So you’re moving to South Korea and now have to figure out what to pack. Nowadays, you’ll most likely find a lot of the stuff you’re used to having back home or great equivalents in Korea, which didn’t use to be the case 20 years ago. So, there’s no need to go overboard when packing, but this list will help you figure out what’s essential to pack for South Korea.
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Helpful Websites And Shops
If you have a surplus of items you want to bring with you which you can do so by buyig extra luggage for your flight or sending them via a courier service. Nonetheless, if you still need items to buy then the following sites and shops are useful.
ASOS
ASOS, fortunately, offers worldwide shipping and returns, so it’s easy to get your hands on the sort of clothes you’d buy back home.
Coupang
This site is entirely in Korean but you can Google Chrome’s translate function to translate information. You’ll have to set up an account to order items and once you do that you’ll be able to buy a ton of things you’d thought you could only find back home.
Gmarket
There are English, Chinese, and Korean versions of GMarket so you won’t need to use Google Chrome’s translate feature on the site. GMarket is similar to Amazon in that you can find anything and everything on there, plus items you see in shops but just for a cheaper price.
iHerb
iHerb’s an online marketplace where you can buy natural products, such as health supplements and spices. I’ve even bought natural products for my hair off iHerb.
Homeplus, Emart and Costco
Homeplus and Emart are two of my favourite shops in Korea. I used to do my main shop at HomePlus though because it was nearer to my house. Both supermarkets have a huge selection of imported and foreign foods there. I’ve seen items like frozen sweetcorn and several spices from Tesco, Quaker oats as well as Dr Oetker pizza at Homeplus. I’ve never been to Costco but I’ve heard it’s good for buying things in bulk.
Things to Bring
Adapter
Now this one is important for connecting your electrical devices to a socket unless you’re coming from a European country like Ireland, Spain or Germany, as these countries have the same type of plug as Korea. However, if you do forget to bring an adapter from home you can always buy a universal one at Daiso for 5000 won.
Extension Lead
This is useful to bring because you can plug in the extension lead with your adapter and then plug in as many electrical items as the extension lead can take. It really saves you from buying and using multiple adapters
Unlocked Phone
Locked phones will make it difficult to use Korean sim cards, which are important to have for verification purposes, as well as setting up bank accounts etc., so making sure your phone is locked before coming to Korea is essential.
Memories of Back Home
Almost everyone gets homesick, so it’s best to bring reminders of back home. An excellent way to do this is by bringing pictures of family, friends and pets as they’re lightweight and easy to carry.
Bedsheets
You can get bedsheets in Korea at supermarkets like HomePlus and Emart as well as on online sites like Coupang and Gmarket, but they won’t be what you’re used to in your home country. They’re probably also a bit more expensive, so you can bring the bedsheets that you think are vital to you if you want.
I brought a mattress protector and a fitted sheet with me as they weren’t too bulky.
Full-sized Towels
Bath towels are small in Korea. You can find full-sized ones online, but they may cost more money than what you’re used to. Plus, it’d just be another thing on your list of things to do once you get to Korea, which is a stressful time in itself.
Deodorant
You can get deodorant in supermarkets like Emart and HomePlus as well as cosmetic stores like Olive Young, but they won’t be as strong as the ones from back home. I learnt this the hard way. I suggest bringing your own deodorant from home or making your own with natural ingredients.
Medications and Vitamins
You should definitely bring any prescription medication you take back home, even if you can get it in Korea, just so you have time to find out where to get a new prescription in Korea. You can find over the counter medicine and vitamins in Korea but they’re a lot more expensive.
Furthermore, if you’re like me and take non-pill forms of medications then you should definitely bring your own medicine. I take strong nasal sprays for my allergies and tablets that dissolve on my tongue for pain management, and I couldn’t find equivalents in Korea, which made me suffer when I ran out.
Tampons
Tampons aren’t really popular in Korea but you can find a small selection of them at shops like Olive Young and Costco. However, they’re more costly than the ones you’d find back home. On the bright side, you can find other sanitary products like reusable pads, period pants, and menstrual cups in Korea.
Toothpaste
Fluoride helps to stop cavities from forming but the toothpaste in Korea doesn’t contain enough amounts and it’s not present in the drinking water (which people don’t really drink anyway). This might be the reason some people who move to Korea have more tooth issues than they did back home.
I brought my own toothpaste when I moved to Korea but didn’t have enough tubes to last me the year which led me to use Korean toothpaste. When I went back home for Christmas, I visited the dentist and she only found one small cavity, but that still shocked me because I hadn’t had a cavity since I was a teen before I moved to Korea, and my diet was cleaner in Korea than it was in the UK.
Herbs and Spices
Nowadays, you can find more herbs and spices in Korean supermarkets but there still aren’t as many you can get in the UK or US supermarkets, which have larger multicultural communities. You don’t need to go overboard with herbs and spices but just bring your favourites.
If you’re a baker, vanilla may be hard to get, so bring that. If your family roots are from a different country than the USA or UK, then bring spices related to your culture. For instance, my family is Jamaican so I brought All-Purpose Seasoning, several Jerk Seasonings and Jamaican Style hot sauce.
Winter clothing
They sell winter coats in Korea, but they could be too small for your shoulders and arms. You can bring your own if it can fit in your luggage. You can also bring your own winter clothing like boots and jumpers etc. as this could save money.
I brought my own winter coat which was cheaper than any winter coat I saw in the Korean shops I visited and it kept me warm during the winter, but that was easy for me to do as I came to Korea during this season. I just wore my coat on the flight, but those coming in the hotter months won’t have this luxury.
To find a winter coat (and other winter clothing for Korea that fits you), you can shop on ASOS.
Enough Shoes
Don’t bring too many shoes because you won’t really be wearing them much but if you have big feet (e.g. bigger than a UK size 10 for men and a UK size 7 for women ) then make sure you have enough shoes to comfortably last you at least a year. I’d bring shoes for work, trainers for workouts and hiking and shoes to fit the seasons e.g pumps for summer.
International Driving Permit (IDP)
Many beautiful places in Korea are in remote countryside places and sometimes it’s easier to rent a car than to rely on public transport and taxis, but you’ll need an IDP or a driving licence issued in Korea to do this. The former is easier to do if you already have a license from your home country, so think about taking the necessary steps to get one.
Hair Products
You can get most hair products in Korea but if you have certain scalp conditions or if your hair needs certain products (i.e. if you have natural hair) then you should bring the hair products you use. There are some shops that sell natural hair products but they’re more expensive than what you’d get back home.
Bras and Underwear
If you have wide hips and a big bum then it’ll be hard for you to find underwear that fits, so bring enough of your own. Likewise, if you’ve got large boobs then you’ll also struggle to find bras in your size. You can find bigger cup sizes at shops like Aerie and Solb however.
Tops and Bottoms
Likewise, you should bring your own jeans and shorts if you have wide hips and a bum. You should also buy tops that come to just under your collar bone because showing cleavage is shunned here.
Are there any other things you can think of that should be on this list? Comment below to share your ideas.
