Korea Knowledge Catalogue for Foreigners

1. Quick answers and essential numbers

Save these numbers before travelling. Availability, languages, and operating hours can change, so use the linked official pages for current details.

2. Before travelling to Korea

Do I need a visa or K-ETA?

Entry requirements depend on nationality, passport, purpose of travel, and current government exemptions. Do not rely on an old social post or a third-party application website. Check the official K-ETA website and the Korea Immigration Service before booking or departure.

• Make sure the passport details used for tickets and entry documents match exactly.
• Keep the address and phone number of the first accommodation available for arrival forms or questions.
• Check airline, customs, medication, and restricted-item rules separately.
• Buy travel insurance appropriate for the activities and medical coverage needed.

3. Connectivity and useful apps

Reliable mobile data makes transport, translation, bookings, and emergency communication much easier. Visitors commonly use roaming, an eSIM, a prepaid SIM, or a portable Wi-Fi device. Confirm phone compatibility and whether the product includes a Korean phone number before buying.

• Navigation: Naver Map and KakaoMap are useful for Korean addresses, local businesses, walking routes, and public transport.
• Translation: Papago and other translation tools can help with menus, signs, and short conversations.
• Messaging: KakaoTalk is widely used by local businesses and residents.
• Reservations: Some Korean services require local identity verification, a Korean number, or a domestic payment method. Check before depending on an app.

4. Public transport, taxis, and airport travel

Which transportation card should I buy?

T-money and Cashbee are established reloadable transportation cards used across public transport networks. Purchase and recharge options vary by location. Seoul’s official guide explains current card use and purchasing options: Seoul public transportation.

• Tap when entering and leaving the subway, and when boarding and leaving buses where required.
• Keep enough stored value for transfers and the final trip of the day.
• For taxis, confirm that the meter is running and check the destination in a map app.
• Compare airport railroad, bus, taxi, and private-transfer options by arrival time, luggage, group size, and destination.

Related guides: Taking taxis in Seoul and Getting from Incheon Airport to major Seoul districts.

5. Payments, cash, shopping, and tax refunds

Can I rely only on an international card?

Cards are common, but a foreign-issued card can still fail because of the terminal, issuer, authentication method, or online verification. Carry a second payment method and a modest amount of Korean won, especially for small shops, transport-card recharging, markets, and emergencies.

• Tell the card issuer about travel and confirm overseas payments are enabled.
• Choose Korean won when a payment terminal offers currency conversion, unless the issuer’s terms make another option preferable.
• At participating tax-refund stores, present the required identification and keep receipts.
• Eligibility, purchase thresholds, and refund methods change; confirm them through the official duty-free and tax-refund guide.

6. Food, ordering, and dietary needs

Tipping is generally not required or expected in ordinary Korean restaurants. Water and basic side dishes are often included, although each restaurant can set its own service and refill policy.

• Check whether ordering is done with a server, table tablet, QR code, kiosk, or counter.
• For allergies, show the ingredient in both English and Korean and explain that even a small amount is unsafe.
• Vegetarian, vegan, halal, and gluten-free requests may require detailed ingredient checks, including broth, sauces, and shared cooking surfaces.
• Prices, minimum orders, and last-order times should be confirmed at the restaurant.

See the Korea Tourism Organization’s official introduction to Korean dining.

7. Safety, health, and urgent help

Use 112 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance emergencies. Share the nearest building name, station exit, road address, or smartphone location. For non-emergency medical questions, contact an appropriate clinic, hospital, pharmacist, insurer, or licensed professional.

• Keep a copy of insurance details, prescriptions, medication names, allergies, and an emergency contact.
• Do not assume every clinic offers walk-in service or support in a particular language.
• For lost property, record the route, time, vehicle or train details, and item description as soon as possible.
• In crowded areas, follow police, venue, transit, and local-government instructions.

8. Living in Korea for longer

Long-term residents may need to manage immigration registration, address reporting, housing contracts, banking, health insurance, phone verification, taxes, employment rules, and local waste systems. Requirements depend on immigration status, municipality, and personal circumstances.

• Use 1345 for official immigration and residence guidance.
• Check the responsible immigration office and local city, county, district, or community-service center before visiting.
• Do not transfer a large housing deposit until the property, owner, contract, and protection options have been checked carefully.
• Waste bags and sorting rules vary locally; follow the municipality’s current instructions.

For practical communication or selected administrative help, see Foreigner Assistance. PIN Agency does not replace a lawyer, immigration officer, accountant, doctor, or other licensed professional.

9. Everyday etiquette and communication

Korean social expectations vary by place, age, relationship, and situation. Observe posted rules and local behavior instead of treating any single social-media rule as universal.

• Keep calls, music, and group conversations considerate on public transportation.
• Queue where marked and allow passengers to exit before boarding.
• Ask before closely photographing or filming identifiable people or private businesses.
• Shoes are commonly removed in homes and in some traditional rooms or businesses; follow the host or signage.
• A short polite greeting and patient use of translation tools usually matter more than perfect Korean.

Related reading: Things that can feel rude in Korea but are not and What Koreans may mean in everyday conversation.

10. Explore Korea Unboxed guides

Korea Unboxed publishes locally informed English-language guides for visitors and residents. Topics include transportation, food, neighborhoods, culture, housing, beauty, healthcare navigation, nightlife, events, and everyday life.

11. When PIN Agency may help

PIN Agency may provide direct itinerary planning, tours, photography, and selected foreigner-assistance services, or help communicate with an independent provider. When a customer asks PIN Agency to secure a third-party reservation that the customer may be unable to complete without Korean credentials or local booking access—such as Korean mobile-phone verification, a local account or payment method, or assistance with a Korean-language booking process—a US$10 reservation assistance service fee applies when the reservation is successfully secured. This is payment for PIN Agency’s administrative assistance, not a fee charged by the provider. It is separate from the provider’s price and any provider-paid commission and is disclosed before the customer confirms the assistance. No fee is charged if PIN Agency cannot secure the requested reservation. If the customer cancels after it has been secured, the fee is non-refundable because the assistance has been completed. If the provider cancels, its price, deposit, and refunds follow its policy; PIN Agency considers the separate US$10 service fee case by case, subject to applicable law. The provider’s other terms and policies remain separate.

See the Company Knowledge Catalogue for complete operating details, or use the Contact page for an inquiry. A message is not a confirmed booking.