New Arrival Information
Be kind to yourself and have grace for yourself when you first arrive in South Korea. Living in Korea as a foreigner isn't easy.
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 oftentimes 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.
-
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…
-
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…
-
A Year to Learn Korean Cooking, Education, ESL/EFL Educators Welcome Packet, International Student Welcome Packet, USA Military Welcome Packet
About Grocery Shopping in South Korea
Wondering about grocery shopping in Korea? Let’s discuss the realities of moving to a new culture and the struggles in Korea. Grocery shopping in South Korea Moving to South Korea can feel like a shock in the kitchen!! Grocery stores have different organizational logic, companies package differently, veggies taste different, and so much more. It’s likely that you are going to notice a difference in how everything cooks and tastes. It’s going to take a while to get used to all the new vegetables, fruits, meat cuts, and more. When…
-
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…


























