June 30, 2025
Korea is a very interesting country from a cultural standpoint. Their civil war took place just 7 decades ago, and the country has rapidly gone from rags to riches in that short time span. Take a minute to think about what this means for older generations living in Korea... they have really gone through a lot of changes in their lives. They've seen their country develop rapidly and suddenly become a popular tourist destination. Speaking English, however, was not very necessary for the great majority of Koreans until recent decades, and the way that Korean approach teaching it is very academic and, unfortunately, impractical for actually gaining a solid grasp on the language. If you think about it, global public interest in Korean music, film, food, skincare, and tourism, and Korea's rise to a global entertainment powerhouse, is something that's rapidly happened over the last decade, more or less, and as such, Korea has been scrambling to adapt itself into a more welcoming and comfortable tourist destination.
When I moved to Korea in 2016, it was very different than it is today, both in terms of convenience and quality of life as an expat who didn't speak the language or have a strong grasp on the culture (besides what those cheesy videos and blogs tell you about not sticking your chopsticks in the rice or writing names in red ink). Yet still, I somehow managed to stumble my way through living in this lovely country and had a very good time, and hopefully I can impart some of the wisdom I gained along the way onto you, dear reader. I hope that this guide will be useful for people interested in coming to Korea on E2, E6, E7, and educational visas, and also tourists looking to spend some time here. Let's get right into what it's REALLY like living in Korea as a foreigner (who doesn't speak the language).
Thinking about moving to South Korea? Whether you're relocating for work, school, or just chasing the K-drama fantasy, living in Korea as a foreigner is both at-times exciting and at-times overwhelming.
From lightning-fast Wi-Fi and 24/7 convenience stores to language barriers, housing headaches, and cultural curveballs, life in Korea is a rollercoaster that most travel blogs gloss over.
I'm going to be sharing my personal experiences, as well as the experiences of friends I've met along the way, living the waygookin life in Seoul and beyond.
In this series, we're cutting through the Instagram-filtered versions and giving you the real deal on what it’s like to live in South Korea as a non-Korean.
Whether you're planning a short stay or settling in long-term, this is the kind of information you’ll wish you had on day one.
Let’s get into it.
No matter how many videos you’ve watched or how much you’ve read, living in Korea will throw you curveballs. Some are awesome. Some are inevitable events that help you adapt to Korean society. Some will have you considering fleeing the country. All of them are real.
Here are the biggest surprises most foreigners face when they land, and why they matter:
This should be pretty obvious. The Koreans who will speak the most English are the ones who you'll meet in Hongdae, Itaewon, and Myeongdong. You'll also make a lot of English-speaking Korean friends through online dating and socializing apps, such as Meeff, Hellotalk, Bumble, or Hinge. I recommend these apps specifically from personal experience; the locals on these apps are either learning English or are proficient enough to have some simple conversations. I made so many friends online, especially during covid when socializing was difficult. I should also give an honorable mention to social media apps, namely instagram and tiktok, as they serve as nice networking tools in Korea, as long as your profile isn't setting off any red flags (hint: have photos of you with friends, doing your hobbies, etc, so you don't come across as a creep or weirdo)
Outside of these tourist-friendly entertainment hubs and online apps, it can be difficult to find English speakers. The majority of older Koreans won't speak anything beyond "Hello," "Goodbye," and "Thank you." In these situations, you can try using a translator app to communicate. In my experience, Koreans are very curious about foreigners, but they feel a bit shy when it comes to approaching us or starting a conversation; the burden of communication is going to fall on you, the foreigner (unless they are reasonably drunk). But, you may notice that once you spark a conversation, they are going to ask you a lot of questions. A lot of older Koreans will want to know why you came to Korea, and will be thoroughly impressed if you can speak some Korean.
One of the biggest culture shocks for me as an American coming to Korea was the sheer convenience of living in Seoul. A lot of convenience stores and restaurants are open 24/7. Public transport is clean, safe, efficient, and cheap. If you order something from Coupang in the morning, it might be delivered to you in the same day, usually 2 days max. Daiso is a life saver when you first move here and need to get essentials for your apartment. Naver Maps functions as a search engine for registered businesses, so you can just type “café” and find a bunch of cafes near you. Apps like Toss make sending and receiving money effortless. Taxis are affordable and easy to call with apps like Kakao Taxi. There's wifi EVERYWHERE. You can order food at 3 AM as long as there's a registered restaurant near your home on Coupang Eats (AND it's affordable - no taxes, just a delivery fee for some restaurants). Once you figure out the system, it is incredibly easy to navigate the city and live comfortable in Seoul. Daily life really feels frictionless in the city.
One of the starkest differences between Korea and Japan is that Japan still uses cash, while many Korean businesses are going cashless. This means you don’t need to carry a bunch of cash with you once you have a Korean bank account, but it also means as a tourist you may run into some difficulties when it comes to accessing some services. When I arrived in Incheon airport back in 2016, many foreign cards did not work in Korea. Thankfully, that has since improved, but tourists may still run into some problems, so it’s good to have cash as a backup in case your card gets declined. You will also still need cash to buy street food in places like Myeongdong, though many vendors also take direct bank transfers if you have Toss or Kakaopay.
The social hierarchy isn’t something you notice as an outsider until you’ve lived in Korea for a few years and made some close Korean friends, but it’s still there. Your age, job title, and family background all affect how you’re treated and publicly perceived within Korean society. Those in high society in Korea tend not to associate at all with those who they think are beneath them in status. In the workplace, there’s so much bullying from higher-ups onto Korean staff. I’ve seen the judgment that Koreans feel towards each other first-hand, and it’s baffled mefor a while. It’s something that you get used to with time, but, at least as an American, may not fully understand.
Luckily, as a foreigner, you’re not really in the hierarchy. This is both good and bad, since you’re less likely to be judged on your background or job title, and Koreans can feel a bit more at ease around you due to not having to adhere to age and status based social etiquette nearly as much. On the other hand, at times you really DO feel like an outsider in Korea. There are situations when you’re going to feel objectified or looked-over, and that’s just part of life. I advise accepting this for what it is and just enjoying your life here instead of wasting energy being upset about it.
In either case, learning some basic social etiquette goes a long way, but I do want to emphasize that Koreans don’t want you to “act Korean;” they want to experience you as you are as a foreigner. Of course, do try to keep up and learn the customs, but know that you’re not expected to follow strict rules of etiquette and you won’t be judged as harshly as a Korean would. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard my Korean friends judge and criticize other Koreans for their behavior, only for me to point out that my behavior in the past has been similar, and for them to retort with “Yeah, but you’re not a Korean!”
There are A LOT of rules for social etiquette in Korea, but I’m going to just point out a few essential ones that I think get drowned out by the bizarre outdated customs.
1. Treat public transport like it’s a library (keep your voice down.)
2. Take your trash with you, find a proper place to dispose of it like a trash pile or a trash can (convenience stores and most bathrooms have them).
3. Skinship: learn about it and respect personal boundaries, especially with elders and strangers.
4. Just be polite and sincere as a ground rule.
It's good to keep in mind that the vast majority of Koreans have not had much exposure to foreigners; their impressions are likely based on what they consume through entertainment. That means that by just being in the country, you're a walking representation of "waygookins," and how you conduct yourself matters and creates long lasting first-hand impressions on your local audience. When in doubt, do as the Koreans.
Coming from America, one of Korea's biggest appeals for me is how safe living in Seoul is. You've probably heard countless influencers tell you how you can leave your stuff at a cafe, go and do 100 things in 100 different places, and your stuff will still be there, waiting for you, at the same cafe, hours later. That's true, Koreans hardly ever steal and aren't likely to commit crimes in general (go big or go home is kind of how they approach criminal behavior). This is partly due to CCTV being everywhere, and partly due to upholding reputation (or face) and avoiding a status demotion on the social hierarchy totem pole.
You're unlikely to have an issue with Koreans, but do keep in mind that if you go out to low-tier bars and clubs in Hongdae and Itaewon, you might get robbed. Nightlife in general is full of surprises here. You might hear about how some club is the hottest place in Seoul, but when you go there, the bouncers tell you that foreigners aren't allowed inside. I have experience all kinds of -isms first hand in Korea; it's not fun, but it's pretty common. I've gone out with friends and been told my black or brown friend can't enter a club. Why? "Because they steal." Excuse me, that's racist? You might find out American soldiers are banned from some clubs because "they fight," or Chinese are banned because the owner just hates Chinese people. In Busan I saw a group of foreign women get denied entry for being "too ugly." It suffices to say, Koreans can be outright discriminatory and racist, and there's not much that you can do about it; it's part of being a minority in a monocultural society. Korea is like 98% Korean; you'll probably run into some manifestation of xenophobia if you stay here for a few weeks. Overlooking the quality of life and needs of foreigners is not so much an act done of out spite or malice, but rather one done out of a historical lack of necessity.
While we're on the topic of nightlife, I do want to say, as a person who has experienced much of what Korean nightlife has to offer to foreigners, it's easy to be careless and end up in a bad situation. I have heard of (and seen, first hand) girls being stalked, drugged, and worse. The truth is, foreign girls out alone at a bar are an easy target for predators, so it's important to be careful who you accept drinks from and which venues you frequent (it can be quite hard to find information on this, so send us a DM on instagram at @Korea_Unboxed if you need some help!). The people targeting foreign girls know that most of them won't press charges because, for one, they don't know how to navigate the legal system in Korea at all, and most of them are not going to stay in the country long enough to follow through with the case. On top of that, victim blaming is kind of common here, and police may try to dissuade foreigners from pressing charges. It's better to avoid becoming a victim, so please be careful with your drinks.
If you want a safe option for going out in Korea, I can honestly recommend booking a nightlife tour with Seoul Night Life or another popular pub crawl (SNL is the best, though). I know Adam, the guy who runs it, personally, and I've done some promotional photography for them. I can attest that they take care of their clients and make sure they get home safe at the end of a night out. Also, you're getting unlimited drinks all night for the same price as a few cocktails.
This one is something I realized after years of social observation and reflecting on reading people posting about feeling socially isolated in Korea and feeling rejected by Koreans. There I was, built like a Chicken McNugget, with more friends and social connections than I knew what to do with, and all I was doing was being a fun and happy guy, embracing the caricature of the "American abroad." I was loud, not afraid of attention (usually the center of it, to be honest), and always finding ways to amuse myself while keeping it win-win for the people I was meeting. Keep in mind, this was mostly in nightlife districts where it's okay make noise, though I will admit to having gotten shushed a few times on public transport. So, if I was having such a great time, and the people around me were having a great experience living in Korea, why were people saying it was hard to make friends in Korea? I would get drunk and meet people, wake up with new contacts in my phone and a hangover the next day, then invite all of those contacts out to party and hang out. At one point I became a party promoter, mostly by accident.
So, what do I mean by Koreans don't want you to be "Korean?" Imagine a foreigner coming to your country and trying way too hard to copy your culture, customs, and social etiquette. It's off-putting, largely because you'd rather experience that person as they really are, instead of interacting with a mask they are wearing to try to "fit in" in a foreign country. It's not "cool" behavior, to say the least. In fact, it's quite the opposite of authentic and at-ease.
If you want to make friends, be your most pleasant and authentic self (raise the vibes~). That way, you will attract people who naturally get along with you, and you will repel those who don't... and you might just become a low-key celebrity for a few years where people recognize you outside because they've seen you in Hongdae and Itaewon so many times (familiarity bias works in your favor, hahaha)
Before I wrap this post up, I just want to quickly mention our services for curious travelers. We have helped many families plan a unique trip to Korea and have authentic Korean experiences. We can help you to book activities that you won't be able to access as an average tourist. Just shoot us a DM on our instagram if it sounds helpful!
Hope you enjoyed reading and stay tuned for the next part!
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