Many international residents live and work in Korea over time. This means sometimes severance pay gets caught up in retirement accounts. When you move jobs, you need to have a basic understanding of IRPs (Individual Retirement Accounts/개인형 퇴직연금), where to get them, how to open them, and why you might want one. This Expat Guide to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRPs) in South Korea does not cover ALL aspects of IRPs. Instead, it’s a guide to how to research them on your own. Disclaimer Not Financial Advice: This article is for…

To make kimchi, you must understand the importance of using the correct containers for fermentation. You want to make an educated choice when fermenting foods or storing fermented foods for long periods of time. With a little knowledge, you can ferment your foods safely in Korea (or around the world). Let’s get into it. Lens on the Information Keep in mind, this information is written for international residents living in South Korea. In South Korea, many residents receive Kimchi as gifts or begin making their own at home. This blog…

Sometimes you don’t want to lug your gear to and from the mountains or maybe you don’t want to fight over the expensive hourly rentals. If you have a Korean Foreigner Registration Card, you can rent lockers at Korean ski resorts for a few days or the season. This guide to long-term ski locker rentals will help you figure out if the lockers are right for you and how to rent them. Renting a Lockers at Ski Parks In South Korea, resorts offer both short-term and long-term gear locker rentals.…

Driving in a new country means relearning all kinds of systems, one of those systems is parking. We’ve put together this short guide to the types of public parking in Korea to help you find your way. About Korean Parking Facilities Like most countries around the world, Korea offers a variety of public and private parking types. Some are managed by local governments, and others are managed by private companies or organizations. Let’s look at the different types of public parking: City-Managed Parking Garages (공영주차장) City-Managed Managed On-Street Parking (노상주차장)…

Tourists and SOFA members! Did you know that many public parking garages in Korea may not accept payment via cash or international cards (debit/credit)? This means you can get unexpectedly trapped in a parking garage without an easy way out. Let’s talk about who this impacts and how to get around it. Read this to learn how to avoid getting trapped in a Korean parking garage. Basics of Paying for Public Parking in Korea Over the last five years, many (maybe even most) public parking garages across Korea went cashless.…