On social media I have noticed a lot of people recently that have a dream of moving to Korea, usually Seoul, and are curious about how to do it.
Okay, reality check. There seem to be 3 general types of different kinds of people who move or want to move to Korea.
1. Koreaboos- the term for non Korean people who are obsessed with Korean culture, usually K-Pop and K-drama and their ideas of Korea are based on these things.
2. People who are genuinely interested in the culture outside of K-Pop and K-Drama and want to experience living, working or studying in another country as a way to grow as people.
3. People who have to come here for work.
I personally class myself as a 2, although my first interest in Korea was sparked by K-drama and K-pop. However I’ve been around the block (and the world) enough times to know that real life isn’t how it looks on TV, and I did a huge amount of research and visited 3 times before I decided to move here to study Korean and Language and Culture.
I wanted to live abroad and was considering France, but after visiting Korea I fell in love with Seoul. I thought we might live in Busan given that it has beaches and the acomodation is cheaper, but it just didn't resonate with me like Seoul. The energy here is insane and also exhausting; it’s vibrant and young and often makes me feel old.
So is it easy to move here?
No. That's the honest truth.
It is an absolute nightmare of paperwork, red tape and official crap that will make you wan to pull out your own teeth and doubt your choice again and again.
You will need a visa of some sort if you are planning on staying long term. Unless you are being sent to Korea by your company and they are sponsoring you and sorting out your paperwork you have a couple of other options. Most of them rely on you having money!
Seriously, you will have to prove you (or your parents) have enough money to support your stay. As in a bank statement. You cannot plan to come here and work in a bar etc on a whim.
Visas
Student programmes are the easiest way of living here for a limited period. Most of the big universities run Korean Language programmes, although you have to provide evidence of your previous education and the financial support you have. Oh, and you will have to pay for the course, obviously.
If you are single with no kids you can get student acomodation, a flatshare or even a small apartment depending on your budget. Your visa depends on you turning up and actually doing to course mind you, as they can revoke it if you are taking the piss.
This is the visa I am getting. I entered on a tourist visa as my university took an age to do the papers required for me to apply in my home country. As my son was starting school we had to get here on a certain date, and then I had to book an appointment with Seoul immigration (a months wait).
Without a visa or Alien Residents Card (ARC) everything is incredibly difficult, so I can't wait to finally get them!
There are companies that specialise in getting you through this process such as:
GoGo Hanguk
Dream Studies Abroad
I applied directly with:
Lexis Korea
And for more info:
Go Overseas
Work Visa
This is more tricky. You are HIGHLY UNLIKELY to get a job in Korea unless you speak fluent Korean or your company has sent you there. You cannot just rock up and hope to get a job in a bar.
The exception is teaching. A lot of people get an offer of employment with a school or Hagwon that needs English teachers. You will need a University degree but not necessarily teaching experience.
As a teacher back in the UK this could have been an option for me, but the hours, pressure and work ethic here are vicious, and as a single parent I wanted to be there for my son.
If you are thinking of teaching English in Korea do your research very carefully. There are some real horror stories out there, and using a company that specialises in placing teachers may give you more protection if things go sour.
Some schools will provide acomodation or an allowance to go towards it.
Example websites (I have no experience of these personally so beware):
More info:
Workcation and K-Culture Visas
These have not yet been introduced, but are a possibility if you don’t want to go down other routes.
The K-Culture Visa is basically a way of getting foreigners to promote Korea as a destination. The visa will need the applicant to go through an education or training program in the K-content industry although what that will look like is as yet unclear.
A Workcation Visa lets digital nomads live and work in Korea for up to 2 years. Again, this has not yet appeared but is supposed to be implemented in the second half of 2023.
For more info see:
Korea Times
Life in Korea
Daily life in Korea is not like in K-Dramas. Whatever some Koreaboos are expecting, it is unlikely that you will be swept off your feet by a K-Pop star or celebrity and live happily ever after.
I live in Hannam-dong, which is home to multiple celebs, and I can confirm that you do occasionally see them in the wild, but it's tacky and disrespectful to approach them in their personal lives. Don’t do it.
Plus, women and men here are absolutely stunning, so you have to compete with that :)
You will be acutely aware from Day 1 that you are a Foreigner, and even if you speak fluent Korean, marry a Korean and have Korean children you will still be a Foreigner. Most Koreans are wonderful, friendly people who are tolerant of non-Korean speakers and tourists, but it can feel very lonely unless you have a support network here.
Depending on where you live, things can be expensive like in any major city. You will have to factor this into your budget and also consider that eating out and coffee shop hopping is a regular part of life here too.
You will need to have Health Insurance, and if you are here for more than 6 months you may need to contribute to Koreas’ National Health Insurance too.
But…..
I may sound a bit negative, but it seems a lot of people are thinking of moving half way around the world with ideas that are not grounded in reality. Make sure you are doing if for the right reasons, and that you have researched and planned meticulously.
Korea is a wonderful country, and the more of it I see the more I want to see. The people are hardworking and intense but know how to enjoy themselves. There is so much to see and do that it would be impossible to do it all even in 2 years.
Living abroad is an experience that will challenge you, frustrate you, bring you to tears frequently, but make you more confident, accepting, and change your perspective forever.
I’m so grateful that I have been able to start this journey. Follow me here, and on Instagram for videos and daily content, as my Son and I negotiate life here.
More Information:
A very comprehensive guide: https://afuncouple.com/korea-guide/