Korea Living

Finding cheap places to stay in Seoul is not difficult. Finding accommodation that is inexpensive, clean, convenient, and suitable for your trip requires more careful research. Seoul has hostels, guesthouses, small private rooms, business hotels, residences, hanok stays, and international hotel chains. A room may look extremely cheap on a booking website, but the price alone does not tell you whether it is good value. The property may be far from a subway station. It may be located on a steep hill, have no elevator, charge extra for towels, or require an expensive taxi after the last train. Some rooms have no window, and some “double rooms” are much smaller than foreign travelers expect. As a licensed Korean tour guide living in Seoul, I often meet visitors who choose accommodation according to the lowest nightly price. After arriving, they discover that the location makes every day more difficult. The most affordable Seoul accommodation is not always the room with the lowest...

Finding cheap flights to South Korea is usually the most important step in planning an affordable Korea trip. Once you arrive, Korea offers inexpensive public transportation, local restaurants, markets, parks, hiking trails, and many free or low-cost attractions. The international flight, however, can take a large part of your total travel expenses before the trip has even started. So, when is the cheapest time to fly to South Korea? There is no single month, weekday, or booking date that is cheapest for every traveler. Airfares depend on your departure country, airport, travel dates, airline competition, baggage needs, and whether you choose a direct or connecting flight. As a licensed Korean tour guide living in Seoul, I meet visitors arriving from Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Russia, Southeast Asia, and many other regions. The ticket that is cheap for a traveler from London may not be cheap for someone departing from Madrid, Sydney, Manila, or Los...

Is South Korea cheap to visit? South Korea is not one of the cheapest destinations in Asia, especially when compared with countries in Southeast Asia. International flights and accommodation in central Seoul can take a large part of your travel expenses. However, it is possible to travel South Korea cheaply once you understand how local people eat, move around the city, choose accommodation, and spend their free time. As a licensed Korean tour guide living and working in Seoul, I regularly meet foreign visitors with very different travel styles. Some spend heavily on hotels, taxis, cafés, shopping, and famous attractions. Others experience many of the same places at a much lower cost. The difference is often not comfort. It is local knowledge. This article introduces the basic principles of planning an affordable South Korea trip. Flights, accommodation, food, transportation, sightseeing, and shopping will each be covered in separate articles in this series. The goal is not t...

South Korea has become an increasingly popular destination for women traveling alone. Seoul offers efficient public transportation, busy streets that remain active late into the evening, countless cafés and many attractions that are comfortable to visit without a companion. But is South Korea really safe for solo female travelers? The honest answer is that South Korea is generally considered a relatively safe and convenient destination, but “relatively safe” does not mean risk-free. A woman traveling alone should still take normal precautions, particularly when drinking, meeting someone through an app, returning to her accommodation late at night or visiting an unfamiliar area. This guide covers practical safety advice, the best areas to stay, places to visit alone and a simple three-day Seoul itinerary for solo female travelers. Solo female traveler exploring Seoul, South Korea Is South Korea Safe for Solo Female Travelers? South Korea has a low overall crime rate, and most ...

Teaching English in South Korea remains one of the most popular ways for foreigners to live and work in the country. However, getting hired is not as simple as speaking fluent English and sending a résumé. Your nationality, university degree, visa eligibility, documents and employment contract all matter. The requirements can also differ depending on whether you apply to a public school, private academy or international school. This updated 2026 guide explains who can teach English in South Korea, how the E-2 visa works, how much teachers earn and what you should check before signing a contract. Foreign English teacher teaching students in a South Korean classroom Can You Teach English in South Korea? For the standard E-2 English teaching route, applicants are generally expected to meet the following basic conditions: Hold a passport from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa Have at least a bachelor’s degree from an ac...