New Arrival Information
Be kind to yourself and have grace for yourself when you first arrive in South Korea.
When you arrive in South Korea, you may find yourself scrambling to acclimate. That's ok and that is normal. You are dealing with a new language, new culture, new customs, new foods, new co-workers, and often-times a new career. Culture shock is a very real and often painful experience. Taking the time to inform yourself about the world around you will couple perfectly with having grace for yourself and others.
South of Seoul volunteers empathize deeply with your struggle.
We have also struggled through that pain as well and our mission is to help minimize the struggle as much as possible. That's why South of Seoul volunteers put together this list of blogs that each shares something we wish we had known in the first three months of our arrival in South Korea. We recommend revisiting these blogs regularly over the first three months because each time you read them something new will stand out.Is there a blog you think we should have on this list?
Information you wish you had? Please leave a comment or message us at southofseoul@gmail.com and we will add it to our list of blogs to post.
-
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…
-
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.
-
ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, New Arrival Information, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, USA Military Welcome Packet
Bilingual Concierge Services to Support Your Lives and Travel in South Korea
Do you need help with managing your daily living tasks in Korea? Have you considered using bilingual concierge services? How can a concierge/assistant service help me in South Korea? Bi-lingual concierge services make your life better. Such companies help you accomplish a multitude of tasks that may frustrate you to no end when you don’t 1 ) speak Korean, 2) have a Korean ID for confirming your identity online, or 3) a Korean bank account. When you find yourself driven made by such situations, you can simply pay a bi-lingual…
-
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:…
-
Fun & Entertainment, Indoor Activities, Outdoor Activities, Skate in Korea, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet
10 Skateparks Beyond Seoul
Looking for some skate ramps? Here are 10 places outside of Seoul to grind your day away. Don’t sit at home, grab your board and ride. Is there any skateboarding outside of seoul? Yes, of course! We have found ramps big and small from Gangwon-do to Geoje. Some of them we remembered to mark and others we did not. We try to always keep our boards and blades in the car on any trip so that we can take advantage of whatever parks we find. What are skateparks like in…
-
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…
-
About Pyeongtaek-si, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, Living in Pyeongtaek-si, New Arrival Information, Pyeongtaek News, USA Military Welcome Packet
Helpful Facebook Pages for Pyeongtaek Ex-pats and US Military to Follow
Why do local individuals, organizations, and governments run Facebook Pages for Pyeongtaek? Pyeongtaek does not have an official local English newspaper, English TV station, or systems for sharing English language information with the international, English speaking community. Historidally, such a lack of official English information lead many expats in Pyeongtaek feeling isolated and unsafe which greatly impacted their mental and physical health. Thankfully, Pyeongtaek city has also been blessed by a community of people dedecated to solving this issue using technology, crowd sourcing, and community building. still need information related…
-
Facebook Groups for Pyeongtaek, Camp Humphreys, and Osan Air Force Base
The best Facebok groups in Pyeongtaek for different groups and interestest. Find the best Facebook Group for your needs or start your own!
-
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…
-
Education, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, New Arrival Information, Tourist and Traveler Welcome Packet, USA Military Welcome Packet
5 Facebook Pages To Follow if you Live in South Korea
Wondering how to stay current on life in South Korea? You aren’t alone. Facebook provides a treasure trove of current information that ex-pats find critical to daily life. The benefit of Facebook pages over websites is that you receive relevant information in a more timely manner. In short, the managers of the Facebook page do a lot of thinking for you so that you know what is most important to you now. South of Seoul volunteers have found the following five facebooks to be invaluable resources over time, especially for…