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Living Info |
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| Cost of living in Korea |
| - Cost of living in Seoul is about the same as big cities in the US, which means it is little higher than most places in North America. Smaller cities in Korea have slightly lower cost of living. It is fairly easy to save money because the housing is paid for by employer, and with being taken care of, your main expense will be food, utilities, and phone bills. |
| Doctors |
| - Most Korean doctors have some knowledge of English, and those who hav studied abroad are quite fluent in English, Japanese or German. There are many very well qualified doctors, but it is not always easy to find them . The best way is by word of mouth recommendations from friends. While doctors at most clinics usually have some command of English, the staff can rarely communicate in English. |
| Transportation |
| - The most economical way of getting around in Korea is by bus or subway. The Subway is the typical public transportation which can take you to anywhere in Seoul. It is convenient to use subway because in Seoul there are many cars and the roads are usually jammed. There are 8 subway lines in Seoul and it is easy to recognize them because of they're marked in different colors. Line 1 is red, line 2 is green, line 3 is orange, line 4 is blue, line 5 is purple, line 6 is orchid, line 7 is olive green and line 8 is pink. |
| Clothing |
| - Clothing worn in Korea are quite similar to those worn in Western countries, although styles tend to be more conservative and a bit more sophisticated in the west. Since Korea has four distinct seasons, you will need clothes from for full range of climates. Heavy coates, boots and gloves are necessary in the winter, and Korea's hot humid summer requires lightweight clothes. If you tall or big, please bring your clothing instead of planning to buy them here. Especially, two items expatriate may have more difficulty buying in Korea are underwear and shoes. |
| Common Taxi |
| - The rates are calculated depending on the distance and time. The first 2 km is 1,300won and every 210m after that 100won is added to the basic rate. If it is impossible to go even 15km/hour because of traffic jam, then the meter adds 100won for every 51 sec. The rate from the airport to Seoul downtown is usually about 10,000won. From midnight to 4am rates are increased by 20%. |
| Bus |
| - There are about 400 bus routes and over 8,500 buses in Seoul. The more detailed routes of the buses than the sub way help you get closer the place you want. But it is hard to know all the routes exactly and since the information is not in English you might miss your stop. |
| Taxi |
| - There are two types of taxis: common taxi and, deluxe tax(Mobom taxi). The deluxe taxi is more expensive than the common taxi but the services are better. You should know exactly where you want to go because not all the taxi drivers can speak English. |
| Currency |
| - Korea's currency is the won, which comes in 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 won bills, and 10, 50, 100 and 500 won coins. Generally, banks are open between 09:30-16:30 Monday through Friday. Automated teller machines are in operation 24 hours a day. Most larger stores, hotels and restaurants in Korea will accept major international credit cards. However, it is advisable to carry some cash, since many smaller establishments and stores may not have credit card processing equipment. |
| Banking |
- Shortly after you have been processed as a resident in Korea, your employer will help you open an account at a local bank. At most schools, your salary is deposited directly into your bank account on pay day. You can then withdraw money from ATMs with your bank card. Korean banks have high ATM withdrawal limits ? usually in excess of US$2500 per day. Service charges are minimal or non-existent, and Korean banks actually pay interest on regular human-sized deposits.
Transferring money to your home country is easy. Most banks have some English-speaking employees who are able to help you fill out the forms. You are allowed to transfer up to 100% of your legal salary out of Korea. Your bank in North America may charge surprisingly high fees for receiving an overseas transfer and the bank you transfer from in Korea will charge up to 10,000 won. In addition, your transfer may pass through other banks before it's gets where you want it to go and additional fees will be added, bringing the total anywhere from C$30/US$24 ? C$50/US$40). Obviously, you should avoid sending small amounts. One way to save money in foreign currency is to buy travelers' cheques in whatever currency you wish and to simply keep them at home. Be sure to sign them once so that you can have them replaced if they are lost or stolen.
Note that it is illegal to carry, on your person or in your baggage, more than US$10,000 (or its equivalent), in cash or travelers' cheques, out of the country. Amounts beyond this may well be seized and not returned.
Don't count on your bank card working in Korea, regardless of network affiliation. I've had hit and miss experiences using a Canadian bank card in Korea. Sometimes it worked where it was supposed to and other times it didn't.
Most Korean banks readily exchange foreign currency in cash or travelers' cheques. U.S., Canadian, and Australian dollar travelers' cheques and cash are accepted for exchange at almost all banks. As Korea does not have a large foreign tourist industry, exchange rates
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| Internet |
- Your apartment will almost certainly be ready with a cable internet connection. In South Korea, an amazing 80% of households have a high-speed internet connection. In the U.S., the figure is only 25%. Average monthly fees for an internet connection at home are around 30,000 won. If you don't take your computer to Korea, there will probably be one (or more) at work with a high-speed internet connection for teachers to use.
If you don't have a computer and would prefer not to use the computers at work, there are lots of "PC Bang" around. These are public computer rooms, usually with 25-100 computers available. Prices are low ? rarely more than 2,000 won an hour. These computer rooms can be noisy and smoky as they attract a lot of young people keen on checking out the newest and loudest computer games. Almost everyone in Korea lives within walking distance of one.
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| Telephone |
- Koreans are obsessed with mobile phones. For the vast majority of the population, having the most up-to-date model is one of life's main priorities. There are more active mobile phone accounts than Koreans over the age of 12 in the country. Prices for service have fallen dramatically over the past few years, making them about the same as in North America.
In many cases, there is no landline in a teacher's apartment. Instead the school director gives the teacher a mobile phone, already working with a phone number (the bills are the teacher's responsibility). Note that even with landlines, local calls are not free, though basic monthly service charges are minimal.
It is easy to buy phone cards that cater to the part of the world you want to call. Any corner store has a wide variety of cards on display. The rates are generally less than half that of the mobile companies or South Korean Telecom. I've used several different phone cards in Korea and never had any problems.
There are lots of public telephones in Korea, though fewer and fewer accept coins. You'll need a card more often than not. Happily, the cards are sold in denominations as small as 5,000 won; in contrast, one has to part with 1,000 Yen (C$13 / US$10) for the cheapest phone card in Japan.
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| Medical Services |
- Good Health can generally be maintained in Korea by taking a few sensible precautions. Medical and emergency services are available for un expected upsets.
When you need to see a doctor, you may encounter communication difficulties due to language. You may also spend considerable time waiting for medical treatment in general hospitals and university hospitals. If you are not familiar with Korean, it is best way to go with one of your Korean friends for interpretation. It would be wise to go to a known hospital where language barriers are reduced. In an emergency, take some cash with you because some hospitals accept only certain credit cards. Medical insurance card is not recognized as a form of prepayment.
· International SOS Korea Ltd. : Tel. (82-2)790-7561, 6783 (24 hours)
· Seoul National University Hospital : Tel. (82-2)760-2890
You can call 119 in any emergency situation (i.e. fire, injury, natural disaster, etc.).
Once you call, your location is automatically identified and a rescue team will arrive quickly to provide you with professional assistance
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| water |
| - Most drinking water in Korea is safe, but people rarely drink it directly from the tap. Most expatriates boil their drinking water, or they buy bottled water. Koreans generally drink barley tea(boricha) in place of water. |
| Food |
| - Some smaller restaurant do not have a high standard of hygiene and it is probably best to avoid such food as raw fish unless you are uncertain that the restaurant has a spotless reputation. Try to eat hot foods always, as the heat will kill bacteria on dishes that have not been washed too well. Cold noodles(Naengmyun)can result in if the dishes are not washed properly. At home, it is important to wash fruit and vegetables carefully, rinsing them often in water. Because of pesticides and herbicides, Koreans always peel apples and pears before eating them. |
| Shopping |
| - South Korea is known as a mecca for shoppers, offering a great variety of items at reasonable prices. Tourists may purchase many necessities and souvenir items at any of the hundreds of shops in department stores and shopping arcades in Seoul as well as major cities throughout the country. |
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Gyeongdong market attracts visitors with its Oriental medicine and health supplements. |
| Myeong-dong: One of Seoul's most famous shopping districts |
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| - Popular shopping items include jewelry, ginseng, furs, silk, antique chests, ceramics, lacquerware, brassware, embroidery and many more unique Korean products. |
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