Vegan South Korea: Plant-Based Food Guide

Korean cuisine has a strong monastic cooking tradition, which means naturally vegan dishes like kongbap (mixed grain rice), doenjang-jjigae made without anchovy stock, and stir-fried japchae are easy to find alongside the meat-heavy mainstream. Seoul's Itaewon neighbourhood (particularly the Gyeongnidan-gil strip) is where dedicated vegan restaurants are most concentrated, from fully plant-based Korean to international options catering to long-stay expats. Plant-based dining has expanded rapidly across the country since 2020, and travellers will now find vegan-labelled menus in Busan, Jeonju, and most major tourist areas, not just the capital.