Local tools · Korean public data
Where does old medicine go?
In Korea, leftover and expired medicine can't go in the household bin — it contaminates soil and water. This finds the nearest pharmaceutical drop-off box to you.
6,634 locations nationwide · as of 2026-01-21
Names and addresses stay in Korean — handy for showing a driver or pasting into a map app.
Nearest drop-off boxes
Why medicine has to be disposed of separately
Flushing leftover medicine or binning it with household waste sends antibiotics and other active compounds straight into soil and water. Korea's answer is a network of dedicated pharmaceutical drop-off boxes at community and health centers. This page finds the ones closest to you, sorted by distance.
Frequently asked
How do I throw away leftover or expired medicine in Korea?
Not in the household bin, and never down the toilet or sink — antibiotics and other compounds leach into soil and water. Korea requires leftover and expired medicine to go into a designated pharmaceutical drop-off box (폐의약품 수거함), which you'll find at community centers, public health centers and many pharmacies.
Where are the medicine drop-off boxes?
Mostly inside community service centers (주민센터 / 행정복지센터), public health centers, district offices, and some pharmacies. Tap “Near me” on the map above or type an address to get the closest boxes sorted by distance.
What can I put in the box?
Household medicine: pills (remove the outer packaging), capsules, powders, liquids, and ointments or creams. Rules for syrups vary slightly by district — some ask you to pool them into one sealed bottle — so check the notice on the box or with the local office.
Are the listings in Korean?
Yes. Names and addresses come straight from Korea's public data portal, so they stay in Korean — which is exactly what you want when you show the address to a taxi driver or paste it into a map app. The “Directions” link opens Kakao Map with the location already set.
💊 Need a pharmacy instead? Try find a pharmacy open now.
Source: Korea's public data portal (data.go.kr) — nationwide pharmaceutical drop-off box dataset. Locations change, so it's worth confirming before you make the trip.