Seoul, South Korea Report of what it's like to live there - 01/21/25
Personal Experiences from Seoul, South Korea
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
Many. This is our seventh overseas post.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
A 15 hour long, brutal flight.
3. How long have you lived here?
Three years.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Not good in my opinion. It consists of very small single-story ramblers with no storage on a dead/decaying military base. Nearly everyone is under-housed and the houses have constant issues. No water, no electricity, leaky/water damage, cold in winter, hot in summer.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Exepensive and extremely hard to get. You can't just pop to the store for a quick trip. You must drive and navigate the awful traffic, or drive to a gate, walk, and then lug your groceries back to the gate. God help you if you don't have a car or have mobility issues.
3. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
All kinds of restaurants are here. There is Coupang Delivery for restaurants, if the drivers can figure out how to get on base and/or the guards will let them on base. Can't tell you how many times I've watched a driver go around and around not being able to figure out how to get to us. Sometimes they give up and the food never comes. Other times it arrives an hour late and completely cold.
Daily Life:
1. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
You have to sponsor a helper. It's expensive and the bureaucratic burden is heavy. You can't just hire someone to come on occasion or once a week. If you're not their sponsor, they can't legally work for you.
2. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
Yes, very safe.
3. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Yes, widely accepted.
4. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
If you don't speak Korean, you're out of luck. It's an insanely difficult language to learn (and I've learned some HARD languages). Younger people tend to speak some English. I've also found that people use language as "gatekeeping". For example, the Korean kids in the international schools all speak Korean to each other during break times, lunch, social events. The other kids feel left out and not a part of the group.
5. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Yes. There are lots of hills, stairs, tons of walking required if you live on base. If you have a mobility issue, you're going to have a hard time here.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Safe and affordable, but taxis are very hard to get and impossible to get on base. You have to drive to a gate and then try to hail a taxi. I've had taxis refuse to enter base b/c they don't want to deal with the hassle of getting their car searched and giving the guards their ID. They just dump you at the gate and you have to figure out how to get home from there...good luck if the weather is bad or if you have sick kids or bags to carry!
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
You absolutely must have a car on base. Unless you like to walk in 100 heat in summer and freezing temps in winter.
Phone & Internet:
1. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
You have to have a Korean phone number. You can't do anything (even buy a movie ticket online!) without a Korean phone number. It's incredibly annoying. I can't tell you how many times plans have had to be scrapped b/c I can't figure out how to link my phone number to whatever task I'm trying to accomplish. Again, maybe if you were a native Korean speaker, you might be able to figure it out. If you can't read Korean, you're going to have a nearly impossible time of it.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
EFM jobs at the Embassy are mostly FP-8 and FP-9 jobs.
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Koreans are formal and conservative. They wear black, beige, and grey. No skin showing (e.g. no sleeveless dresses in summer).
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Bad air pollution. Doctors have been striking for about a year. Hard to get appointments, even though the Med unit tries their best.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Medical care is good and cheap. Again, if you can access it because of the strike
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Bad. Winter and spring it can be in the "very unhealthy" range
4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Fall and spring are nice. Winter is very cold and dry. Summer is oppressively hot and humid. like you don't want to be outside in the summer. It's disgusting.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There are five different schools. At first glance seems great because you have choices. In fact, what it means is that any sway the embassy would have on school-related issues is weak to none because there is not a large enough presence at any one school. Schools are almost exclusively Korean kids, so non-Koreans definitely feel left out.
2. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Yes. Soccer, Taekwondo, dance.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Very large, as besides embassies, there are lots of companies here. I'm not sure about morale. Seems like a lot of people with Korean heritage like it here (maybe b/c they can speak Korean or have family members who can help them). If you don't have Korean heritage, seems like people don't like it. A lot of people curtail, which sucks for community morale.
2. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
Not easy to make friends with locals due to language challenges. Anyone who is not Korean is seen as "other". African-American colleagues have had negative experiences. Korea is a very rigid, hierarchical, homogeneous society.
3. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Yes. Women are not respected in Korean society. They are paid a fraction of what men get (worst pay gap in the OECD countires)
4. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Leaving Korea has been the highlight...get out every chance you can!
5. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
No. It's just a huge city. Not much interesting to see. Just concrete building after concrete building.
6. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Nothing that I want to buy.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
I wish someone had told me how incredibly hard it would be to live here. It's a modern city, so it should be easy, right? Absolutely not. EVERYTHING is hard here: getting groceries, traffic, accessing medical care, trying to pay your bills, shopping for clothes/shoes or personal products....
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
100% NO. I hate it here and can't wait to leave. We are actively looking for opportunities to curtail.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Happiness.
