Tap Water Safety, Water Purifiers & Drinking Etiquette in Korea

South Korea’s municipal tap water—exemplified by Seoul’s Arisu—meets and exceeds WHO safety standards across 171 rigorous testing metrics. It is completely safe for brushing teeth, showering, cooking, and boiling. However, due to aging pipes in some older residential buildings, most locals and hotels utilize filtration systems or bottled water for direct cold drinking.

• In virtually all Korean restaurants, cold filtered water is 100% complimentary.
• Water is either brought to your table in a chilled stainless steel flask with metal cups or available as self-service (*"Mul-eun Self imnida"*) from multi-stage reverse-osmosis purifiers with push-levers (Blue for cold, Red for boiling water).

Bottled mineral water is ultra-affordable (around 900 - 1,500 KRW for 500ml). Common reputable volcanic bedrock brands: Jeju Samdasoo (volcanic bedrock water from Hallasan), Baeksansoo (from Mount Baekdu), and Icis.