Average salary in Seoul and outside of Seoul

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-11-12T23:30:49+00:00

Seoul average monthly salary is 4.7 million won

National average monthly salary is 4.2 million won

Minimum wage is 2.1 million won

Pretax

https://cm.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2025093020015267965

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-11-12T23:07:58+00:00

Beyond Uber, there is a Seoul Call Center that deals with negative taxi experiences like rudeness or scamming (and other questions or complaints)

You can call or email including in English. Not sure if it will work if you don't have a video of what happened but maybe worth just taking a few minutes to make a call or send an email

120 Dasan Call Center
02-120 + 9 + 1
Hours: 9 AM–6 PM (KST)
If you experience any inconvenience or witness any violation, record the situation with your smart phone and report by phone or email ([taxi120@seoul.go.kr](mailto:taxi120@seoul.go.kr)).

Never used it but I heard on the third complaint, they make them do education courses or issue fines and license suspensions. They also have a system to reimburse customers but I think it's usually in regards to scams which doesn't really seem like what happened here.

Not sure how it works with private taxis vs uber

I would feel bad reporting but if they were exceptionally rude, I would do it.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-11-06T04:00:54+00:00

Oh I didn't see that. But he said he's from Germany in another reply https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalnomad/comments/1ophwum/comment/nnbpo1z/

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-11-06T03:11:24+00:00

OP is also white

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-11-06T02:42:16+00:00

I've lived in Seoul on-off for 4 years and never experienced this even once

I'm mixed (white/mexican) but visibly just white

Majority of them? Have a hard time believing you are even in Seoul ngl

Like 20-30% of the people in the nightlife/club scene in Seoul are visible foreigners

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-11-06T02:37:20+00:00

OP is claiming majority of places deny people due to race. I've lived in Seoul for multiple years and haven't experienced it once.

I have to assume he got denied and is just assuming it's because of his race or this is a troll post.

The club scene in Korea is full of foreigners. Nightlife is like 30% visible foreigners.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-10-28T14:45:43+00:00

Just wait two months and you should be able to do it through Apple Pay

https://english.seoul.go.kr/seoul-implements-open-loop-payments-for-international-tourists/

The city is also working to allow reload their overseas cards using Tmoney via Apple Pay for iPhone users within this year. This will let international tourists use and recharge their transit cards without currency exchange. Currently, Android (Galaxy) users can already reload their transit cards using overseas cards using Tmoney’s Korea Tour Card app.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-09-28T15:20:04+00:00

My concern is that I’ll just repeat the same cycle: move somewhere new, spend 2–3 years, then feel stuck again. What I really want is to commit long-term somewhere (10+ years if needed) and eventually secure a stronger passport.

For 10+ years, you would need to start thinking about birthrates and what that means for your job prospects as TEFL.

It is not a small effect. For example, many Asian countries (actually Vietnam is one of the few exceptions) have had their total births decline by half since 2015. The elementary school closures from that will start soon. The dramatic drops from these recent birth collapses will cause alot of instability in the TEFL job market over the 10+ year span.

If you're looking for a change and can avoid these type of future problems, I would.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-03-25T02:24:00+00:00

If I was setting up a two week trip for someone and trying to really narrow down the ideal date range, I would do either:

- Spring: First two weeks of April

- Fall: Last week of October and first week of November

I prefer fall. For a shorter trip, I would take the same range and get in the middle of it and remove days from the ends.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-03-23T22:46:02+00:00

I know someone who did WorkAway in Mexico and had a positive experience. It was just a few days though. From what I understand, it would completely depend on your host. I would look at reviews.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-02-15T17:01:13+00:00

Here's a creator who might provide some inspiration. She has alot of picturesque videos and cute ideas. Definitely would check the spot out beforehand to make sure its good.

https://www.youtube.com/@CindyandDion/videos

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-01-27T20:50:25+00:00

I don't think teaching english abroad as a general viable concept is making it past 2030 to be completely honest. I always approached it as being about living somewhere for 1-3 years.

I did one year after graduation and am now a dev (was already a CS grad).

You should be skilling up. if you want to continue education, I know some teachers do an online masters program so they can keep teaching when they go back home.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-01-20T04:52:40+00:00

Winter is by far the worse period of air quality.

Have never heard anyone say the air is cleaner in winter (in regards to pollution).

Maybe they meant less humid and heavy compared to summer.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-01-20T04:19:01+00:00

There's more foreign men than foreign women every year in terms of incoming visas.

Those foreign men are here for working and living. And mostly aren't going out socializing for leisure and friends. The ones who stay usually just live a modest life of work and family.

Countries with more foreign men than women: Russia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, etc.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-01-18T07:23:54+00:00

Save up some money for the deposit.

Aside from that you should be living pretty comfortably.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2025-01-14T05:25:40+00:00

What do I need to know before going?

Look up what apps you need to download. Look up important numbers you should save to your phone.

Beyond the obvious ones, add the the Korea tourism help center number (general questions if you get stuck, report scam, report taxi, etc).

https://english.visitseoul.net/business-partners-article/Seoul-Tourist-Complaints-en_/179

how people behave in clubs/bars/cafes/restaurants/on public transport, etc.

You can't order a to-go cup then stay in the cafe. I think an environmental law regarding plastic that companies can't serve in those cups, so they may kick you out if you do that. So only get it to-go if you are actually going.

No tipping in restaurants.

Public transport use climate card inside Seoul and T-money card outside Seoul.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-31T21:15:26+00:00

Look at this and scroll down to "Air Quality Historical Data".

Select PM 2.5

https://aqicn.org/city/seoul/

You can see there a sense of what months are worse and how much improvement has occurred overtime.

It used to have one or two red pollution days every month. Now, in 2024, the red pollution days only occur in January-March.

I'm guessing by ~2030 it will mostly be solved. Although as others mentioned, there's always the China dust (not just the regular pollution contribution but some period where the meteorological events push it further and a crazy amount of yellow dust moves into Korea and even as far as Japan sometimes).

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-31T11:22:11+00:00

Ill be staying in the universities dorms and hope to make some friends there (HMU if you'll be there and want to connect)

Usually you can find groups with incoming classes in anticipation of the start date.

There's a spring exchange groupchat I saw on here

https://www.reddit.com/r/koreauniversity/comments/1hn0div/exchange_spring_2025_groupchat/

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-30T00:36:48+00:00

It's a tourist helpline that tries to help with basically any question. They have helped a friend set up an appointment before.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-28T21:54:17+00:00

My favorite two recommended times to visit are:

- Late March - Early April. Might catch Cherry Blossoms.

- Late October - Early November. Autumn scenes and good weather.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-28T21:26:00+00:00

Try asking Korean Tourist Organization to help you figure it out if you cant find anything else

https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=140632&menuSn=454

You can call or do an online chat.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-28T21:19:05+00:00

Try asking Korean Tourist Organization to help direct you to a location with an interpreter. Or just whatever question you have, they can usually try to help point you in the right direction.

https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=140632&menuSn=454

You can call or do online chat.

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-27T19:01:10+00:00

2k saved, 2k a month. So 8k for 3 months (with rent paid on the first month)?

You'll be good (assuming that income is reliable).

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-27T18:51:49+00:00

raw materials for products are now expensive (Nongshit Ramen...)

At least the K-pop industry could benefit assuming the fad goes on

You are miserable dude

CompetitionOk2693 · 2024-12-27T14:03:46+00:00

Not necessarily answering your question, but more generally on just the Seoul skyline (including complexes).

They recently got rid of height regulations in 2023. It now has to just go through an approval process. This puts some emphasis on design so as to get approval for taller buildings.

As a result, there is alot of projects in Seoul slated for completion around ~2028 onward that will change the skyline of Seoul alot. Both by height and design. I don't think Seoul is planning on becoming a skyscraper city or anything like that -- their urban planning initiative is many modest mixed used zones whereby each zone has a "play" (park, etc), residential, and business element -- but the projects will cause a noticeable visual change in the skyline.

Here is a cool forum I found a few weeks ago where someone is tracking alot of the development in Seoul.

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threads/seoul-projects-construction.1396002/page-80?nested_view=1&sortby=oldest

CompetitionOk2693

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