거 고기 육수 들어가요? (igeo gogi yuksu deureoga-yo?) — “Does this have meat/fish broth?”
- 멸치나 젓갈 들어가요? (myeolchina jeotgal deureoga-yo?) — “Does it contain anchovy or fermented fish?”
Even at non-vegan restaurants, asking these gets you a lot further than you’d expect.
Temple food: naturally vegan, and worth seeking out
Korea’s oldest plant-based tradition is temple food (사찰음식) — Buddhist cuisine that uses no meat, fish or the five pungent vegetables (garlic, onion, and their relatives). It’s built around seasonal vegetables, mushrooms, tofu and fermented ingredients, and it’s some of the most refined vegan eating anywhere. If you want one “only in Korea” plant-based experience, a temple-food meal is it. Look for dedicated temple-food restaurants, several of which sit around Insadong and central Seoul.
Where to look: vegan-friendly neighborhoods
Some areas are simply easier than others. Itaewon has long been the most international, with the widest spread of vegan and vegetarian kitchens. Yeonnam and Hongdae skew young and trend-driven, so plant-based cafes and bakeries turn up often. Insadong and the old center are your best bet for temple food. And Seongsu, the city’s design-and-cafe district, is full of bakeries and cafes where vegan options increasingly show up — I’ve listed more to do there in our Seongsu guide. A translation app plus the HappyCow listing app will cover you in any of them.
Fully vegan restaurants
When you want a meal with zero guesswork, a 100% vegan kitchen is the easiest win. My go-to is Plantude, an all-vegan Korean restaurant in COEX — everything on the menu is plant-based, so you can order the crumbled-tofu bibimbap or the soup curry without a single ingredient question. It’s inside Starfield COEX Mall, which also makes it an easy stop between sightseeing.
Dishes like the assorted mushroom and tofu gangjeong show how far plant-based Korean cooking has come — familiar textures and flavors, no animal products at all. For a full walkthrough of what to order, see the guide.
Vegan bakeries and cafes
Bread is a quiet minefield — butter, eggs and milk are everywhere — so bakeries that label their vegan bakes are worth knowing. Perment near Seoul Forest keeps a small vegan section where each loaf is hand-labeled “no sugar, no butter,” so you’re not guessing at the counter. It’s not a vegan-only bakery, but the labeling makes it genuinely usable — and it’s a lovely stop after a walk in the park.
Local tips for eating vegan in Seoul
- Salad chains are a reliable fallback. Chains like Salady, Slow Cali and Poke All Day have branches in most busy districts, and you can build a plant-based bowl by choosing vegetable bases and skipping cheese, egg and meat. One thing to check: dressings often contain dairy, egg, honey or anchovy, so ask for an oil-based or clearly plant-based one.
- Use HappyCow. It’s the most reliable app for finding vegan and vegan-friendly spots near you, with recent reviews.
- Convenience stores help in a pinch. Plain rice triangles (check the filling), fruit, nuts and soy milk are easy vegan grabs between meals.
- “Vegetarian” doesn’t always mean vegan. Confirm egg and dairy separately, and ask about broth even for veggie dishes.
- Cards work almost everywhere, so you don’t need cash to eat well.
Verdict
Eating vegan in Seoul takes a little planning, but it’s far easier than it used to be — and honestly rewarding once you know where to look. Learn a couple of phrases for the broth question, seek out a temple-food meal for something unforgettable, and lean on fully vegan spots when you want a meal off. Once you know where to look, plant-based Korean food turns out to be one of the best parts of the trip.
