No, it usually contains seafood. You’ll have to be specific about what you want in it. I got resistance once when I asked to have tofu as a substitute. There are more variations in this dish if you go to California or New York City, ie. some places actually have a vegetarian version. One of the more traditional jajangmyeon meat is cuttlefish based on my memories.

@Duncan: I couldn’t agree with you more– I’m sure there’s a wealth we miss out on due to a lack of understanding the culture and language. I’m totally blown away that you were able to find veggie restaurants on Jeju. It was starvation island for me. I spent most of my time seeking out Emarts; everything seemed to be either, in Korean or seafood joints! Were the veg places mostly in the downtown area? As for “hanshik” style, I’m not familiar with it. What is it?

@Samantha: Remember, there’s a whole chain in Korea!

@TT: Oh no! I actually wish I knew there was a Loving Hut in Jeju. I had difficulty finding food, but I was also on the opposite side of the island vs the city side.