What is the drinking age in South Korea?

18–20

Minimum age to buy alcohol: 19.

South Korea is one of 135 countries classified “18–20” for the drinking age — 70% of the 192 with data.

Source

Taken from: Wikipedia: Legal drinking age
Last checked: 15 September 2026
How it was classified: Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.

Nearby countries

North Korea: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Japan: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 20.
Taiwan: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
China: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Hong Kong: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
Macau: 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.

Other laws in South Korea

Cannabis: Legal (Medical)
Smoking Age: 19+
Salvia Divinorum: Illegal
E-Cigarettes: Legal / lightly regulated

Every law in South Korea → · What is the drinking age around the world? →

A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.