Pork turns up in Korean soups, sauces and stocks. The seafood dishes, bibimbap orders and convenience-store picks that work for Muslim and vegetarian skiers.
"Is there pork in this?" In Korea the honest answer is often yes. Pork shows up in stews, dumplings, sauces and sometimes in the stock of dishes that look vegetarian.
For Muslim travelers, vegetarians and anyone avoiding pork, a resort cafeteria can feel like guesswork. You won't have to live on bread, though. These are the options you can find at most resorts, and how to order them.
Korea is a peninsula, and seafood is everywhere.
Eomuk-tang (fish cake soup) is fish paste on skewers in a broth usually made from anchovy and radish. It is sold at almost every snack stall. Ask about the broth anyway, because recipes vary.
Godeungeo-gui (grilled mackerel) is simply salted fish, grilled, served with rice and side dishes. It is one of the safest set meals in a Korean food court.
Ojingeo-deopbap (spicy squid over rice) is common too, but some kitchens add pork, so check before you order.
Bibimbap is rice topped with seasoned vegetables and a spoon of gochujang, the red pepper paste. Many versions add ground beef or a fried egg. To leave the meat off, say "gogi bbaego juseyo" (고기 빼고 주세요, "without meat, please").
Gochujang itself is made from chili powder, fermented soybeans and rice, so it is usually plant-based, but some sauces in restaurants are mixed with beef stock or extract. Strict vegetarians should ask.
Some resort bases have fast-food counters such as Lotteria. Lotteria's shrimp burger is a long-running favorite in Korea and a common pick for people avoiding pork, though it isn't halal-certified, and fryers and sauces are shared. Check the allergen and ingredient board at the counter.
Halal-certified restaurants are rare inside Korean ski resorts. If you follow pork-free rather than strictly halal rules, look for seafood and vegetable dishes and ask about stock. If you need certified halal meat, plan your meals around the places that have it. Seoul's Itaewon, around the Seoul Central Mosque, has halal butchers and grocers where you can stock up before heading to the mountains, and our halal food guide for Vivaldi Park and Nami Island covers options closer to the slopes.
When in doubt, the convenience store is your friend. Boiled eggs, plain rice balls with tuna, bananas, yogurt and cup noodles labeled with their ingredients are easy to check with a translation app. Our dietary restrictions guide has the phrases to show staff, and you won't go hungry if you stick to seafood soups, meat-free bibimbap and the convenience store.