What to Expect While Living in (South) Korea

October 19, 2022

I have been living here for 16 years and have seen almost everything there is about this country. If you are about to come and live here, hope my list will help you. Here goes:

SO THANKFUL FOR THESE…

Internet speed: No doubt about it, South Korea’s world no.1 in internet speed. The lightning speed of the internet is thanks to Korea’s culture “빨리빨리” (hurry, hurry). Internet is spread all over the country and when the Internet is down (yes, sometimes they are down, too!), all of us will be out of work. We are so dependent on it! Yes, we are so thankful for the Internet.

Delivery service: South Korea is a rather small country (in size) so it’s easy to reach from north to south in a day by land transport. Thanks to the development of the Internet shopping (again, thanks to the Internet), everything becomes more convenient. It is now so easy to buy anything you ever want from home, from tissue, rice to meat. Most delivery service in Korea takes max. 2 days (sometimes longer approaching holiday season) so it is safe to order food. One day is most common. So common that if it takes longer it will make people antsy (or rather, angry). All delivery companies are competing to deliver the fastest. Check when you can get the item by reading the Terms and Conditions before buying.

Food delivery service: Hungry at 12 midnight but all restaurants around the neighborhood have been closed? have no fear. Most delivery places in Korea are open until 2 am. Yes, just simply pick up the phone and order that chicken, pizza or BBQ. In less than one hour, those foods will be delivered right to your door and yes, you can even pay with credit card. No cash, no hassle! And furthermore, most supermarkets in neighborhoods will open longer than 12 midnight. Inviting friends over for some drinking session and run out of beers and snacks? just run over to the nearest supermarket. Most supermarkets in the neighborhood will open even untik midnight.

Sharing: Koreans are very sociable people and they are generally open, helpful and friendly to foreigners. Thanks to this trait, Koreans are used to share stuff. We measure someone ‘s success by seeing how many network and friends he or she has. Sharing is especially prevalent during eating. There will be one big main dish to be shared by everyone. You might think this is really unhygienic especially while eating soup from one big bowl together, but trust me, as far as I have lived here, never did I feel sick or catch a cold or flu because of this. It is also a very rare sight to see someone sitting by oneself eating dinner (for lunch it is quite common because one’s lunch time is different and one may rush to go back to class or office). Don’t be alarmed or offended also if someone bumped into you while walking and didn’t even look back and say sorry. They don’t mean to and if you bumped into someone, they will never expect you to say sorry, either.

Side dishes: Yup, probably only exist in Korea, this is truly a blessing. Coming back home and feel lazy to cook? simply open your fridge and eat your banchan (side dishes). You will feel full while still eating healthy (yeah, it’s much better than fast food!) In restaurants, you can get that extra nutrients and energy from the side dishes provided free of charge. And the best thing is.. free refills! PS: get free coffee and drink (water) to your heart content! yes, they are free, too! This is what I really miss while traveling to other country. PS2: even if you can’t make them yourself, many stores around the neighborhood (and big marts) will sell them. Just choose the ones that you like and buy more when you run out of them. My personal favorite are the fried anchovies with chili, jangjorim (beef, potatoes and quail eggs dipped in spicy soy sauce) and fermented bean sprouts and spinach. Yum!!

Karaoke boxes: This time, I’d like to thank the Japanese who brought the singing box culture to Korea (and the world). Karaoke boxes are ubiquitous and they are cheap. Cheapest I have been to is only US$1 for 4 songs. This box although looks like a torture chamber (there’s nothing but a TV, two microphone and two short benches) should not deter you. Especially if you are planning to stay long singing and don’t want to spend too much money. A warning, though: there is no soundproof. But the good thing is: Korean people are so understanding. If you are good at singing, sing at the top of your lungs, be proud of it! but if you are not, nothing should stop you. Don’t worry, noone will knock on your door and ask you to shut up. If you think the cheap option is not to your liking, you can opt for a more luxurious one, price of about US$20 per hour is to be expected. With wireless microphones, a big LED TV (with see through glass panel windows for other people on the streets to see), you get your very own celebrity experience.

UGHH, I HATE THESE..

Soju bomb: soju, Korean style liquor is rather hard to swallow if you are not an expert drinker. This little devil before was 30% but now reduced to average 19% because its after effects are so dangerous. It’s difficult to avoid drinking this water of death because it is so cheap you will want to drink over and over again. Just make sure if you want to drink in large amount, you may want to do it in your own home or you will leave “bombs” for other people to step on the street (kind of like marking your territory?). Although this may sound like you are a loser as nobody invite you for a round of drink 😦  Tip: just drink moderately and go to the toilet often to check how drunk you are. Soju bombs won’t be visible at night, but it will be in the morning. Try to walk around the neighborhoods or go across a bridge and you will see a “remain” of a soju bomb. Watch your step!

Other bombs: I am talking about the spit. Ew, I don’t even like typing that word! People here like to spit after making a disgusting noise. Try to ignore them, I know it is hard, just make sure you don’t step on them. Try to avoid alleys where people smoke and spit.

Taxi, bus, and motorcycle drivers: Koreans are so obsessed with “hurry, hurry” culture that is all applies to all aspect of transportation, including the taxi, bus, and motorbikes. If you think your driver is driving too fast, tell him “천천히 가주세요” (please go slowly) although most likely this won’t change anything but it doesn’t hurt to try. If you are afraid of taking a rollercoaster ride with a regular taxi, deluxe taxis are also available at much higher price, but of course, better service. For motorbikes, most likely you won’t ride on one, but they are super fast and mostly won’t even stop on a red light, so if you are crossing the street with a green light on, be careful and always on alert.

Workaholic: This is like a double-edged sword as thanks to workaholic culture, Korea is what it is today, but this kind of habit creates lots of stress. If you are not workaholic, people will think you are not loyal to your company or not contributing enough. Most companies legally should give around 2 weeks holiday but the pressure of finishing (the neverending) work is so demanding people are not using it.

Homogeneous society: coming from a multiracial country, I am quite different from most Koreans who have white skin and small eyes. Sometimes I had people looking at me from head to toe. This is common especially if you are living far from the capital where the people are not used to seeing foreigners. I know they mean no harm; only curious. Try to be open-minded, and grab opportunities for cultural exchanges to educate young Koreans of multiculturalism.

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