Some aspects of living in South Korea will shock you (for better or worse) even if you do thorough research on what it’s like to live in the country beforehand. When I first moved to Korea, I know that I discovered a ton of things no one really mentioned. So without further ado, here are 42 things no one tells you about living in South Korea.
Table of Contents
The Good
1. The Medical Care is Cheap
I’m from the UK where medical care is free for the most part, so I was really bummed that I had to pay for my medical expenses in Korea. However, after hurting my knee, I realised I shouldn’t have worried at all because medical care is cheap.
It cost me about £21 to have an x-ray on my knee, a doctor’s consultation, a round of physio and some pain medication, and this was without medical insurance. Granted, I was living in Suncheon, so hospital visits and treatment may be cheaper there than in Seoul, but I’ve still heard that medical care in the capital is cheap.
On top of this, I found that I got the medical care I required or wanted straight away in Korea, whereas I’d be waiting a very long time to get similar treatments in the UK (unless I sought private treatment there, which is quite pricey).
2. Korea is Tourist-Friendly
There are many reasons why Korea is great for tourists. One of them is the amazing public transport, which I’ll talk more about later.
I especially find Seoul to be one of the easiest cities to travel around. I used to be confused and afraid to catch the Tube or the Madrid Metro. Even the Lisbon metro scared me. However, everything changed when I used the Seoul Metro. You’ll also find it easy to catch intracity buses/coaches, as well as amend tickets etc.
Furthermore, before living in Korea I thought that there’d be absolutely no English signs around, but a lot of big cities have signs and directions translated into English.
The government tries to include tourists in various ways such as hosting free events and giving out freebies. Even though I wasn’t a tourist I was still perceived as one when travelling around the country, so I got a ton of free stuff like fridge magnets, posts cards, and other things I still have now. I even got to go to a free K-pop concert.
3. Public Transport is Amazing
Seoul Metro subway trains are definitely cleaner and more comfortable to ride compared to a lot of trains I’ve ridden on the London Underground. Public transport prices are a lot cheaper too. A lot of cities also have Wifi access on their buses and trains.
It’s also easy to book and cancel coaches – you can even do this for free until a certain time, and then after this, there’s a small fee. If I were catching a coach in the UK, I’d probably have to buy a more expensive ticket to get this luxury.
4. There are lots of fun things to do in Korea
There are absolutely tons of things to do in Korea to keep yourself occupied. You can visit a plethora of coffee shops, restaurants, and museums as well as attend free concerts, traditional events, meetups, night clubs, hobby clubs, and more. You can also bump into celebrity celebrities.
I met great friends at concerts, free cultural events where we got to wear hanbok for free, and I saw some of my favourite K-pop idols outside a concert/performance setting. I even got to learn the piano in exchange for English classes.
I don’t think I ever did this much when I was living in Spain, and perhaps maybe not even at university.
5. The Cost of Living is Cheap
I knew Asia was a cheap continent to travel within but I didn’t know anything specifically about the cost of living in Korea until I lived there. As I mentioned above, things like transport and medical care are cheap. So are cinema tickets and restaurants. I think the only thing that’s quite expensive are groceries, especially fruit and veg.
If you’re teaching in Korea, then you’ll also have a free apartment or a housing allowance, which will contribute to the low of cost living.
I was about able to save at least £10000 in one year even after going to several expensive K-pop concerts and Music Awards shows and travelling all over Korea, and t o countries like Japan, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. I doubt this would’ve been possible if I were living in the UK.
6. Koreans can be very kind
You’ll definitely meet a lot of Korean people who’ll help you out when in need, even if they don’t speak English well. I’ve lost count of the number of times Korean people helped me.
However, memories that stand out include a woman helping me order from the McDonald’s self-service machine when my Korean debit card messed up for some reason, a middle-aged couple helping me descend Mount Ansan when I was petrified and a young Korean couple inviting me to share a taxi with them and then paying for my share of the price when I was stranded in Maehwa.
7. Food Delivery Services Are Awesome
In the UK, you can order food from pizza places like Pizza Hut or Dominos, which don’t require a delivery fee and then there’s Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo which require a delivery fee but allow you to order from a wide variety of restaurants. Sadly sometimes food deliveries take close to an hour in the UK depending on where you live.
However, this isn’t the case in Korea as your order normally arrives at your doorstep in less than 30 minutes. On top of this, you have tons of options to choose from due to the large number of restaurants there are on streets.
Popular food delivery apps to use in Korea are Yogiyo, Shuttle and Coupang Eats.
8. Water is Free Everywhere
I only drink water, so I used to spend money on bottles of water when I travelled around Europe, even if I had a reusable bottle. Or I’ve had to pay for water at restaurants. However, this all changed when I lived in and travelled around Korea.
A lot of restaurants, hotels and Airbnbs have self-service filtered water dispensers and you can find public drinking fountains and water machines when you’re out and about. This is a godsend in the summer when it’s disgustingly hot outside.
9. There are lots of free public toilets
Although paid toilets may exist, I don’t remember seeing a sign to pay to use a toilet in Korea. There are free toilets in subway stations, parks, underground markets, bus stations, train stations and more place.
On the other hand, in the UK and in other countries like Italy and even in Thailand I often see toilets you have to pay to enter, especially in tourist destinations. You even one have to pay to use the toilet at the main park in my hometown, which I find weird.
10. Online Shopping is Speedy
You’re probably used to waiting days for something you ordered to arrive at your door back in your home country unless you have something like Amazon Prime. However, in Korea, you can order something in the morning and have it delivered to you by the evening or the following morning.
11. Shorts and short skirts are okay
Korea is a conservative country in many ways, but some fashion styles people would consider suggestive in the UK or in the USA are seen as normal in Korea.
One of them is showing off your legs, so you’ll often seen Korean women and girls in the shorts and skirts, especially during the summer. My employer, who was also the headteacher of the school I worked at, even wore shorts on several occasions.
In the middle
12. Cameras on Korean phones always have a shutter sound
If you’ve ever visited popular South Korean tourist spots, such as Gydeongbukgung Palace or the Garden of the Morning Calm, you’ll likely hear the shutter sound of many Korean tourists’ phone cameras as they take photos, even if their phone is on silent mode.
These clicks will even follow you to places where people are known to silence their phones like museums such as the War Memorial of Korea.
This is because the South Korean government ordered mobile phone manufacturers to create handsets with shutter sounds of 65 decibels or louder to combat the issue of peeping toms taking covert pictures of women.
13. It’s Okay to Drink in Public
I’m always used to seeing “Drinking alcohol in this area is prohibited” signs in the UK, but no such signs exist in Korea. In fact, it’s fine to drink in public. However, because of this rule, you may encounter more drunk people than you’re used to.
14. There are lots of churches
South Korea is definitely known for having many gorgeous temples, but there are also a lot of churches to see in the country given that a decent proportion of the population is Christian. Some churches like Jeonju Cathedral are even tourist attractions.
15. There are mountains everywhere
In England, you’d have to travel to the Lake District to find mountains. However, mountains cover around 70 per cent of the Korean peninsula, and hiking is a popular activity among Koreans.
I sort of knew that last fact, but I was still shocked at how many mountains there were in the country. I even lived less than 10 minutes away from a mountain when I lived in Suncheon.
16. People don’t talk on public transport
I’ve had my fair share of pleasant conversations on the train, bus and coach with strangers in the UK and Spain, as well as other countries I’ve visited such as Poland, but chitchat on public transport in Korea is quite non-existent. Perhaps, it’s due to the language barrier.
I did have a lovely conversation with an ajumma who spoke excellent English travelling back to Suncheon with me, but we were told to be quiet by other Korean passengers.
If you stand out a lot (like I do), then you may have some people talk to you on the subway, but that’s still rare.
17. You hand over your debit/credit card to the cashier when you’re paying for something
In the UK, when I pay for something with my debit card I normally put my card in the card reader, but things are different in Korea. Instead, you normally hand over your card to the cashier and they insert it for you.
The Bad
18. Women and Children Aren’t Protected Enough
Everyone knows that Korea is a safe place. I definitely felt safer walking around alone at night in Korea than I do in my hometown. I’ve even left my personal belongings unattended and never had them stolen in Korea.
Nevertheless, women are always more in danger than men in every country to differing degrees and Korea is no exception. There have been lots of stories on the news about spy cams in hotels and even in bathrooms, and you may have heard about the infamous Burning Sun Scandal.
Men not being punished enough after sexually assaulting women and even children is also an issue. Before coming to Korea, I never knew this was such a big problem.
19. Cults are quite popular
You may have heard about the Shincheonji cult increasing the number of COVID-19 cases in Korea back in February, but they’re not the only cult around. In fact, cults are quite popular in Korea. So, you may meet more cult members than you ever have before in Korea.
The closest thing I’ve ever come to cults in the UK is being approached by Jehovah’s Witnesses. This happened to me in South Korea too, but I was also tricked into donating money to a cult after they invited me to a ‘cultural experience.’
I later found out this had happened to other solo travellers when they visited Seoul. I was still approached by several cult members after this incident as well.
20. There aren’t many self-checkouts
As an introvert, I love using self-checkouts when I shop at the supermarket because it means that I don’t have to converse with anyone (unless I run into a problem). However, I did not have this luxury in South Korea.
There simply aren’t that many self-checkouts in supermarkets and when there are some they’re not as great as the ones in the UK.
21. Public bins are scarce
Public litter bins are probably the last thing on your mind when travelling or moving to another country. Nevertheless, they’re something you won’t forget about in South Korea because there simply aren’t many around.
Over a decade ago, the South Korean government drastically decreased the number of public bins in the country (especially in Seoul) after residents started illegally dumping their rubbish in public litter bins to avoid paying higher taxes.
Fortunately, in 2017 the Seoul city government started to reintroduce more bins in the city after complaints were made by Seoulites. So, you’ll probably be able to find bins in subway stations and parks. I’ve even seen some on streets in Hongdae.
However, I hardly remember seeing public bins in Suncheon. So, Korea, there will still be many moments in which you have to simply carry your rubbish around, stash it away in your bag, or dispose of it by publicly littering.
22. Google Maps is basically useless
Google Maps is a godsend for many people, especially travellers exploring new countries as it can easily give you walking, cycling and driving directions as well as information about public transport.
Unfortunately, visitors to and residents of South Korea cannot use Google Maps fully because only basic map functions are available in the country.
This is because South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea and so forbids companies sharing the country’s map information unless certain security regulations are taken.
In particular, South Korea only allows map data to be exported if military and government locations are blurred out. However, Google does not allow this, so the maps features only have minimalistic functions.
Fortunately, there are alternative map apps you can use in the country such as Naver or Kakao Maps.
23. Public spitting is rife
There are quite a few people who spit on the streets in the UK, but this still didn’t prepare me for the public spitting in Korea. A lot of people do it, even young people and the sounds they make when doing it are gross. It sometimes seems like they’re drawing their spit from the deepest place within their body.
Funnily enough, public spitting is against the law in Korea, but people still do it as its prohibition is not enforced. So you should really watch where you walk when you’re out and about in Korea.
24. The Air Quality is Terrible
Now, the air isn’t as bad as it is in Beijing but it’s certainly not great. The pollution only used to be really bad during spring, but has gotten worse as of late (well, before the pandemic).
There are days when you get warnings from the government telling you to stay inside because of the bad air quality outside. Sadly, the air quality sometimes affects people so badly that they decide to move to another country.
Most of the time, I only suffered from mild effects from the pollution such as coughing and a sore throat, which I think was okay for a person with allergic rhinitis and a family history of asthma.
However, there were times when my chest would get a little tight, and after spending a prolonged period of time back in the UK, I realise that the air is much fresher and cleaner here.
25. Showing cleavage is a big no-no
You may be able to show off your legs in Korea, but the same doesn’t apply to your cleavage. Cleavage on display is probably more acceptable in Seoul. However, the further away you get from the capital, the more people you’ll have staring at you if your top is too low.
26. You most likely won’t have an oven or a dryer in your flat
When you move to Korea, your flat will most likely come with only a stovetop and a washing machine unless you live in a big and luxury place. That’s why most people buy their own small ovens and they air dry their clothes. However, clothes dryers are becoming a little bit more popular nowadays because it’s hard to dry your clothes in the humid weather.
27. There are less vegetarian and vegan options
In the UK, I can buy vegetarian sausages, burgers, sandwich slices and more as well as visit vegetarian restaurants, but these are hard or impossible to find in Korea. Vegan food is even more difficult to come by in supermarkets restaurants.
28. There’s lots of sugar in Korean food
A lot of savoury snacks and dishes will taste sweet in Korea. For instance, garlic bread has sugar on it (yes, you read that right). Even spicy and cheese flavoured foods can taste a little sweet.
I have a sweet tooth and I do like things like a mix of sweet and savoury flavours like salted caramel, but I don’t like being surprised with sweet tastes when I buy something savoury.
29. Korean students study all the time
I knew that adults worked long hours in Korea and in other Asian countries, but I didn’t know these long hours started from when Koreans are children.
I naively thought my students went to school and maybe only did English after school, but after asking my students about their daily routine I found out that they went to several other hagwons, such as those for Maths, Taekwondo and Hanja.
They get tons of homework at all these hagwons as well. My students often tried to do homework during class time or I’d see them doing it just before class.
30. Korea has a huge drinking culture
I always used to hear that Asian people could get drunk easily. My basketball coach from Malaysia would get red after a couple of drinks and she and my other Asian teammates talked about Asian flush. For some reason, this made me think that Koreans wouldn’t drink a lot. But boy was I wrong.
In reality, a lot of social events in the workplace are based around drinking. So after work, you’re expected to go out drinking with your co-workers and boss. Although there are laws that prevent people from being forced to go to these company meetings, many people still go so as to not look bad.
I remember going drinking with my co-workers after work and these moments reminded me of university, even though some of my colleagues were old enough to be my parents.
The bad side of this is that you may see a lot of drunk people passed out in random places or throwing up in public at reasonably early times during the night.
31. Personal Space isn’t Thing
In the UK, we give each other personal space when taking public transport or waiting in line at the checkout in a supermarket, but things are different in Korea.
On the subway, people sit close as sardines to each other. I remember my sister explaining how one person was sitting too close to her on the Tube and thought about how that wouldn’t bother me because I had gotten used to the lack of personal space in Korea.
I never really got used to people breathing down my neck at the checkout though. I just don’t really like people standing close to me when I’m packing my things or I’m ready to pay.
32. It’s deathly hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter
I knew Korea had four seasons but I knew nothing about the country’s infamous summer and winter. Now, I think the winter weather is okay in Southern cities like Suncheon and Busan, but Seoul is another story.
It’s honestly bitterly cold there in the winter, that’s why you should invest in some nice hot packs. There are even some you can recharge.
On the other hand, summer in Korea is terrible everywhere. The weather is too hot and humid, but there’s aircon in a lot of flats and workplaces. You’ll melt as soon as you leave the lovely airconditioned buildings though.
The heat and humidity lead to a lot of torrential rain. I don’t understand why people say it rains a lot in the UK when Korean summer exists.
33. The Racism and Xenophobia
You’ll find racism in every country, but I was shocked at some of the racism I encountered in Korea. Sometimes it starts even before you get a job in the country as some employers discriminate based on skin colour.
For instance, some black teachers have said that schools were excited to speak to them about a position and then ghosted them after they sent their photo to the school.
On language exchange apps, I’ve also personally had Koreans stop talking to me once they found out I was black. I’ve been called racial slurs several times, too, which had never happened to me in the UK.
I’ve seen plenty of xenophobia in the UK, too, but it manifests a bit differently in Korea.
Foreigners may get the usual “go back to your country” but because of COVID-19 there have also been “No Foreigners Allowed” signs on doors and windows or restaurants and shops.
People have also been refused entry into certain places because they were foreigners whereas Koreans were granted entry, simply because some Koreans think foreigners are spreading the virus.
33. The Stares
Because Korea is a homogenous country, non-ethnic Koreans tend to stand out like a sore thumb, which will earn you some stares. Black people, in particular, get a lot of eyes on them, especially black women because of our hair.
I know that you get a lot of looks (and people grabbing your hair) when you wear box braids. People will also try to take a ton of photos of you.
35. There are a lot of homeless elderly people
In the UK, I mainly see people in their 20s and 30s on the street, but in Korea, I mostly saw elderly homeless people, especially near Seoul Station. In fact, the country has one of the highest numbers of homeless elderly.
36. Seoul can get really crowded
I’m from a smallish city in the UK, but I’ve travelled to many large cities. Nevertheless, I’ve never seen places get as crowded as they do in Seoul, especially during rush hour or after events like concerts.
If you’re catching the subway, there are times you have to wait in queues that can sometimes reach the top of the stairs, which is something I’ve never seen before. And walking around places like Myeongdong can also be tiresome when they’re busy.
37. Housing deposits are expensive
While I think rent in Korea is cheaper than rent in the UK, the price of housing deposits is very expensive. There are two different housing rental systems in Korea.
The first is the Wolse (월세), which requires a down payment of around 5 million won (just over £3300), which is fully refunded if you don’t damage the property. Then you pay rent monthly, which is not refunded.
Then you have Jeonse (전세), which is where you put a large deposit down for a two-year agreement. The landlord then can collect the interest from this month.
In this system, you don’t pay rent monthly instalments and the deposit you paid is 100% refundable after you move out. So even though the upfront cost is expensive, you end up staying in a place rent-free.
Both rental systems require upfront costs which are a lot greater than what you may be used to in the UK, but there are some landlords or letting agents that allow you to pay a lower housing deposit, some even as low as one month’s rent. However, this may increase your monthly rental payments.
38. Beauty Standards are Tough
I knew that a high proportion of South Koreans got plastic surgery, but I didn’t realise how high beauty standards were until I moved to Korea.
South Koreans get their photos heavily edited for their CVs, passports and other ID cards, and use face changing apps like Snow. I know we have things like Snapchat with filters to change your face, but I feel that Snow is more invasive.
It seems like Koreans use apps like Snow more frequently than we use Snapchat as well. In Korea, you’ll also find mirrors everywhere from subway stations to supermarkets.
39. Dentists may try to con you
You may have heard that some people get more cavities in Korea than back home because of low levels of fluoride in the country, but sometimes dentists diagnose patients with more cavities than they actually have.
Or rather, there’s a huge discrepancy between the number of cavities some dentists in Korea spot compared to dentists back home. This results in some people getting procedures they never even needed.
40. People don’t look where they’re going when they walk
Most people look where they walk in the UK because they don’t want to accidentally bump into someone, but this isn’t the case in Korea. You may have people often bump into you simply because they weren’t looking where they were going.
The funniest thing about this is that most of them won’t say sorry to you when this happens – they’ll simply carry on walking, even if you bumped into them.
41. Getting a Tattoo is illegal
Tattoos aren’t illegal in Korea but giving one to someone is if you don’t have a medical license. This makes most tattoo parlours in the country illegal. However, tattooists are trying to get this law changed.
42. Saving Face is Important
In Asian countries like South Korea saving face roughly means maintaining one’s reputation. However, it relates to maintaining a harmonious relationship with those around you and maintaining your position in society.
Not telling the truth, withholding bad news and pretending something bad never happened are some ways to save face, so you should be prepared to come across them and even practise in the workplace.
For example, you shouldn’t point out a mistake your boss or even someone older than you makes because that would make them (and you) lose face.
Conclusion
There are probably more facts that I can add on the list of things no one tells you about Korea but these were the main ones I think a lot of people wouldn’t know about.
Comment down below if you know any more!
