Welcome to Korea

By Deauwand Myers

I've been in Korea for several years now. When I first came, I wasn't as overwhelmed by the new environment as some other expatriates may be, because I already lived in Japan and China. What would have helped me, like any new foreigner, would have been some practical tips on how to acclimate to being a resident in a country that is not my own.

In that spirit, here are some tips newcomers and veterans alike will find of practical use:

Research the Basics

Before accepting any contract, dutifully and seriously research the company, public school, hagwon (private academy), or university you'll be working at and the contract they offer. Further, research the area in which you'll be living. What have others said about this employer? Are the contract terms honored? If the location isn't a major city, can you deal with the possibility of less contact with native English speakers, less access to public transportation, and are you willing to learn some Korean to help you get by?

What about your housing? Is it subsidized? Modern? Livable? What's the distance from it to work and public transportation?

I can't tell you how many times people post on Facebook and other forums about their shock at the location or working conditions. Try your best to find out where you'll be living, its geographical location, ease of transportation, cultural points of interest, and the legitimacy of wherever you choose to work long before you pack your bags and move thousands of miles away to a foreign land. This seems obvious, but apparently, it's not. There's plenty of literature online and off to help you with this pre-education. Facebook is your friend. Google is a wonderful thing.

Get a Smartphone

As soon as you arrive in Korea and you get your foreign identification card, get a phone, preferably a smartphone. (Yes, some foreigners still use flip phones in Korea). Unlike years ago, phone companies and carriers will give you a proper data plan and service package like any native Korean. I suggest a mid-range data plan, less than 1GB a month, mainly because most metropolitan areas throughout Korea are awash in Wi-Fi. All the major phone carriers have a dedicated foreign language customer service, especially in English.

On this smartphone, download a subway app for your city. The one for Seoul/Gyeonggi-do (there are actually several) works well. And while you're at it, download a static PDF map of the subway system, particularly for places where no reception is available and the app cannot be used. Most everyone in Korea uses Kakao, Naver Line, or some other free (over Wi-Fi) chat application. It's the easiest way to communicate with friends, colleagues, and the like.

Korea, particularly Seoul and the Gyeonggi province, has come a long way in making it easier for foreigners to live and work in Korea. Korea caters more to expats than Japan or China.

Numbers such as 02.1330 (The 24/7 free multilingual travel hotline), which give you information about stations, restaurants, accommodation, express bus schedules, hospital locations, train routes, and even movie show times and if E-mart is open on a particular weekend, will help tons. The Immigration Office hotline, 02.1345, is self-explanatory. The Seoul Global Center (02.2075.4180/ www.global.seoul.go.kr/ hotline@seoul.go.kr) offers a wealth of information and services for foreigners living and working in Korea, and like the aforementioned travel hot line, communicates in several languages. The vast majority of the services offered at the Seoul Global Center is free, or charge nominal fees.

Banking, Credit Cards, Loyalty Point Cards

Your employer most likely will either help you set up a bank account or guide you through the process. All the major banks have English services, but KEB (Korea Exchange Bank) and IBK (Industrial Bank of Korea) particularly cater to foreigners with services like instant international bank transfers, foreign exchange financial products, and benefits for those who internationally transfer money often. If you live in a rural area, you may want to use Nonghyup. More than any other bank in Korea, Nonghyup will have branches and ATMs in Korea's hinterland and countryside, no matter how rural.

I have both Korean and American credit cards, but the Korean ones offer better mileage plans and can be used internationally without the hassle my American ones give me. Hyundai, Samsung, and your bank of choice will offer credit cards with varying limits depending on your credit score and monthly salary. (Yes, you have a credit score in Korea).

As you get acclimated to life in Korea and make Korean friends, be sure to ask for help when needed, like applying for loyalty cards for cafes, department stores, restaurants, and your phone company. You'll accrue cash points, get discounts, and enjoy benefits with said cards.

There's more I haven't covered, but for now, I hope all this helped.

Deauwand Myers holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory, and is an English professor outside Seoul. He can be reached at deauwand@hotmail.co m.