Can I Drink Tap Water in Seoul?

Seoul Metropolitan Government promotes Arisu as safe drinking water and reports strong quality metrics, including tap-water suitability rates near 99.9998% in recent public communications. The city says Arisu is tested across a broad panel of items (including up to 170 items in household tap testing and 190 items annually since 2007 in some programs), supported by multiple purification centers and real-time monitoring systems. Travelers can generally drink tap water directly in Seoul, with the main caveat being taste or older building plumbing.

Seoul's municipal tap water brand, Arisu, is managed by the Seoul Waterworks system and is one of the most heavily monitored urban supplies in Asia. Seoul's English-language public communications describe a large monitoring infrastructure that includes multiple purification centers, automatic analyzers, pipe-network sensors, and local service centers. The city also reports very high tap-water suitability rates and emphasizes routine testing at both plants and household taps rather than relying only on treatment-plant results. Seoul has published communications noting advanced and expanded testing programs, including long-running testing schemes that measure a broader set of items than many international baseline standards. In practice, this means travelers can usually drink tap water directly at hotels, restaurants, and residences in Seoul. As with any large city, the final taste can vary by building age and internal piping, so some residents still use filters, but that is typically a taste preference rather than a safety requirement. Ice, restaurant water, and brushing teeth are generally low-risk in normal urban settings.

Seoul is a low-risk city for tap water consumption. Travelers can usually drink Arisu directly from the tap in hotels and apartments, use it for brushing teeth, and accept ice in restaurants without concern. If you notice unusual taste or discoloration in an older building, flush the line or use bottled water temporarily, but city-wide water quality is generally strong and closely monitored.