생활
Daily Life
Bank, phone, transport, driving and the everyday rules nobody explains.
정착 준비
Open Getting Set Up →Getting Set Up
- GuideEssential Apps for Living in KoreaThe apps foreigners in Korea actually use for food, taxis, maps, shopping, money and paperwork, which ones work in English, and what each needs to sign up.
- GuidePhone and Identity Verification in Korea: Why Sign-Ups FailKorean sites verify you via your phone carrier, a bank certificate or PASS. Most failures come from a phone not in your name or a name mismatch with your ARC.
- ArticleGetting a Phone Number in Korea: Prepaid SIM, Budget Carriers and ContractsArriving in Korea, a prepaid SIM or eSIM works with just your passport. Once you have an ARC, a budget MVNO plan (알뜰폰) usually costs far less than the big three carriers. Your phone number matters because Korean apps verify your identity with it.
- ArticleOpening a Bank Account in Korea as a Foreigner: What to Bring and How to Lift the LimitsWith an ARC, passport and Korean phone number you can open a Korean bank account in one visit. New accounts often start with low daily transfer limits until you show proof of income. Step-by-step, plus the online option.
- ArticleYour First 30 Days in Korea: A Week-by-Week ChecklistA practical order for settling in Korea: eSIM and transport card on day one, ARC appointment in week one, bank account and phone plan once the card arrives, then lease registration, health insurance and the apps everyone uses.
교통
Open Getting Around →Getting Around
- GuideGetting a Korean Driver's License or Exchanging YoursForeign residents can swap a valid foreign license at a KoROAD test site. Recognized countries skip all tests; others take a written test. Documents and fees.
- GuidePublic Transport in Korea: T-money, Subway, Bus and TrainsOne tap card covers buses and subways nationwide. Seoul fares: ₩1,550 subway, ₩1,500 bus, free transfers. How K-Pass refunds, trains and taxis work.
- ArticleGetting Home at 2 a.m.: Kakao T vs Uber vs TADA in KoreaKakao T has the most taxis, Uber is the easiest with a foreign card, and TADA is a solid backup. In Seoul, regular taxis cost 20 to 40% more between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
- ArticleNaver Map vs Kakao Map: Which One to Use in Korea (and Why Google Maps Falls Short)Use Naver Map as your main app for transit, walking and English place search, and keep Kakao Map for live bus tracking and Kakao T taxis. Google Maps still can't give reliable walking or driving directions in Korea as of October 2026.
음식 · 쇼핑
Open Food, Shopping & Deliveries →Food, Shopping & Deliveries
- ArticleBuying and Selling Secondhand on Karrot (당근) Without Speaking KoreanKarrot (당근) is Korea's neighborhood secondhand app. You need a Korean phone line in your own name to sign up, the menus can be set to English, and most trades are cash or transfer at a meetup near home.
- ArticleCoupang Rocket Delivery for Foreigners: Sign-Up, Payment and ReturnsForeign residents can use Coupang with a Korean phone number, and it has an English mode. Foreign Visa, Mastercard and JCB cards in your own name work, WOW membership is ₩7,890 a month, and overseas Rocket Jikgu orders need a customs ID.
- ArticleMidnight Snack in Korea: How to Order Food Delivery as a ForeignerBaemin is the easiest delivery app for foreigners: it works in English and takes foreign cards. Coupang Eats and Yogiyo mostly need a Korean number and a Korean card.
언어
Language & Translation
- ArticlePapago Tricks for Menus, Letters and Signs in KoreaPapago, Naver's free translator, is usually the best app for Korean: use its camera for menus and letters, conversation mode at offices and clinics, and the honorifics option when you write to landlords. Never rely on it alone for contracts.
- RelatedLearning Korean: university programs, KIIP and free classes
생활 · 안전
Home, Trash & Safety
- GuideEmergency Numbers and Helplines for Foreigners in KoreaCall 112 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance; both add interpreters. Also 1345 for immigration, 1330 for interpretation and 1577-1366 Danuri, 24 hours.
- GuideTrash and Recycling Rules in KoreaGeneral trash goes in paid district bags (종량제봉투), food waste in separate bags or bins, and recyclables sorted by type. Illegal dumping fines start at ₩50,000.
Calculators for this
All calculators2026 rates · 19% flat tax option
Korea Salary Take-Home Calculator 연봉 실수령액
Enter your annual salary to see what lands in your bank account each month, with every deduction explained.
Legal cap 5% · deposit ↔ rentJeonse / Wolse Rent Converter 전월세 전환
See how much your monthly rent changes if you pay a bigger or smaller deposit, and which deal costs less over two years.