If you're vegan and grocery shopping in Korea, the hardest part often isn't finding food. It's figuring out what is actually in it.
A package may look completely plant-based, yet the ingredient list can contain anchovy broth, shrimp, fish sauce, or another seafood ingredient hidden in unfamiliar Hangul. Restaurant menus can be difficult enough, but packaged foods require a different skill: being able to scan a Korean ingredient label and recognize the few characters that signal an animal-derived ingredient.
The good news is that you do not need to learn Korean fluently to get much better at reading food labels.
For vegan grocery shopping, a small set of Korean characters and ingredient terms does a surprising amount of work. If you memorize or save a photo of words such as 멸치 (anchovy), 새우 (shrimp), and 어패류 (fish and shellfish), you can quickly identify many of the highest-risk ingredients.
This guide focuses on practical vegan food label Korean characters: the Hangul terms worth recognizing before you shop, what they mean, where they tend to appear, and which less-obvious ingredients deserve a second look.
The Most Important Korean Food Label Words for Vegans
If you only have time to memorize a handful of Korean ingredient terms, start here:
| Korean | Meaning | Why vegans should notice it |
|---|---|---|
| 멸치 | Anchovy | Common in broths, soups, noodles, sauces, and snacks |
| 새우 | Shrimp | Appears in seasonings, snacks, dumplings, sauces, and seafood-based products |
| 어패류 | Fish and shellfish | Broad seafood-related term worth recognizing |
| 생선 | Fish | General term that can appear in ingredient descriptions |
| 어류 | Fish | Formal/category term for fish |
| 조개류 | Shellfish | Indicates shellfish ingredients |
| 액젓 | Fish sauce | Frequently used as a seasoning |
| 멸치액젓 | Anchovy fish sauce | A particularly important fish sauce term |
| 새우젓 | Salted fermented shrimp | Common in Korean cuisine |
| 젓갈 | Salted/fermented seafood | A major hidden seafood risk |
| 동물성 | Animal-derived | Important warning term when checking ingredients |
| 동물성 원료 | Animal-derived ingredients | Strong reason to inspect the label further |
The three terms to prioritize are 멸치, 새우, and 어패류.
If you're traveling in Korea or beginning to read Korean labels, take a screenshot of this table. Having it available while grocery shopping is often more useful than trying to translate an entire package word by word.
1. 멸치 = Anchovy
멸치 is one of the most important pieces of Hangul for vegans to recognize.
It means anchovy, a small fish that is widely used in Korean cooking. The problem is that anchovy is not always the main ingredient of a product. It may be used to make a broth, seasoning, stock, or flavor base.
That means a product can look like a vegetable dish while still containing fish.
Where you might see 멸치
Look for 멸치 in:
- Soup bases
- Noodle soup products
- Instant noodles
- Broth packets
- Seasoning powders
- Sauces
- Dumplings
- Ready-made Korean soups
- Side dishes
- Convenience foods
- Snack seasonings
A particularly important phrase is 멸치육수.
육수 means broth or stock, so 멸치육수 means anchovy broth.
If you see 멸치 or 멸치육수 on a packaged food, it is not vegan.
You may also encounter 멸치액젓, which means anchovy fish sauce. That is another clear animal-derived ingredient.
Why anchovy is such a big issue
Anchovy broth is deeply integrated into Korean cooking. It may be used in foods that a vegan shopper would otherwise assume are vegetable-based.
For example, a noodle package might prominently show vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, or spicy sauce. The ingredient list can still contain anchovy extract or anchovy broth.
This is why learning the Hangul for anchovy is more useful than relying on food photography or words such as "vegetable" on the front of a package.
Memorize this:
멸치 = anchovy = not vegan
2. 새우 = Shrimp
The next term worth memorizing is 새우, meaning shrimp.
Shrimp appears in more Korean foods than many first-time visitors expect. It can be used as a visible ingredient, a seasoning, a fermented ingredient, or part of a processed food.
For vegan label reading, 새우 should immediately trigger a closer inspection.
Where you might see 새우
Watch for 새우 in:
- Instant noodles
- Crackers and chips
- Dumplings
- Fried foods
- Seasoning mixes
- Kimchi
- Sauces
- Seafood-flavored snacks
- Frozen foods
- Processed foods
The word may be combined with other characters, so don't assume it has to appear by itself.
For example:
새우젓 = salted fermented shrimp
새우액 = shrimp extract or shrimp-derived liquid ingredient, depending on the product
The exact wording can vary, but recognizing the first two characters, 새우, gives you an immediate warning.
A common vegan label trap
Korean food labels can contain ingredients that are used in very small quantities. That doesn't make them vegan.
A shrimp-based seasoning might be only a minor component of a product, but if you're following a vegan diet, the amount doesn't change the ingredient's origin.
So when you're scanning an unfamiliar package, train your eyes to notice 새우 even when it appears buried among many other ingredients.
Memorize this:
새우 = shrimp = not vegan
3. 어패류 = Fish and Shellfish
어패류 is one of the most useful broader terms for vegan label literacy in Korea.
It refers to fish and shellfish/seafood, making it an important word to recognize when you're checking labels or allergen information.
You may see it in a context that doesn't look like a straightforward ingredient list.
For example, packaging may provide an allergen warning or identify categories of ingredients associated with the product. Seeing 어패류 should prompt you to investigate further.
Why 어패류 matters
Learning individual seafood words is useful, but Korean food labeling can involve category terms as well.
If you only memorize:
- 멸치 = anchovy
- 새우 = shrimp
you may miss a broader warning such as:
- 어패류 = fish and shellfish
Think of 어패류 as a high-level seafood warning word.
It is especially useful when you're quickly scanning unfamiliar packaging in a grocery store and don't have time to translate every line.
Memorize this:
어패류 = fish and shellfish/seafood = investigate further
Other Korean Fish and Seafood Words Worth Knowing
Once you've learned 멸치 and 새우, expanding your vocabulary by a few more terms can make grocery shopping considerably easier.
생선 = Fish
생선 is a general word for fish.
It is less specific than 멸치, but extremely useful to recognize.
If you see 생선 in an ingredient description, the product may contain fish or be associated with a fish-based preparation.
어류 = Fish
어류 is another term for fish, often used in more formal or category-based contexts.
You don't need to memorize every possible fish species to shop successfully. Knowing 어류 gives you another useful signal when reading Korean ingredient information.
조개류 = Shellfish
조개류 refers to shellfish.
The word is especially useful because it represents a category rather than one particular animal.
For a vegan shopper, 조개류 should be treated as a clear animal-derived ingredient warning.
고등어 = Mackerel
고등어 means mackerel.
You are less likely to need this word for everyday packaged-food scanning than 멸치, but it can be helpful when checking prepared foods or labels that identify a specific fish.
참치 = Tuna
참치 means tuna.
It can appear in canned foods, sauces, snacks, convenience foods, and prepared dishes.
오징어 = Squid
오징어 means squid.
It is particularly worth recognizing on Korean snacks, processed foods, noodles, and seafood-flavored products.
문어 = Octopus
문어 means octopus.
This is less likely to be hidden in an otherwise ordinary packaged food, but knowing the word helps when you're checking prepared foods.
게 = Crab
게 means crab.
You may also encounter 꽃게, which refers to blue crab/swimming crab.
Again, these terms are not necessarily the first words you need to memorize. Start with the broad, high-frequency terms and build from there.
4. 액젓 = Fish Sauce
One of the most important Korean ingredient words for vegans is 액젓.
It generally refers to fish sauce, a salty fermented seafood seasoning.
This is a major reason a food that otherwise looks plant-based may not be vegan.
The most important combination: 멸치액젓
멸치액젓 means anchovy fish sauce.
Breaking it apart makes the term easier to remember:
- 멸치 = anchovy
- 액젓 = fish sauce
So even if you forget the full word, recognizing either part can help you spot the problem.
Other seafood can be used in fish sauce products, so 액젓 by itself is worth treating as a warning.
Why fish sauce is easy to miss
Fish sauce is frequently used as a seasoning rather than as the main component of a dish.
That means the front of the package may emphasize vegetables, spice, noodles, rice, mushrooms, or other plant ingredients. The animal ingredient may be hidden much farther down the label.
For vegans, 액젓 belongs on the short list of Korean food label characters worth memorizing.
액젓 = fish sauce = not vegan
5. 새우젓 = Salted Fermented Shrimp
새우젓 is another Korean ingredient that deserves special attention.
It is salted, fermented shrimp and is commonly used as a seasoning.
The word itself becomes easier to decode once you know the pieces:
- 새우 = shrimp
- 젓 = salted/fermented seafood
You don't need to understand Korean grammar to recognize the important part. Seeing 새우 is enough to tell you that shrimp is involved.
6. 젓갈 = Salted or Fermented Seafood
젓갈 is a broader term for salted and fermented seafood products.
This is an especially useful word for vegan Korean grocery shopping because it can represent an entire class of seafood-based ingredients.
If you see 젓갈, don't assume it refers to a plant-based fermented ingredient simply because the product is spicy, salty, or vegetable-heavy.
For example, traditional Korean foods may use fermented seafood as a flavor-building ingredient. That can make them unsuitable for vegans even when the visible ingredients are vegetables.
젓갈 = salted/fermented seafood = check carefully
Korean Words for Animal-Derived Ingredients Beyond Seafood
Seafood is one of the biggest label-reading challenges, but it isn't the only one.
Once you've learned the highest-risk seafood terms, add a few broader Korean words to your vegan vocabulary.
동물성 = Animal-derived
동물성 means animal-derived or animal-based.
This is an extremely useful word for vegan label reading.
You may encounter:
동물성 원료 = animal-derived ingredients
If you see this phrase, the product requires further investigation. It indicates that animal-derived materials are present or relevant to the product's formulation.
By contrast:
식물성 = plant-derived or plant-based
This can be a useful positive signal, but don't automatically treat 식물성 as a guarantee that a product is vegan.
A product can emphasize plant-based ingredients while still containing another animal-derived ingredient elsewhere in the formulation.
육수 = Broth or stock
육수 means broth or stock.
This is an important word because broth can contain animal ingredients even when the dish itself is vegetable-based.
Examples include:
- 멸치육수 = anchovy broth
- 사골육수 = beef bone broth
Seeing 육수 doesn't automatically tell you what animal ingredient is present, but it tells you to look more closely.
사골 = Beef bone
사골 refers to beef bones and is commonly associated with rich beef-bone broth.
If you see 사골 or 사골육수, the product is not vegan.
돼지고기 = Pork
돼지고기 means pork.
소고기 / 쇠고기 = Beef
소고기 and 쇠고기 are terms for beef.
닭고기 = Chicken
닭고기 means chicken.
우유 = Milk
우유 means milk.
버터 = Butter
버터 means butter.
치즈 = Cheese
치즈 means cheese.
계란 / 달걀 = Egg
Both 계란 and 달걀 refer to eggs.
꿀 = Honey
꿀 means honey.
These terms are straightforward compared with some seafood-related ingredients, but keeping them in your vegan Korean vocabulary makes label checking much faster.
The Korean Label Sections You Should Learn
Recognizing individual ingredients is only half the process. It also helps to know where to look.
원재료명 = Ingredient list
The most important word is:
원재료명
This means ingredients or ingredient names.
When you pick up a packaged food, finding 원재료명 gives you the section you need.
Don't spend too much time translating marketing language on the front of the package. Go directly to the ingredient information.
알레르기 유발물질 = Allergen information
You may also see:
알레르기 유발물질
This refers to allergen-causing substances or allergen information.
Allergen labeling can be useful for vegans because several animal-derived foods are also common allergens.
However, don't treat allergen information as a complete vegan ingredient check. Vegan label reading still requires looking at the actual ingredients.
식품유형 = Food type
식품유형 means food type or product category.
This isn't specifically a vegan term, but it can help you understand what kind of product you're examining.
How to Read a Korean Food Label as a Vegan
You don't need to translate every word. Use a fast scanning system.
Step 1: Find 원재료명
Look for 원재료명.
That's your starting point.
Step 2: Scan for the highest-risk characters
Start with:
멸치
새우
어패류
액젓
젓갈
생선
어류
조개류
Then check for meat, dairy, egg, and honey:
돼지고기
소고기 / 쇠고기
닭고기
우유
버터
치즈
계란 / 달걀
꿀
Step 3: Look for broth and extracts
Pay particular attention to:
육수 = broth/stock
Broth ingredients are one of the easiest ways for animal products to disappear into an otherwise plant-heavy food.
If you see 육수, look for what comes before or after it.
Step 4: Check for 동물성 원료
Look for:
동물성 원료
This means animal-derived ingredients.
It should prompt you to investigate rather than assuming the product is vegan.
Step 5: Don't stop at the front of the package
Pictures of vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, rice, or chili peppers don't tell you whether a product is vegan.
Neither does a product name that sounds vegetable-based.
The ingredient list is where your decision should come from.
A Practical Korean Vegan Label Cheat Sheet
If you want one compact list to save on your phone, use this:
Seafood
- 멸치 — anchovy
- 새우 — shrimp
- 생선 — fish
- 어류 — fish
- 어패류 — fish and shellfish
- 조개류 — shellfish
- 고등어 — mackerel
- 참치 — tuna
- 오징어 — squid
- 문어 — octopus
- 게 — crab
- 액젓 — fish sauce
- 멸치액젓 — anchovy fish sauce
- 새우젓 — salted fermented shrimp
- 젓갈 — salted/fermented seafood
Meat
- 돼지고기 — pork
- 소고기 — beef
- 쇠고기 — beef
- 닭고기 — chicken
- 사골 — beef bone
- 육수 — broth/stock
Dairy, Egg, and Honey
- 우유 — milk
- 버터 — butter
- 치즈 — cheese
- 계란 — egg
- 달걀 — egg
- 꿀 — honey
General Label Terms
- 원재료명 — ingredients
- 동물성 — animal-derived
- 동물성 원료 — animal-derived ingredients
- 식물성 — plant-derived/plant-based
- 비건 — vegan
- 채식 — vegetarian/vegetarian diet
- 알레르기 유발물질 — allergen information
Why Korean Food Can Look Vegan but Still Contain Animal Ingredients
One reason Korean food labels can be challenging for vegans is the difference between a food's visible identity and its underlying seasoning.
A vegetable dish may contain fish sauce.
A noodle soup may use anchovy broth.
Kimchi may contain salted shrimp or fish sauce.
A spicy snack may contain seafood-derived seasoning.
A dumpling filled primarily with vegetables may contain meat or seafood in the filling or seasoning.
This is why vegan label literacy in Korea is less about translating everything and more about recognizing ingredient patterns.
The goal isn't to become a Korean food-label expert overnight. The goal is to build a mental filter that catches the highest-risk ingredients quickly.
Korean Kimchi and Vegan Label Reading
Kimchi deserves special attention because many varieties are vegetable-based but aren't necessarily vegan.
The cabbage, radish, garlic, ginger, and chili can all be plant-based while the seasoning contains seafood.
Look specifically for:
- 멸치 — anchovy
- 새우 — shrimp
- 액젓 — fish sauce
- 멸치액젓 — anchovy fish sauce
- 새우젓 — salted fermented shrimp
- 젓갈 — fermented seafood
If you're buying packaged kimchi, don't assume that a product labeled with vegetables is vegan.
Look for 비건, meaning vegan, when available, but still develop the habit of checking 원재료명.
What Does 비건 Mean on a Korean Food Label?
비건 means vegan.
If a packaged food is explicitly labeled 비건, that's a useful shortcut.
You may also encounter 채식, which relates to vegetarianism or a vegetarian diet.
The distinction matters.
A vegetarian product is not necessarily vegan. Depending on the product and labeling, it may contain dairy or eggs.
For strict vegan shopping, 비건 is the more relevant term.
Still, don't let a front-of-package claim replace your understanding of the ingredient list. Learning Korean ingredient Hangul gives you a backup when packaging is unclear.
Is 식물성 the Same as Vegan?
No. 식물성 means plant-based or plant-derived, but it should not automatically be interpreted as a guarantee of vegan status.
The term can describe an ingredient, component, or product characteristic without necessarily telling you everything about the complete formulation.
For example, a food might contain a plant-based main ingredient while using fish sauce, dairy, egg, or another animal-derived component elsewhere.
Think of it this way:
식물성 = useful positive clue
비건 = stronger vegan-specific claim
원재료명 = the place to verify
How to Handle Ingredients You Don't Recognize
This is where many vegan travelers get stuck.
You find 원재료명, scan the list, and then encounter a long string of unfamiliar Korean words.
Don't panic.
You don't have to understand every ingredient to make the first decision.
Start by scanning for your high-risk characters:
멸치, 새우, 어패류, 액젓, 젓갈, 생선, 어류, 조개류
Then check for:
육수, 동물성 원료, 돼지고기, 소고기, 쇠고기, 닭고기, 우유, 버터, 치즈, 계란, 달걀, 꿀
If none of those appear, you have eliminated many of the most obvious animal-derived ingredients.
That doesn't automatically prove a product is vegan, but it gives you a much more efficient starting point.
Photograph the Words You Can't Memorize
You don't need perfect recall.
A practical approach is to save a screenshot of your Korean vegan ingredient list before going grocery shopping.
Put the highest-risk terms at the top:
멸치 = anchovy
새우 = shrimp
어패류 = fish/shellfish
액젓 = fish sauce
젓갈 = fermented seafood
동물성 원료 = animal-derived ingredients
Then add the meat, dairy, egg, and honey terms underneath.
Over time, you'll recognize these characters automatically.
This is one of the easiest ways to build vegan label literacy without having to study Korean as a full language.
A Better Way to Memorize Korean Vegan Ingredients
Trying to memorize a giant vocabulary list can be frustrating.
Instead, group words by risk.
Tier 1: Memorize immediately
멸치 — anchovy
새우 — shrimp
어패류 — fish and shellfish
액젓 — fish sauce
젓갈 — fermented seafood
동물성 원료 — animal-derived ingredients
These are the highest-value terms for vegan grocery shopping in Korea.
Tier 2: Learn next
생선 — fish
어류 — fish
조개류 — shellfish
육수 — broth/stock
새우젓 — salted fermented shrimp
멸치액젓 — anchovy fish sauce
Tier 3: Add common animal foods
돼지고기 — pork
소고기 / 쇠고기 — beef
닭고기 — chicken
우유 — milk
버터 — butter
치즈 — cheese
계란 / 달걀 — egg
꿀 — honey
This approach gives you practical coverage without requiring hundreds of Korean words.
Common Vegan Label Mistakes in Korea
Mistake 1: Assuming spicy food is vegan
Spicy Korean food often relies on complex seasoning. Spice doesn't tell you whether the food is plant-based.
Check for seafood ingredients, particularly 액젓, 멸치, and 새우.
Mistake 2: Assuming vegetable-filled food is vegan
A food can contain vegetables and still contain fish sauce, shrimp, meat, or broth.
Read the ingredient list.
Mistake 3: Only looking for English
Imported products may have English information, but Korean ingredient labeling is often where you'll find the details you need.
Learning a small set of Hangul characters is far more reliable than hoping an English translation is present.
Mistake 4: Treating "vegetarian" as automatically vegan
채식 and vegetarian-oriented claims aren't necessarily equivalent to vegan.
Look for 비건 when you need a specifically vegan product.
Mistake 5: Forgetting broth
육수 can be a hidden source of animal ingredients.
When you see it, find out what kind of broth it is.
A 10-Second Vegan Label Scan
When you're standing in a Korean supermarket with a package in your hand, use this sequence:
1. Find 원재료명.
2. Scan for 멸치.
3. Scan for 새우.
4. Scan for 어패류, 어류, 생선, or 조개류.
5. Scan for 액젓 or 젓갈.
6. Check 육수 and identify the broth.
7. Look for 동물성 원료.
8. Check meat, dairy, egg, and honey terms.
9. Look for 비건 if available.
10. If a key ingredient remains unclear, don't guess.
That final step matters. When you're following a strict vegan diet, uncertainty is a reason to investigate further rather than assume.
The Most Useful Korean Characters to Memorize Before a Grocery Trip
If you're traveling to Korea tomorrow and only have a few minutes to prepare, memorize these first:
멸치 — anchovy
새우 — shrimp
어패류 — fish and shellfish
액젓 — fish sauce
젓갈 — fermented seafood
육수 — broth/stock
동물성 원료 — animal-derived ingredients
비건 — vegan
Those eight terms give you a strong foundation for reading Korean food labels.
You can keep expanding your vocabulary as you encounter new foods, but these are the characters most likely to save you from accidentally buying something that isn't vegan.
Vegan Label Literacy Makes Korean Grocery Shopping Easier
Learning a handful of Korean ingredient terms can change the way you shop.
Instead of staring at a package and trying to translate every character, you can quickly identify the words that matter most.
멸치 tells you to stop for anchovy.
새우 tells you to stop for shrimp.
어패류 tells you to investigate seafood.
액젓 tells you there's fish sauce.
젓갈 tells you to look for fermented seafood.
육수 tells you to find out what kind of broth is being used.
동물성 원료 tells you that animal-derived ingredients are involved.
That's the core skill behind effective vegan food label Korean characters searches: not perfect Korean fluency, but targeted recognition.
Once these terms become familiar, Korean grocery aisles become much less intimidating. The characters stop looking like a wall of information and start functioning like a set of visual signals.
And if plant-based living is part of a broader commitment to compassion and mindful consumption, that small skill can become part of a much larger everyday practice. For plant-based lifestyle inspiration, visit The Dharma Store.
FAQ: Reading Korean Food Labels as a Vegan
What Korean characters mean anchovy?
멸치 means anchovy. It is one of the most important Korean food label terms for vegans because anchovy is frequently used in broth, seasoning, soups, noodles, and sauces.
What is the Korean word for shrimp?
새우 means shrimp. Watch for this word on Korean snacks, noodles, dumplings, kimchi, sauces, seasonings, and fermented seafood products.
What does 어패류 mean on a Korean food label?
어패류 is a broad term referring to fish and shellfish or seafood. For a vegan shopper, it is a warning term that indicates you should investigate the ingredients further.
What does 액젓 mean in Korean food?
액젓 generally means fish sauce, a salty fermented seafood seasoning. 멸치액젓 specifically means anchovy fish sauce. Neither is vegan.
What Korean word means vegan?
비건 means vegan. It is the Korean term to look for when a product is specifically identified as vegan. 채식 relates to vegetarianism and does not necessarily mean a product is free from dairy or eggs.
What Korean word means animal-derived ingredients?
동물성 원료 means animal-derived ingredients. Seeing this phrase on a package is a reason to inspect the ingredient information carefully before buying the product.
Is 식물성 the same as vegan?
No. 식물성 means plant-based or plant-derived, but it does not necessarily guarantee that the entire product is vegan. Check 원재료명, the ingredient list, for animal-derived ingredients.
Final Korean Vegan Label Cheat Sheet
Before your next Korean grocery trip, save these terms:
원재료명 — ingredients
비건 — vegan
식물성 — plant-based/plant-derived
동물성 원료 — animal-derived ingredients
멸치 — anchovy
새우 — shrimp
어패류 — fish and shellfish
생선 — fish
어류 — fish
조개류 — shellfish
액젓 — fish sauce
멸치액젓 — anchovy fish sauce
새우젓 — salted fermented shrimp
젓갈 — salted/fermented seafood
육수 — broth/stock
돼지고기 — pork
소고기 / 쇠고기 — beef
닭고기 — chicken
사골 — beef bone
우유 — milk
버터 — butter
치즈 — cheese
계란 / 달걀 — egg
꿀 — honey
You don't need to memorize all of them at once. Start with 멸치, 새우, 어패류, 액젓, 젓갈, and 동물성 원료. Those six terms can dramatically improve your ability to spot common animal ingredients while reading Korean food labels.
The information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding dietary or health concerns.