Nurses' and doctors' lack of English can be a problem for foreigners although the last two hospitals have international clinics were English is spoken. Dining in good Western-style hotels and at most better type restaurants is safe, although in summer care should be taken with raw food, particularly seafood. Hotels usually provide special drinking water. Tap water is not, as a rule, drinkable without first boiling. Most Koreans boil their drinking water.
Traffic is usually chaotic and congested, and there is a relatively high accident rate.
Visitors should exercise great caution if driving in Korea. Generally all visitors to the ROK can be assured of their physical safety. Seoul is a relatively safe city, but with the increase in tourists and foreigners, there has also been an increase in crimes such as bag snatching etc. Care should therefore be taken to guard against pickpockets and petty theft. Student demonstrations are no longer regular and pose no particular threat to visitors.