Is South Korea safe for solo female travelers?

South Korea is remarkably safe for solo female travelers. With low crime rates and a society that is generally respectful, most women feel comfortable when navigating through both urban and rural areas. However, like in any foreign country, it's important to take precautions such as keeping personal belongings close and avoid dark alleys at night. Be respectful of cultural customs and the South Koreans will surely mirror that respect back. In case of emergencies, the locals and police service can be very helpful.

Safety rating

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How safe is South Korea for solo female travelers?

Travel safety index

4.7 /5

based on 65 experiences from female travelers

Seoul, Solo travel

I had a weekend trip to Seoul, it's great in general. Download KakaoMap, it's amazing for navigating. Buy T-Money Card, it can also be found at the airport, for the public transport. You can prepare a little bit of cash, but many places I visited only accept cards so I think too much cash are not needed.

Posted: October 17, 2025
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Swann

Swann

France

South Korea, Group travel

I stayed in Korea for a 6 weeks research program in a korean university in Pohang (POSTECH). I had a lot of free time to discover the country and I participated to différent cultural activities offered by the program. I found Korea super safe, even alone at night ! I can recommand you to try a templestay in a bouddhist temple (I did it at Golgulsa temple for two days), it is a really immersive experience. There are also a lot of good hikes in the country, especially in Seoraksan national Park (I recommand you the Ulsanbawi rocks hike, which is really hard because there are also lot of stairs but I swear it is totally worth it !)

Posted: August 17, 2025
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Seoul, Family travel

I felt safe in Seoul, food was delicious and getting around the city with metro was really easy. Prices were moderate. It was a great experience, we did basic sightseeing with palaces and popular areas like Gangnam.

Posted: August 5, 2025
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How safe is South Korea for women?

Local safety index

4.4 /5

Based on 52 local experiences

Local crime index

1.7 /5

Based on 52 local experiences

Busan

Very safe. Occasionally, you might run into drunk people in Seomyeon during late hours, but that's pretty much it. I get around fine at 2 a.m., but I stick to brightly lit, busy streets just to be careful.

Posted: November 23, 2025
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Sara

Sara

Wonju

I can walk around freely at night even in dark alleys. In my experience people keep to themselves and are friendly. I had one poor experience in the 8 months I lived here with a drunk man in public in the daytime. I walked away and was left alone.

Posted: November 9, 2025
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Seoul

Seoul is super safe and easy to explore solo! The city’s clean, and people are gernerally nice to foreigners. And public transport’s great too. But just stay aware in nightlife spots or late at night like anywhere else.

Posted: October 8, 2025
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Safety in South Korea

Hospitality Exchange in South Korea

Hyeyeong

Hyeyeong

Seoul

Can host for:

3 days

About me

Hi! I’m Ellie or Hyeyeong Kim. I live Seoul but grew up in Daegu. Love to enjoy great films, music, or anything cool. That’s why I traveled 🇩🇪🇺🇸🇲🇽🇪🇸🇵🇹🇦🇹🇭🇺🇨🇿🇹🇭🇯🇵🇭🇰🇵🇭🇵🇱🇻🇳🇮🇹

Speaking

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sarah

sarah

Seoul

Can host for:

5 days

About me

Hi ladies! 👋 I’m offering a comfy mattress in my one-room studio in Sillim, just a short walk from Guro Digital Complex Station 🚇. It’s a simple and cozy place perfect if you need a safe and quiet spot to rest for few nights while exploring Seoul.

Speaking

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Expats in South Korea

JY

JY

Seoul

About me

I'm a new solo traveler, really excited to go to Japan and travel overseas alone for the first time! I lived abroad of Korea over a decade while moving around countries, so I love meeting new people! I worked in the education field here in Korea but I'm kinda burnt out, maybe I want to find a new way of living? Not sure with my life but solo traveling is going to be one new path for me!

Speaking

Aligermaa

Aligermaa

Seoul

About me

Hi everyone!! I am an exchange student in Geneva, trynna explore Europe as best as i can before returning back to the other side of the world-> Seoul,Korea. I like meeting people and learning about different cultures,it is always so amazing! I am from Mongolia, but I live in korea, sooo when i go back to korea i can definitely show you around seoul etc! 😗

Speaking