Koreatown pharmacy closes after more than four decades of serving generations of Los Angeles residents, marking the end of an era for longtime customers who relied on the neighborhood business for much more than prescriptions.
Jeil Pharmacy held its final day of business on Aug. 10 after 43 years, as owner and pharmacist Jae Kwon Shin, 79, officially retired.
Throughout the pharmacy’s final day, longtime customers stopped by to say goodbye and thank Shin for decades of care.
Some tried to soften the bittersweet moment with humor. “It’s too soon. You should stay open for another 10 years,” one customer joked. Another quipped, “You should at least cure my diabetes before you close.”
Shin personally greeted customers one by one, telling them, “I’m sorry I can’t continue helping you longer.”
Than Just a Place to Pick Up Medicine
For many customers, Jeil Pharmacy was more than a neighborhood drugstore.
In Seop Jung, 59, who has been a customer for about 10 years, visited the pharmacy on its final day.
“I’ve been getting my diabetes medication here for 10 years, and he always explained everything about my medicine kindly in Korean,” Jung said. “I don’t think it will be easy to find another pharmacy like this. I’m worried about where I’ll get my prescriptions from now on.”
Jeil Pharmacy also helped Korean-speaking residents navigate complex healthcare programs such as Medi-Cal and Medicare.
For patients with diabetes, the pharmacy provided Korean-language dietary information and even operated a free online diabetes education website.
For Korean American seniors with limited English proficiency, the pharmacy became a familiar place where they could comfortably ask questions about medications and health concerns in their own language.
A 43-Year Commitment to the Community
As the longtime Koreatown pharmacy closes, Shin thanked the customers who supported his business for more than four decades.
“I’ve always tried to put helping my neighbors ahead of myself,” Shin wrote in a farewell notice to customers. “Although I’m closing after 43 years, I am endlessly grateful to everyone who has visited Jeil Pharmacy over the years.”
While the pharmacy itself is closing, customers will still be able to access their prescriptions.
Shin said existing prescription records will be transferred to a CVS near Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue, where former Jeil Pharmacy customers can continue filling their medications.
For longtime customers, however, replacing the prescriptions may be easier than replacing the personal connection.
After 43 years of answering questions, explaining medications in Korean and helping generations of residents navigate their healthcare, Jeil Pharmacy’s closure brings an end to a familiar fixture in Los Angeles’ Koreatown community.
