I can't read Korean well and I'm struggling to understand food labels at the grocery store?

Reading Korean food labels gets easier with a few key terms and apps. The most important things to identify: ingredients (원재료명), expiry date (유통기한 or 소비기한), allergens (알레르기 정보), nutrition facts (영양정보), country of origin (원산지), and net weight (내용량).

Date notations: Korean food packages use both 유통기한 (sell-by, traditional) and 소비기한 (consume-by, newer system). Format is typically 2026.05.07 or 26.05.07 (year.month.day). For freshness, milk and dairy use 유통기한 strictly. Eggs are stamped with the laying date (산란일자) plus expiry. Fresh meat uses 도축일자 (slaughter date). 'Manufacture' date is 제조일자.

Key allergens are clearly highlighted in bold or boxed text under 알레르기 유발물질 함유. The 18 mandatory disclosed allergens include 우유 (milk), 계란 (eggs), 밀 (wheat), 메밀 (buckwheat), 땅콩 (peanuts), 호두 (walnuts), 잣 (pine nuts), 새우 (shrimp), 게 (crab), 오징어 (squid), 조개류 (shellfish), 고등어 (mackerel), 토마토, 복숭아 (peach), 닭고기 (chicken), 돼지고기 (pork), 쇠고기 (beef), and 대두 (soy).

Nutrition labels use 1회 제공량 (per serving) and 총 X회 (total servings), then list 열량/칼로리 (calories), 탄수화물 (carbs), 단백질 (protein), 지방 (fat), 포화지방 (saturated fat), 트랜스지방 (trans fat), 콜레스테롤 (cholesterol), 나트륨 (sodium), and 당류 (sugars). Daily value percentages on the right.

Apps that translate Korean food labels: Papago (Naver's translator) has a camera mode that translates Korean text in real time, perfect for grocery aisles. Google Translate with Korean offline pack (download once for offline use) works similarly. Yuka Korea evaluates packaged foods for additives and health scoring. The Korea FDA app (식품안전나라) has a barcode scanner showing ingredient details and recall alerts in basic English.

Key ingredient terms to know: 천연 (natural), 유기농 (organic), 무첨가 (additive-free), 글루텐프리 (gluten-free), 비건 (vegan), 100% (100 percent), 무가당 (no added sugar), 저염 (low sodium), 무알콜 (non-alcoholic), GMO-free is GMO프리. Korean meat carries a number for traceability (이력번호). For halal food, look for HMC Korea or specific halal certification symbols (most Korean food is not halal).

Most packages have multiple language inserts now since 2018 export regulations expanded. Imported foods sold in Korea must include Korean labels, but English info often appears underneath. Coupang and SSG.com have English search filters and ingredient lists in product descriptions. iHerb Korea, Wholefoods at Costco, and HACCP-certified items at Hyundai Department Store basement food courts cater to foreign dietary needs with multilingual signage. Take photos of ingredient lists when uncertain and translate them at home.