Culture Shock Tips
What is Culture Shock?
Culture shock is something everyone needs to know more about including symptoms and solutions. Culture shock is something we all experience when learning to live alongside people who do things differently. Culture shock can be experienced when you move between companies, counties, or countries. It is nothing to be ashamed of and something to be embraced and managed.Our Commitment to Empower You to Overcome Culture Shock
South of Seoul made a commitment to being open and honest about culture shock and offer as many resources to our community as possible. We want you to know that you are not alone and there are ways to manage the mental and physical pain often experienced when the mind and body face extreme change.Want to Life in South Korea to Get Easier? Read These Blogs
Learning more about culture shock and tools for managing culture shock will help you feel empowered to live your best life in South Korea.-
Culture & Community, Culture Shock Tips, Education, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, Medical & Health, Mental Health Awareness, Mental Health Resources, New Arrival Information, Physical & Mental Wellness, Public Health, Tips of Living Your Best Life, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, USA Military Welcome Packet
The Challenge of the Language Barrier in Korea
What is a language barrier? Before we jump into the challenges of language barriers, we need to understand what a language barrier is. There are several definitions for language barriers that essentially say the same thing. For the purpose of this article we will use Google’s Oxford Languages Dictionary. According to Google’s Oxford Languages Dictionary, a language barrier is “a barrier to communication between people who are unable to speak a common language.” This is a pretty simple, standard definition of a language barrier. If you don’t speak the same…
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Culture Shock Tips, Education, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, Medical & Health, Physical & Mental Wellness, Public Health, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, US Military and Korean Health Care
How to improve your comfort level with Healthcare in South Korea
The 2021 South of Seoul Public Health Survey found that putting effort into developing cultural competence may improve your perceptions of your own healthcare in South Korea. Let’s talk about this. Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast which provides accessible content through the use of AI technology. We don’t have time to read each article but we do our best to make more of our content accessible. If you would like to join our Accessibility Team apply to volunteer with South of Seoul. Please…
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Culture & Community, Culture Shock Tips, Education, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, Health care self advocacy, International Student Welcome Packet, Medical & Health, Mental Health Awareness, Mental Health Resources, New Arrival Information, Physical & Mental Wellness, Public Health, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, US Military and Korean Health Care
Healthcare in South Korea: How to Advocate for Yourself
Why is self-advocacy important? Self-advocacy is an important skill that empowers you to take control over your life decisions, such as decisions based on healthcare. Your experiences are unique to you. Therefore, YOU know what you need best and YOU should advocate for your needs when possible. However, advocating for yourself is not always easy, especially when you live in a foreign country. So, what are some ways that you can build your self-advocacy skills? Listen to the BlogCast Don’t want to read? Listen to the South of Seoul BlogCast…
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Culture Shock Tips, July in South Korea, SOS South Korean Seasonal Guide: Summer, USA Military Welcome Packet
Understanding Monsoon Season (Jangma) in South Korea
Jangma can be both a lovely and dangerous time in South Korea. Make sure you understand monsoon season and prepare for the rains.
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Culture Shock Tips, Education, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, Support Services, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, USA Military Welcome Packet
All Expats in South Korea Need the 1330 App
You may have heard about 1330, the Free Korean Tourism phone number that offers support in a variety of languages: Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, and Malay. But did you know that you can freely use this service to support your ex-pat life in South Korea? That’s right, you have access to a free support system that can help answer questions. What kinds of questions can 1330 answer? This is an information services so they can help with all kinds of things such as, but no limited to:…
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Culture & Community, Culture Shock Tips, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, Home & Living, International Student Welcome Packet, New Arrival Information, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, USA Military Welcome Packet
What You Need to Know Visiting a Traditional Market in Rural South Korea for the First Time
Should I be shopping at traditional markets in rural South Korea? Do you like saving money? Do you live in a small city and near-ish a traditional market? Then, hell yes! You should be shopping at your local traditional market. Two of us spent six months shopping only in the traditional markets because we were broke as a joke. We spent 70,000 won a week on groceries to fill our fridge. That means our monthly grocery bill was only about 280,000 won and we ate crazy healthy. Our diet was…
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Culture Shock Tips, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, New Arrival Information
5 City Managed Facebook Pages to Follow to Learn About Life Outside Seoul
Additional Places To Get Information About Life in South Korea: 5 Facebook Pages to Follow if you Live in South Korea 5 Female Influencers to Follow in South Korea Cities across Korea have begun reaching out to ex-pats to provide increasingly timely, accurate, and helpful updates via Facebook pages. The Facebook page information comes directly from government sources and helps to improve communication between international residents and the local culture and government. Such pages share information about government planned events, public health initiatives, area news, community insights, and tips on…
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The struggles of aging in South Korea
I love Korea for so many reasons: the food, the security, the gorgeous beaches and temples (especially the ones besides the sea), the hiking routes, the inexpensive and comfortable transportation, and fast internet speed. However, one thing I find hard to digest in South Korea is the obsession with looks, looking young and flawless forever, and the “fear” of getting older. I come from a country in Europe where getting older is not a negative thing, as both women and men seem to accept their aging and are playful about…
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Adjusting to the New Normal
Change is always hard, whether it is planned or not. It can be exciting, yet the unknown can be a source of worry and anxiety. If it is a sudden change, then how greater is the anxiety? Since the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 has changed the way of doing life in a short amount of time for the entire world. This change has caused governments to have to figure things out on the go, which also causes minor to big changes to happen constantly. How do we adjust and keep…
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What to expect when you’re settling into a new culture
I’ve moved several times in my life to cultures quite different than mine. I’m originally from Romania. I’ve always oscillated between maintaining my cultural heritage and identity while engaging with local people and the wider society that I’m living in. In South Korea, for the first time in my life, I decided not to learn the language (for several reasons, but mainly because I liked being somewhere where I don’t understand what people say; it minimizes my anxiety level somehow.). Because of my decision, however, I have had some difficult…
