Daily Life · Buying and Selling Secondhand on Karrot (당근) Without Speaking KoreanKarrot (당근) is Korea's neighborhood secondhand app. You need a Korean phone line in your own name to sign up, the menus can be set to English, and most trades are cash or transfer at a meetup near home.
Daily Life · Coupang Rocket Delivery for Foreigners: Sign-Up, Payment and ReturnsForeign residents can use Coupang with a Korean phone number, and it has an English mode. Foreign Visa, Mastercard and JCB cards in your own name work, WOW membership is ₩7,890 a month, and overseas Rocket Jikgu orders need a customs ID.
Daily Life · Getting Home at 2 a.m.: Kakao T vs Uber vs TADA in KoreaKakao T has the most taxis, Uber is the easiest with a foreign card, and TADA is a solid backup. In Seoul, regular taxis cost 20 to 40% more between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Daily Life · Midnight Snack in Korea: How to Order Food Delivery as a ForeignerBaemin is the easiest delivery app for foreigners: it works in English and takes foreign cards. Coupang Eats and Yogiyo mostly need a Korean number and a Korean card.
Daily Life · Naver Map vs Kakao Map: Which One to Use in Korea (and Why Google Maps Falls Short)Use Naver Map as your main app for transit, walking and English place search, and keep Kakao Map for live bus tracking and Kakao T taxis. Google Maps still can't give reliable walking or driving directions in Korea as of October 2026.
Daily Life · Papago Tricks for Menus, Letters and Signs in KoreaPapago, Naver's free translator, is usually the best app for Korean: use its camera for menus and letters, conversation mode at offices and clinics, and the honorifics option when you write to landlords. Never rely on it alone for contracts.
Work, Pay & Tax · Annual Leave in Korea: 11 Days, Then 15, and What Happens to the Ones You Don't UseIn Korea you earn 1 day of paid leave a month in your first year (up to 11), 15 days from your first anniversary, then one extra day every two years up to 25. Unused days are usually paid out. Applies at workplaces with 5+ employees.
Work, Pay & Tax · E-2 Teaching Contract Checklist: 10 Things to Check Before You SignBefore signing an English teaching contract in Korea, check salary vs the minimum wage, severance, the four insurances, pension refund eligibility, housing, teaching hours, overtime rates, sick days and flights. A practical checklist with the Korean terms.
Visa & Immigration · Extending Your Korean Visa and Traveling Abroad on an ARC: Dates That MatterApply to extend your stay in Korea before your ARC's expiry date, up to 4 months early, on HiKorea or in person. Registered foreigners can leave and return within 1 year without a re-entry permit (2 years for F-5). Here's the timeline.
Visa & Immigration · From Graduate to Job: The D-10 Job-Seeker Visa and the Switch to E-7International graduates in Korea can switch from D-2 to the D-10 job-seeker visa (up to 6 months at a time) while they look for work, then change to an E-7 work visa once they land a job in an eligible occupation. How the path works and what to prepare.
Daily Life · Getting a Phone Number in Korea: Prepaid SIM, Budget Carriers and ContractsArriving in Korea, a prepaid SIM or eSIM works with just your passport. Once you have an ARC, a budget MVNO plan (알뜰폰) usually costs far less than the big three carriers. Your phone number matters because Korean apps verify your identity with it.
Visa & Immigration · How to Get Your ARC (Residence Card) in Korea: Documents, Booking and the 90-Day RuleIf you'll stay in Korea more than 90 days, you must register for an ARC (외국인등록증) within 90 days of arrival. What to bring, how to book on HiKorea, the ₩30,000 fee, and what to do while you wait for the card.
Housing · Jeonse vs Wolse: Which Korean Rental Deal Makes Sense for Foreigners?Wolse means a deposit plus monthly rent. Jeonse means one huge deposit and no rent. At a 5% conversion rate, each extra ₩10 million of deposit should cut rent by about ₩41,700 a month. How to compare offers and when a bigger deposit is worth the risk.
Health & Insurance · Leaving Korea? How to Get Your National Pension Back as a Lump SumMany foreigners can claim both halves of their Korean National Pension contributions plus interest when they leave for good. Three years at ₩2.8M a month is worth about ₩9.5M. Who qualifies and how to claim at the airport.
Health & Insurance · National Health Insurance for Foreigners in Korea: The 6-Month Rule and What You'll PayEmployees in Korea join National Health Insurance through work from day one and pay 3.595% of salary in 2026. Other foreign residents are enrolled automatically after 6 months and pay at least a national-average premium. Unpaid premiums can block visa extensions.
Daily Life · Opening a Bank Account in Korea as a Foreigner: What to Bring and How to Lift the LimitsWith an ARC, passport and Korean phone number you can open a Korean bank account in one visit. New accounts often start with low daily transfer limits until you show proof of income. Step-by-step, plus the online option.
Work, Pay & Tax · Part-Time Work in Korea: Minimum Wage 2026–2027 and the Weekly Holiday Pay Most People MissKorea's minimum wage is ₩10,320 an hour in 2026 and ₩10,700 in 2027. Work 15+ hours a week and you're also owed weekly holiday pay (주휴수당), worth up to 20% more. How to check your pay.
Housing · Protecting Your Rental Deposit in Korea: Registry Check, Move-In Report and Fixed DateBefore paying a Korean rental deposit, read the building registry (등기부등본), then on move-in day report your address and get a fixed date (확정일자) on your lease. These three steps put you in line to get your deposit back. A checklist for foreigners.
Work, Pay & Tax · Severance Pay in Korea: The One-Year Rule and the Exact FormulaAfter one year with the same employer at 15+ hours a week, every worker in Korea is owed severance (퇴직금): 30 days of average wage per year worked, paid within 14 days. A 2-year contract at ₩2.7M a month earns about ₩5.4M.
Work, Pay & Tax · The 19% Flat Tax for Foreigners in Korea: Who Wins and Who LosesForeign workers in Korea can choose a flat 19% income tax (20.9% with local tax). It applies to gross pay with no deductions, so for most salaries under ₩100 million it costs more. Here's how to tell.
Work, Pay & Tax · What a Korean Salary Really Pays in 2026: ₩30M to ₩60M, Line by LineA ₩40 million salary in Korea pays about ₩2.94 million a month after tax and insurance in 2026. Here is every deduction, why your first payslip looks low, and how to check it.
Daily Life · Your First 30 Days in Korea: A Week-by-Week ChecklistA practical order for settling in Korea: eSIM and transport card on day one, ARC appointment in week one, bank account and phone plan once the card arrives, then lease registration, health insurance and the apps everyone uses.