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| *Travel Tips>>>Korea Travel Tips |
Is it expensive living in South Korea if you are a North American? |
Travel Info I am thinking about teaching English in South Korea and was wondering how the money converts to their currency ( I believe it's called won or wan) Anyone been to South Korea? Is it safe? Do the people there like North Americans? What is a good book to buy that deals with social etiquette in adjusting to life in South Korea? Like the main difference there oppose to the States. I want to learn the customs so I don't do anything that comes off as rude or weird. Travel Tips Korea is a great experience and I recommend you join other chat and message board forums for information from people who know what they are talking about (actually are or were teachers in Korea) I recommend hiteacher.com A personal suggestion is to get as much input form other people as you can about which agency to go with. There are many unscrupulous ones so check the boards for the most highly recommended ones and the best experiences. Korea is a very family orientated/group orientated I think that is one huge difference For more information on korea various embassy sites list things to know the american embassy site is very sterile and not that great but the irish one is full of information so it the australian's as for the above poster I want to live where he does, no drugs? WOW Most people will be very friendly with foreigners and some even stop and stare, my daughter is half asian we get a lot of people stopping us to pat her on the head or try and hold her :) My only negative is as a foreigner most people instantly peg you as rich/wealthy. This is a bummer because the prices are fairly negotiable at markets and street vendors, so it gets marked up a bit :( not everyone does that but I speak korean and have more than once been given a price in english then a korean customer comes up and gets lower price. I love korea i have been here 3 years and I think with proper planning you will have a great time! I teach english but that is an aside. i came to korea with my husband and did not go through a recruiting agency. I was solicited by the school directly which leads to much better wages if you can find a school by yourself they often advertise in large papers the new york times etc... have a great time Others On Monday, May 7, 2007 1 US Dollar = 965.997 South-Korean Won, 1000 South-Korean Won (KRW) = 1,035 US Dollar (USD) , so let's say it's a 1000 won to the dollar, for the sake of convenience. As an English teacher you will make between 2 and 2,5 million won a month and your plane ticket, accommodation and insurance will be paid for. This means you can save quite a lot of money if you budget well. That being said, Korea is not a cheap country if you want to surround yourself with a lot of Western items. There is a 200 to 500 percent markup on any imported goods here and paying 12 dollars for a small wedge of cheese or 5 dollars for a good cup of coffee is not unheard of. If you live like a Korean, however, you will be able to save more money. You can have simple but wholesome Korean meals for as little as 3 or 4 dollars, a local beer for about 2 to 3 dollars (more in a club), visit fantastic sauna's for 5 dollars, go on a bustrip to the other side of the country for 15 dollars etc... You have many other questions, which would take a lot of time to answer properly, so forgive me for giving you very short answers. Good books about Korea are books written by Michael Breen (ex. 'The Koreans'). Simon Winchester wrote a fascinating account of his travels through the country ('Korea - a land of miracles') but it's quite dated. Another recommendation would be 'Korea's Place in the Sun' by Bruce Cummings. Concerning safety, Korea is very safe. I am not American, but I would presume Korea is safer than almost any American city. There are no gangs here, no drugs and no guns. In most areas you can see elementary school kids walking home by themselves as late as 10 or 11 o'clock at night. Also, you will not be hassled on the street by vendors or other people, unlike China or other Asian countries. You will see people using laptops in the subway or leaving all their belongings on the table when using the restrooms at Starbucks. Unheard of in most parts of the world...! As for your question whether people like Americans or not, it's a tough one. They seem to have a love-hate relationship with the country. In spite of frequent anti-American protests, you will find many Koreans admiring the USA for their education system. Most Koreans dream of studying in the US as it's a ticket to a well-paid job. Also, you will find American foods, fashion and culture everywhere... As an English teacher you will notice that US English is definitely the preferred English here and most students will be very interested in hearing about US culture. It's very different if you're a soldier here though... they are not well liked, to say the least. There are many different social customs and cultural differences, too many to mention in just this post... One of the main things that you will see over and over again is that Korea is a very modern, technologically hihgly advanced country, but that people have very traditional, conservative mindsets. http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic... (currency) + I live in South Korea now (married to Korean woman). I would suggest visiting Seoul, Korea first. Then decide for yourself. The investment would be worth it. The Korean Won fluctuates on a daily basis, but the good rule of thumb is that 1000 Won= 1 U.S. dollar. However, currently, the largest Won amount is only 10,000, or about $10.00 U.S. The Government is trying to approve a 100,000 Won amount, but still hasn't. That means a wad of bills in your pocket at any one time. Korea is very safe. A lot safer than the U.S., and violent crime is very very low. Even most criminals don't carry guns. However, the driving down there is simply chaotic. No one ever pays attention to speed, or red lights, or one ways in Korea. Most fatalities are from car accidents. They even drive on the sidewalk! But the good news is that no one ever gets mad! They just honk once, and wave. No road rage. Times have changed now in terms of attitudes towards Americans. Koreans are polite, and will bend over backwards to help you. Just remember that like most Asian cultures it is about saving face. Respect is everything. A great book to take a look at is called Seoul, Korea by Lonely Planet. You can pick it up at any Barnes and Noble retailer. It goes over the customs and culture pretty well. I just got back last week and had a blast. The cost of living in terms of eating and travel on the subways and cabs is very cheap, and the subways are easy to navigate (on a color coded and number system). Plus, tipping is an almost unheard of concept in Korea! A 30 minute cab ride only costs about 13,000 won...less that 12 dollars U.S. |
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