Is South Korea Safe for Solo Female Travelers?
Safety rating
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How safe is South Korea?
Safety at night:Safe
Public transportation:Very safe
Street harassment:Low
Petty crimes:Low
Is South Korea worth visiting?
Overall rating
based on 52 experiences from female travelers
Things to do
Safety
Food
Budget-friendly
Seoul, Solo travel
Korea for traveling is a beautiful country but as someone who’ve been living here for 4years I recommend to be careful when girl goes out in famous areas like hongdae and itaewon . A lot of Korean goes there to have fun with foreigners. So please I hope people stop romanticized Koreans . They are not the same as the ones you see in kdrama
Posted: April 21, 2025
celine
Germany
Seoul, Solo travel
It was my first big solo trip ever. I would describe myself as a very cautious person, but i felt safe walking around at all times. I got out of my comfort zone a lot, in a good way. The food was so good and affordable, there were so many things to see. Definitely recommend.
Posted: April 20, 2025Experienced: August, 2024Korea, Solo travel
A very safe country for women! A lot of young girls wonder drunk around hongdae or iteawon at night and on the streets ur safe. However it is always important to be careful! Personally I’ve been grabbed and pulled into places, they hope that you’re too drunk to notice or do anything so be a bit sober when alone other than that it’s very very comfortable as a woman. Ofcourse there are dark alleys, aggressive people all around the world remember! Be ware of men trying to date foreigners only to sleep with them they do that a lot. Check for cameras, be prepared and have fun!!!
Posted: April 11, 2025
Alexia
France
Seoul, Couple travel
I was a year abroad for my student exchange at Seoul and I can really tell the safety is at 100%. Never you will be robbed or anything in Korea, and most people are really respectuous and welcoming. My boyfriend went for some months here and we did a lot of activities like going to pretty and aesthetic cafe, hiking, seeing the beautiful palaces, wearing hanbok, taking pictures, going to bars and such!
Posted: April 11, 2025Experienced: March, 2025Daegu, Family travel
I felt safe in this small town in South Korea , people are respective and usually unbothered about non-koreans around them.Everywhere is regulated with cctvs, which makes you feel more confident and safer. (I'm an introvert, I can't handle stares, but there I felt at ease!) Mountains and Beaches were amazing, and the food was nice. If you can't handle spicy food, you can always have an option of fast food you're familiar with.
Posted: March 18, 2025Experienced: June, 2024
Marketa
Germany
South Korea, Solo travel
It was my first solo trip out of Europe. I was a little nervous. I prepped well but did not over done it. - I have been first few days in Seoul, flew to Jeju Island and after coming back to Seoul took a bullet train to Busan. - before the trip I have only booked the Hotel for the first days in Seoul and the flight to jeju and back but apart of that I did the rest of bookings in Korea. - The costs in general are similar to Germany. - recommend following apps: agoda, narver maps, klook, - buy a moneycard on the airport (convenience store) for bus, trains and other stores. - I never felt more secure on my trip like in Korea. I even saw plp in the restaurant leaving their bags at the table and going to restroom or leaving the bags on the park‘s benches.
Posted: February 15, 2025
Marta
Poland
Seoul, Solo travel
Overall i felt safe. I wasnt harrased and noone was asking me weird questions. I wore fake engagement ring like during my other solo trips. I Walked alone in lat evening (around 11pm) and it was safe. I dont know how it is at night. I spent around 15-20 euro per day for food. I used visit seoul card and I can reccomend it only if you plan your trip right and use it a lot.
Posted: January 22, 2025Experienced: September, 2023Seoul, Solo travel
I felt very safe. I stayed in a hostel in a shared room. I loved the parks and generally walking around the old buildings. The street food was amazing. I would recommend not eating in restaurants and instead eating in the food stalls you can find everywhere. I got a korean prepaid card for public transportation and using it was so easy. You had to scan it when entering or exiting a bus and subways and they always showed your balance. So you always knew when to top up
Posted: January 22, 2025Experienced: September, 2024
Marie
Denmark
Jeju Island, Solo travel
My first stop when arriving in South Korea was Jeju island. It's a great place to start or finish your trip to South Korea. It's an easygoing island, and you can easily get around with public transportation. I felt safe anywhere I went, and it's such a nice feeling not having to worry about pickpocketing. Any hike I tried to do was not really a hike cause everything was boarded and so easy to walk, even when it was a step hill. I highly recommend Seogwipo since it's even calmer than Jeju city. The traditional market there was really good compared to the one in Jeju city. Wonang waterfalls were so worth it, don't forget a bathing suit and don't be afraid to jump on the rocks. Jeolum Natural Recreation Forest was super nice, and the footbath was heavenly.
Posted: October 4, 2024Experienced: August, 2024
Emy
Germany
Seoul, Solo travel
Seoul was fascinating in a way that I haven’t experienced before. Because it is a capital, you just realize after a while that it’s impossible to see all the places and find all the communities there. I stayed for 10 months and had the best time of my life! It felt much safer than Europe, but of course, no place (that I know of) qualifies as 100% safe. I lived in itaewon, a place with lots of tourists and night clubs, but going out at night was fun and if one place didn’t have the right energy, I could just move on to the next. My friend visited me while I lived there and she liked it as well :)
Posted: September 21, 2024Is South Korea safe for women?
Safety index
Based on 29 local experiences
Crime index
Based on 29 local experiences
Seoul
In general Seoul is safer than Europe countries but I would recommend to be careful specially if girls goes out at night in famous area like hongdae and itaewon . Korean guys usually goes to these areas to have fun with foreign girl. I’ve been living in Korea for 4 years and unfortunately I did have bad experiences . The white horse is still something happening these days . Even if in general Korea is safe , still need to be vigilant at night
Posted: April 21, 2025Seoul
Amazing city, yes, but crime towards women(misogyny) and racism(to non-white people) needs to be noticed. People might seem cold, but they're just tired about their life. Don't sway around hot places(Hongdae, Sungsoo, etc.) alone at night. Police number in Korea is 112.
Posted: April 19, 2025Meet locals in South Korea
Francesca
About Me
I'm an italian exchange student and currently studying korean in Daegu! In June i should stay in Seoul for about a week, i am open to any intercultural exchange and to create beautiful memories together~
Speaking
Ruth
About Me
Hiii girlyyy, my name is Ruth, I'm 21 and I'm a full time student at Queen Mary University! I'm a film major and I love to watch all types of movies. (I'm not very picky...) I'm currently studying abroad in South Korea but if there's anything you'd like to know about travelling around London or the UK in general, hit me with a text! Or just to chat <3.
Speaking
Upcoming visitors to South Korea
Catherine
About Me
Hi there! I’m from Montreal, Canada and French is my first language. This May, I’m heading out on my very first solo adventure—3 months of exploring, wandering, and soaking it all in. I’m super excited and would love to connect with other solo female travelers—whether it’s grabbing a coffee, discovering a cool hidden spot in a city, or just chatting about travel and life!
Speaking
Ali
About Me
Hi, I'm Ali and I'm interested in culture, dancing, animals, events & social, fashion, food & cuisine, history, live music, photography, solo travel and shopping
Speaking
Safety in South Korea
