Travelling to Korea Alone

A good number of the people who come to Korea for a procedure come by themselves.

It’s easier to arrange the dates, there’s nobody to explain yourself to, and above all this was a decision you made on your own. Getting from Incheon Airport to the clinic is no trouble at all. The consultation goes fine, the procedure goes fine. It’s the days after that get complicated.

Things change the moment you leave the clinic

The thing that catches people out most often is transport. If your procedure or examination involved sedation, you can’t drive that day, and public transport isn’t advised either. Clinics often tell you to come with a guardian, which for someone travelling alone is simply not possible.

There are ways around it. Most clinics that receive international patients either run a pickup service or can arrange a partner car. But asking on the day is too late, so raise it when you book. Say “I’m here on my own — how should I get back after the procedure?” and a solution usually appears.

It’s worth checking a few things about your accommodation too. Whether reception is staffed 24 hours, whether check-in is flexible, whether room service or delivery is available nearby. During recovery these matter far more than the breakfast menu. If you arrive on the afternoon of your procedure wanting only to lie down and check-in doesn’t open until three, you’ll be sitting in the lobby for two hours.

If you can, spend the first night or two near the clinic and move on afterwards. Day one is when unexpected things are most likely to happen, and having the clinic nearby that day is more reassuring than it sounds.

Working out the language gaps in advance

Interpretation is usually arranged for the day of the procedure. The problem comes later.

At three in the morning when the swelling has got worse, or when the prescription has run out, there’s a moment where you don’t know who to call. What you need then isn’t an interpreting service but one person you can reach.

Get the name and direct number of your contact at the clinic. Many will give you a messenger account as well. KakaoTalk, LINE, WeChat — a message clears the language barrier more easily than a phone call, and being able to send a photograph matters. One picture does the work of an explanation you couldn’t have managed in words.

Pharmacies are worth locating in advance. Korean pharmacies generally close early in the evening, but every area has late-night or 24-hour pharmacies. Check which ones are near your accommodation a day or two ahead. For common medicines like painkillers or anti-inflammatories, the English generic name will usually get you there.

In an emergency, call 119. Interpretation can be connected and they’ll direct you to an emergency department. For tourism enquiries or general interpretation, 1330 operates 24 hours in several languages. Saving just these two numbers makes the whole thing feel lighter.

And one more thing. Somebody should know which hotel you’re in and for how many nights. Family, a friend — agree to exchange one message a day. Korea is a safe country and nothing will happen. It’s still better to have it arranged.

Eating alone with a swollen face

This is the part that actually wears people down. When the treated area is swollen or bruised, you become conscious of being looked at. A mask helps, but in a restaurant you have to take it off eventually.

So a lot of people don’t leave the room. They get through several days on delivery, and around day four the mood drops considerably. The body is recovering and the mind can’t keep pace. It’s bright outside, dark in the room, and if there’s jet lag on top you nap through the afternoon and wake at night.

This isn’t a question of willpower. A seat where being alone isn’t conspicuous, a quiet time of day, a layout that doesn’t put you face to face with anyone — in places that meet those conditions the same days pass entirely differently. Cafés with single seats along the window, a restaurant at three in the afternoon, a deck where everyone sits looking at the sea.

Korea is a country where plenty of people eat alone. Restaurants with single seats as standard are common, and heating something up at a convenience store raises no eyebrows. Outside the cities there are simply fewer people, so nobody notices whether your mask is on or off. Being alone and being isolated are different things. The first helps recovery and the second doesn’t, and the difference mostly comes down to where you are.

There are things that are easier on your own

Something worth saying. Coming alone isn’t a bad thing. During recovery, being on your own is often easier.

You don’t have to apologise when you’re not up to it, and cancelling a whole day requires no explanation. You can go a full day without speaking. With a companion you end up looking after their trip as well, which during recovery is a real burden — if they’re considerate you feel guilty, and if they aren’t you feel let down. Both are exhausting. Alone, you only have to read your own body. Go out if you want to, don’t if you don’t. Not owing anyone an explanation for that turns out to be a considerable freedom while you’re recovering.

Settle the things that need settling. The pickup, your contact’s number, where the pharmacy is, one message a day. After that you go entirely at your own pace — which is why you came alone in the first place.

Recovery Route thinks constantly about what proper rest requires. We look for the calmest places we can find, and we note the walking distances, the shade, and where you can sit down.