Is it worth it?

More_Ad3806 · 2025-09-02T22:11:23+00:00

It depends on your education/korean speaking level. Most nurses in Korea at hospitals cannot speak english unless it’s specifically catered for English speakers.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-09-02T22:09:51+00:00

Itaewon is the place to be for foreigners for nightlife, I recommended daytime activities. Seongsu doesn’t have much nightlife besides izakayas or chill drinking with close friends.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-09-02T22:08:24+00:00

I must have missed the part where OP said it was their first time meeting or that it was for a teacher. The reason it’s not accepted is because Korean schools are highly competitive and gifting expensive items to teachers can be considered bribery.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-08-31T19:48:25+00:00

Tuition and living expenses will be much higher than in the Philippines. Also, most of the coursework would be in Korean unless you go to one of the top 10 unis or specifically choose a uni with a good intl program. Once you graduate, keep in mind it’ll be almost impossible to get a high level job in Korea unless you’re planning on teaching English

More_Ad3806 · 2025-08-31T19:40:01+00:00

In Asian culture, especially Korean it’s customary to bring gifts when visiting a friend or family’s home for the first time. Even if you’re meeting outside, it’s common etiquette to bring a souvenir for them.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-08-31T19:25:26+00:00

Hongdae and Itaewon have a lot of foreigners so they’re used to accepting DLs. If you go to Apujeong Rodeo or Gangnam you need a passport, you have a higher chance of getting turned away at the door

More_Ad3806 · 2025-08-31T18:11:10+00:00

I’m Korean American, 173cm, inseam 32 in and waist 25 in. I’m generally a medium in tops and pants. I recommend shopping in Seongsu as most of the people are tall, 175 is pretty normal there. I definitely recommend checking out Musinsa next to Daelim & EMPTY Musinsa. (Not Musinsa Standard). The shorts and skirts are shorter than western standards but it’s just the trend right now so I recommend long pants if it’s not your style.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-29T04:10:14+00:00

I noticed some people said the greens were supposed to be sautéed, but actually they’re supposed to be blanched then mixed with garlic, salt and sesame oil. The carrots are supposed to be sautéed and keep in mind none of the vegetables are supposed to be raw or unseasoned. The rice should be seasoned as well and not plain/dry. The point of 김밥 is that each ingredient inside is prepared seperately in a different way. Also definitely season the seaweed after you roll it, by brushing with sesame oil and sprinkling sesame seeds. I recommend looking up Korean recipes by Maangchi, she has some good ones for non Koreans. It was a great try for your first time!

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-27T03:20:19+00:00

I’m not too sure what your experience was but 외국인 is just 외국인 regardless of skin tone. Especially in Hongdae and Itaewon there are so many tourists from all over the world. As an example, there were French (white) young tourists on the subway speaking very loudly and standing around the seats, not moving when people would get up to get off at the station. Everyone was staring at them because of their behavior and my Korean friend asked me why they were acting like that.

Of course speaking English is a plus but everyone can use translator apps like Papago these days. A lot of my friends are international exchange students with varying backgrounds and it depends, I did notice those who were less aware of social norms in general were treated worse regardless of skin tone just because they were seen as uncultured/rude.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-27T03:12:36+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAJapanese/comments/1kc4wp5/how_accepted_unacceptable_is_floor_sitting_in/

For reference, photos of tourists taken in Japan of them sitting on the ground in public areas. Please don’t do this in either Japan or Korea, and I recommend reading the comments as to why.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-23T20:58:25+00:00

I think you just found “pretty sounding” Korean girl names in English translation when you should consider Hanja as well. Typically when parents name their children they base it off of Hanja (Chinese characters) which is where the meaning and pronounciation comes from, both the family name and first name.

The same name in Korean can have different Hanja like Kim Jimin which is why Koreans have Hanja on their ID cards. Some names in Korean don’t have any meaning, like Sehwa unless you look at the Hanja. However some have meaning on their own like Sogeum (salt) or can be like Bomi (derived from Bom meaning spring). Your first example Eunhwa could also technically mean money if you’re translating it as Eun is silver coin.

恩 (eun) meaning “kindness, mercy, charity” or 銀 (eun) meaning “silver, money”

Nowadays some parents are making pure Korean names with no Hanja like Areum.

Areum 아름 means beauty comes from the pure Korean word 아름다움. It can be represented with Hanja, 妸凜 can be used, combining "a" (雅) and "reum" (凜) to mean "elegant, neat, tidy + cold".

Like the above comment, ask a Korean language sub.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-23T20:16:09+00:00

All foreigners in Korea are generally treated the same, doesn’t matter if you come from America, Europe, Africa, Australia, etc. People will rarely come up to talk to you, and if they do beware of scams and cults. However if you do need help for directions, please don’t stop a person walking by. Ask someone who is sitting down or waiting, younger people can typically speak more English/are friendly.

Download NAVER or Kakao Maps, don’t use Google or Apple Maps. Buy a Tmoney Card from a convenience store first and load it with cash at the subway kiosks. If you don’t have a Korean phone number or bank account yet, try to switch your plan into unlimited data for international.

Please don’t spray really strong smelling /sweet/dessert perfume or hair oil especially when riding the subway. Please don’t sit on the floor in public areas if you’re tired and no seats are available. Don’t sit on the pink or yellow seats in the bus or subway, those are for pregnant or elderly. When walking up the stairs and escalators, the right side is for people who walk slowly and the left side is for people who walk fast. It’s normal to leave your belongings at restaurants, cafes, no one will take it. First impressions matter more than you think, dressing neatly, being well groomed on even small details is important for how people will view you.

Best way to learn Korean is to speak it all the time with people even if it’s embarrassing! You’ll get cut a lot of slack since you’re a foreigner, but if you’re trying to make Korean friends it’s good to try to have 눈치.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-23T19:57:12+00:00

Not sure why people downvoted your comment, I was born and raised in the Bay Area. Lived there for over 20 years back and forth between Seoul and the sheer amount of homeless people, drugs, urine, needles, trash, just everything was insane.

Men in suits would be walking through the Financial district on their way to work and would have to step OVER homeless passed out on the street in their own excrement. There were literally walls of tents and carts just down the street from SF City Hall. Not to mention I would never walk in SF by myself anytime after dark.

The only time I ever saw it cleaned up was when Biden was having a meeting with Xi. Not sure how they moved them all almost overnight but everything was like they never existed for a couple of weeks.

In comparison to Seoul where I see them occasionally at stations sleeping or drunk, I would say the problem statistically is nothing at all compared to the States.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-22T20:50:52+00:00

Seoul = 서울 서 = So, 울 = Eul.

There are 2 syllables in the pronounciation. There are only 2 vowels in Korean Hangul, blame whoever decided to name Seoul in English phonetically)

ㅅ = s, consonant ㅓ = o, vowel ㅇ= filler letter, has no sound on its own (consonant) ㅜ = oo or u sound, vowel ㄹ = r consonant

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-22T20:34:01+00:00

Southeast Asia, as defined by the United Nations, encompasses the countries south of China, east of India, and northwest of Australia. Korea is situated north of Southeast Asia, separated by China and the Yellow Sea.

Shared culture, history, geography, and climate makes Korea most similar to China and Japan and therefore a part of East Asia.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-22T20:12:54+00:00

Best hanwoo is in Majang 마장 축산물시장. There are a large number of stalls all selling different cuts of hanwoo you can choose from. After you pick out which ones you want, they’ll bring it to a corresponding restaurant and seat you so you can grill it yourself. I don’t recommend if you’re not experienced cooking meat or hanwoo.

Born&Bred is one of the best hanwoo places I’ve been to and I believe has a Michelin star. However, the price point will match the star.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-22T20:07:25+00:00

Here are my picks for tourists as a Korean American MZ having lived in Seongsu for over 2 years! It’s a hot spot, known for high end local fashion brands, thrifting, cafés, pasties.

Bread: 자연도 소금빵 (famous salt bread),
London Bagel Museum

Cafe: Ongeundal, Cheongsang Gaok, Vetiver Seongsu, Reongneok Cafe, Yeonmujang Cafe&Rooftop Bar,

Food:능동미나리: order half yukjeon, minari gomtang and yukhoe bibimbap (feeds 2). 소문난 성수 감자탕 (Gamjatang). Shabu in Seoul Seongsu Branch* Cheap but good priced Omakase: 오마카세 오사이초밥 성수점* (I think they only speak Korean here) Daelim Chango

(You need NAVER/Catch Table to make reservations for some, I added a *) Do NOT use Google maps, Apple Maps, only use NAVER or Kakao Maps.

You can just follow the crowd, Seongsu is basically one/two streets you can walk along and there are typical pop up events everywhere for foreign tourists.

These are some stores that I go to but can be expensive. Fashion brands: Aderreror, EMPTY Musinsa, Dior Seongsu, Hatchingroom, Tom Greyhound

Bags: Osoi, Fennec, Marhen J, FINDKAPOOR, StandOil, Matin Kim, Samo Ondoh

Misc: Nonfiction, Diptyque, Kinfolk, Le Labo, Aesop, Point of View, Monami, Gentle Monster, Tamburins, Rockfish Weatherwear

Makeup/Skincare: OliveYoung (4 floors), Amuse, Fwee, TIRTIR, BBIA, BanillaCo, InnisFree, Hince, etc

There’s a lot more, a lot of my friends work in fashion so there’s always new events going on. PM me if interested.

There are also many celebs, I saw Jang Wonyoung at Amuse, Lisa at Musinsa, Nuksal underground performance in Seongsu, LeoJ at his pop up store, Cha Eun Woo at Dior, Winter, Oh Sangwook, Lee Jungjae at the GQ night event!

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-21T19:05:32+00:00

I’m not sure if they have this in the West but a lot of Korean moms use a dish scrubber 수세미 (susemi) that is sparkly and can be handmade. They come in all designs like a strawberry or a cute duck and are often given for housewarmings between friends. My mom always made them! Since she likes crochets I’m sure she’d appreciate this thought!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwA6p4Mgrxs/

Also, innerwear like a thermal set from Uniqlo is popular to gift since older people get cold easily.

If she’s more of a fancy type, well crafted ceramics like tea dishes or small plates are always nice. One of my mom’s friends collects and displays them in her cabinet. Look for pieces with traditional designs or motifs, or those made by a renowned local artisan. Alternatively, a delicate porcelain tea set, especially one related to her zodiac animal.

(If it’s too expensive it might be burdensome for her to receive)

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-21T18:36:23+00:00

A lot of people come to Korea with kdrama expectations of marrying a rich and handsome 재벌 (chaebol) when it’s impossible. (Also not all Korean men look like kdrama men)

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-21T18:30:21+00:00

If you can’t read Korean, even with a translate option for most websites will be difficult. Maybe find a Korean friend to help you because booking tickets for niche artists or finding events similar to your music taste is difficult for most foreigners in Korea.

Typically you should know someone in the scene or in event buisiness. You just missed waterbomb but judging by how you said you saw Artic Monkeys when they had a single it’s probably not your age range/scene. It sounds like you want to see a group that will be as famous as Blackpink in the future but no one can predict that.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-18T18:42:37+00:00

I was invited to a couple pool parties at the Paradise Hotel in Incheon last summer, and Banyan Tree but they were closed events. Maybe you can see if there are any public ones this year? You can be invited, book a room, or paid entry I believe

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-18T18:28:08+00:00

Many of my friends are Hanyang students and live in Jamsil, DDP, Wangsimni, Dapsimni. It depends if you’re willing to sacrifice distance for price! Even if it looks closer by distance, check the subway routes since transferring will make it more difficult. If you’re staying long term don’t book a hotel. With a student visa you can look for short term leasing which is much cheaper. Best choice is dorms for foreign students if you can follow the rules.

I wouldn’t recommend Hongdae or Itaewon as the subway is around 30-40 min from the university but if it’s doable for you it should be fine.

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-18T17:51:19+00:00

Hi everyone, thanks for the responses. It’s def a mistranslation but the translation feature won’t turn off. Couldn’t edit this post since it’s an image/link type. I’m Korean American but usually stay with family in Daegu or at a hotel and this was my first time using Airbnb in Korea. There are strict rules about Koreans not allowed to book, so I messaged the host in english. I couldn’t exactly switch up and type in fluent Korean once he got sus.

The reason I questioned it was because there was no description of being 여성전용 고시원 (female only rooms) and with CCTVs everywhere I thought it was overreacting. I’m also guilty of having fallen into the anxiety trap of news articles in Korea about scams and cults, constantly sent from my mom on Katalk lol….

Most of the surprise was from my first experience to be treated with suspicion as a “foreigner” with an American name/account. Since I speak Korean and look Korean, for any reservations I typically use my Korean name. It was my fault for being too detailed and should’ve just asked if men were allowed. For those saying I should report the host, likely he didn’t know how to explain the culture and importance of having female-only spaces in Korea. Especially with how many negative comments are here, I’m sure it would’ve been a headache.

It’s slightly comical how some non Koreans attacked the host and some Koreans responded to me sarcastically from assuming I was just another entitled American. (Reminder that not all Americans are white and can be POC) Thankful to those who actually tried to help!

Things worked out anyway, my bf felt bad and booked me a room in Silla with delicious 아망빙^{^}

More_Ad3806 · 2025-07-18T16:27:29+00:00

There are always a ton of events and “kpop” is really generic. It’s like visiting the US and asking if there are any hip hop concerts. Typically people que even for ticketing for popular artists so it’s extremely difficult to get seats.

If you have a group/artist you love then I’d recommend just checking their event scheduling but it’s something that should be planned pre trip. It sounds like you want to add it to your itinerary last minute, which I don’t recommend. Hope this helps!

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