Medical & Health
- The following blogs address specific needs expressed by our international community living in South Korea. We have surveyed over a hundred individuals living across nine different provinces to understand the needs of the community. Our team researches the challenges the international community in Korea face and works to find solutions to these challenges.
- We HIGHLY recommend reading each of these blogs more than once as they will provide you with a great deal of insight into the Korean healthcare system. Health policies constantly change and our team does their best to keep our blogs up-to-date with the latest information and resources.
- If you have public health-related concerns that need to be added to this list, feel free to let us know in the comments or message us at publichealth@southofseoul.net
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3 Important Differences Between Primary Healthcare in South Korea and the U.S.
Disclaimer Although we had survey respondents from all around the world, we chose to focus on the United States for this blog post because the U.S. healthcare system is dramatically different from South Korea’s. The main difference being that the U.S. doesn’t have universal healthcare like many other places such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. However, if you are not from the U.S., don’t let this deter you from reading on. There will be some useful information on South Korea below that you can use to compare with…
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Emergency Support Service, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, Medical & Health, New Arrival Information, Public Health, Tips of Living Your Best Life, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, USA Military Welcome Packet
Important Information about the 1330 Travel Hotline SOS Button
As some of you already know, 1330 Travel Hotline developed an app to support the international community and their daily queries about resources in South Korea. You can read more about the aid and services the app offers in South of Seoul’s recent blog. This blog will focus on one specific function of the 1330 Travel Hotline App, the SOS Button. What is the 1330 Travel Hotline SOS Button? The 1330 SOS button is channel that connects international residents and travelers to an interpreter who can assist with 119 Emergency…
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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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Community Events, Education, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, Medical & Health, New Arrival Information, Physical & Mental Wellness, Public Health, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, USA Military Welcome Packet
Participate in the First SOS Public Health Survey
Who is SOS Public Health trying to reach? Today, University of Utah alumni, Lisa Peck, and South of Seoul are launching the first Public Health survey. This survey aims to reach the English-speaking international population living in South Korea. The target international population includes expats, migrant workers, students, religious missionaries, and military affiliated individuals and families. 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…
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Education, Medical & Health, Physical & Mental Wellness, Public Health, Tips of Living Your Best Life
The New South of Seoul Public Health Program
The Start of the South of Seoul Public Health Program Since 2015, South of Seoul volunteers have supported the English-speaking international community living in South Korea. When COVID-19 swept across the country, the lack of access to critical information related to healthcare for the international community became evident. After observing such struggles within the international community, South of Seoul volunteers began developing the new South of Seoul Public Health Program. Such an initiative aimed at increasing knowledge about primary health care among the English-speaking international population in South Korea. Listen…
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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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Clinics for Pain Management in Pyeongtaek, South Korea
Pyeongtaek has a variety of excellent clinics to help with pain management. Here are three options used by SOS Volunteers.
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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…
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From One Foreigner to Another: Coping with Living Away from Family During COVID-19
Growing up, dreams of living abroad for school or for work were always accompanied by a wistful sense of excitement, adventure, and the awe of untouched potential. Truly, as an expatriate myself, these have been some of the best parts of my overseas experience. However, to a lesser extent, living abroad also comes with tough challenges such as cultural adjustment, being away from the family, lifestyle changes (some for the better, some not so), and then some. Having lived across three different countries over the past two decades, navigating these…
