Problems people reported about living in Korea

Having a long name that needs a hyphen on ARC but then your name is never correct when trying verify your phone number. Online shopping/banking/food delivery is just always a struggle for me

Our status note: The eSIM guide covers voice/SMS and identity verification, but not fixing a mismatched ARC name.

If you have a korean phone number, you can use that to pay, assuming it is part of your phone plan.  (Speaking specifically about ordering food here in case you are still starving) (휴대폰결제) although tbh i dont remember how hard that was to setup the first time either hahaha

Our status note: The phone guide explains Korean voice/SMS numbers for payment, but does not provide one.

You may need a Korean phone number that works for online identity verification, not just calls and data. You need to understand a rental system with unfamiliar deposits and legal protections.

Our status note: The eSIM guide directly explains which Korea SIM supports voice/SMS identity verification.

Learn Korean better. I expected Korea to be more foreigner-friendly but I met with people running away from me the moment I said something in English or when I called an English service provider for a phone company, they straight up told me they have no English speakers there. So, make sure your Korean is good enough to handle everyday issues.

Our status note: The 16-phrase page helps opening encounters, but cannot remove the everyday language barrier.

the inability to do small / simple daily tasks in an efficient manner such as going to banks, doctor, home repair etc due to insufficient Korean skills - which can stress you out if it's been years. some stuff just doesn't work if you are foreigner. money wise korea is pretty affordable except housing with US salary or Korean average wage.

Our status note: Phrase cards help simple errands, but banking/doctor/home-repair conversations stay hard.

I would prioritise learning Korean if I were you. From what you are saying, that is your biggest problem(so you can understand what is going on around you and be able to talk to people). Try and find a way to study it as much as you can.

Our status note: The phrase page supports learning, but fluency is what this case actually needs.

Air quality compared to canada is huge for me. Banking apps can be dumb. Like you switch it to English and it only changes the first page everything else is in Korea. I guess most websites them tbh they really don't seem to try hard to translate things... And loneliness. The transitory nature of expats can be difficult. Overall it's great. Don't get me wrong but these are my complaints.

Our status note: The phrase page covers Korean basics, not untranslated Korean app interfaces.

Wait till you try ordering some thing from coupang or 11th street. All the item details/descriptions are in image format and nothing ever gets translated. You can’t understand anything and have to judge based on your instincts. I hate the fact that how user unfriendly it is the online things here in Korea, specially for foreigners.

Our status note: Phrase cards do not translate image-only Korean product listings.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how learning Korean and actually living in Korea can feel very different. Even if you know some Korean, things like relationships, social 분위기, group conversations, texting culture, or just fitting in can still feel surprisingly difficult sometimes 😅 For foreigners living or studying in Korea: What was the hardest or most unexpected part for you?

Our status note: The phrase page gives everyday Korean, but not the social fluency this case describes.

Let’s start with the biggest hurdle for most expats: language. Sure, you can get by with English in certain international jobs or districts like Gangnam or Itaewon, but everyday life often demands at least basic Korean.

Our status note: The phrase page gives basics, but not the everyday fluency this case describes.

Simple daily tasks have proven to be a struggle for me as I can’t speak Korean. Try setting up a phone plan, opening a bank account, going to the doctor or even ordering food from a restaurant.

Our status note: Phrase cards help single errands, not full daily-life conversations.

Not knowing which direction train I need and one is about to take off.

Our status note: The travel page has subway fares and taxi estimates, but not live platform/direction help.

This happened to us in Seoul. Our driver didn’t turn on the meter and insisted on only taking cash. He ripped us off. I would only take Ubers in Korea.

Our status note: The show-to-driver card helps communication, but not a driver refusing the meter or cash-only demands.

We had this experience where the driver claimed that there is traffic on the way and took almost an extra half hour detour to get us to our hotel in Haeundae from the airport. The irony is my partner is a native Korean and even she couldn’t do anything about it. Just be aware of their tricks

Our status note: The taxi card helps with language, but cannot prevent a deliberate detour.

At the Busan airport there is another scam: I got approached by two taxi drivers - trying to lure us into his taxi for a ridiculous price. Quite aggressive even - one mentioned he is the taxi manager of the taxi line and I should just follow him. Just ignore those and go straight to the taxi line if you happen to arrive at the airport.

Our status note: The taxi card helps once inside, not with airport touts quoting inflated prices.

They tried to do this with us. So we went across the street and called a taxi via the Uber app and paid less than half.

Our status note: The travel page gives rough taxi estimates, but not app-by-app fare comparison.

There is Uber Taxi in Busan, but the number of available vehicles is lower than in Seoul. It may be better to use an app called Kakao T to get a taxi. The app lets you check the estimated fare in advance, and most Koreans use it to hail taxis. It also supports English.

Our status note: The travel page lists taxi estimates, not which app has cars in Busan.

Lack of menus at restaurants. It could be a very fancy restaurant or a local neighborhood restaurant, and you could be there with 2 people or 20 people, you’ll only get a single fucking menu and it drives me crazy. Also, don’t get me started on the single packet of ketchup you get at a McDonald’s or other burger place. I miss having a ketchup pump.

Our status note: Phrase cards help ordering, but there is no shipped guide to places without menus.

The problem is paying. If you live here you may not remember when you first ordered delivery but several verifications usually via korean phone numbers are required. Numerous people have tried to solve the issue thinking its language or smth else...for a majority I am confident its paying esp now with coupang in English.

Our status note: The phone/eSIM guide explains verification requirements, but not each delivery app's flow.

If they have a temporary korean tourist number they can use most delivery apps. But if they don't they can't and will need help. Anything else like accommodation, activities, tours is usually booked through foreign platforms or the provider website directly so there's not really any need for that.

Our status note: The eSIM guide helps visitors get a usable number, but not the app onboarding itself.

Korea makes official things very hard for foreigners. It took me a year to get my visa, and I had to pay much more than expected. Some doctors have even turned me away because of the language barrier (at an international clinic). It’s hard to fulfill basic needs. (US American expat in Gyeonggi)

Our status note: The hospital-centre list helps find English support, but the visa and refusal issues remain.

I'll start. Anything to do with finances.. Theres so many restrictions banking related and a lot of stuff I can't do online because I have foreigner status

Our status note: No banking page ships; KoreaPocket only has a service grid, so account and card restrictions are unmet.

Sorry that it happened to you! Among other things, denying digital access to set up bank accounts and related necessities to resident foreigners is unfair and not right. If your residency status in Korea is legitimate, they should accommodate you, too. (From a Korean American in CA who has been in the U.S. for over 50 years)

Our status note: Digital account setup limits for residents are not covered by any shipped page.

Today I went to the bank to get my new student id with all my papers but my arc because I have yet to receive my new one (brought the immigration paper they give you while you are in renewal, and I’ve done banking stuff with it in previous renewals). I even already have an account with that bank, well, it was a rotund no. Yay /s

Our status note: Branch paperwork that depends on the physical ARC is not addressed today.

it's not only about bank but also their e-commerce environment in general.ost of the websites won't even accept non-Korean issued Mastercard, Visa, AMEX. An export-oriented country completely gives up on online transactions to sell their products and services. I hope Korea gets another economic disaster so that it will reform.

Our status note: E-commerce sites rejecting non-Korean cards have no shipped workaround.

It especially becomes a massive pain when your card expires while you're in another country.

Our status note: Card expiry while abroad is a banking-service gap with no shipped answer.

I've had to go to the bank several times in person and wait hours to resolve simple issues. Yes, it's a problem. A lot of the banks also operate on websites that require Internet Explorer run on Windows XP. It's pretty incredible how backward it is.

Our status note: In-person branch waits and limited hours are unmet by the current surfaces.

I’ll bet money you have NH. They recently had some changes regarding visa length and issuing cards. If you do have them, I recommend switching asap, but in the meantime you can try a different branch like others said.

Our status note: Per-bank card rules for visa holders are not documented on any shipped page.

If you are not residing in Korea, the answer to your question is that the verification step is connected to your Korean ID card. So, if you don’t have a Korean ID card then you can’t verify 😭

Our status note: ID-linked verification for banking is explained nowhere on the site yet.

I'm setting up now and not having ARC is struggle. I hope I receive it in my mail sooner rather than later. Wish they could give you like your ID number after handing in all documents, before receiving the physical card.

Our status note: No shipped page covers ARC issuance or the gap before it arrives.

Getting a new ID. What do you mean I have to take a day off work, go all the way to immigration, and the total fee is like 50k....

Our status note: Immigration visits, time off work and fees are not covered by any shipped page.

Arc process for sure. It should be done at the local gu-office like for korean people.

Our status note: Where the ARC process should happen is a policy point no shipped page addresses.

Life in general is difficult in korea as a foreigner,even at the immigration office they dont speak English,i can understand we are guest here so we need to speak the language, but at the immigration? Come on 🤣

Our status note: English support at the immigration office is outside the current shipped scope.

Frigging noisy neighbours at night. Every apartment I lived in, every night, every hour. The lack of common sense is unbearable. (jamsil)

Our status note: Neighbour noise has no shipped guide.

Gas. I don't know how to work the temp thingy because my Korean is very very bad. And I end up spending TONs on gas costs.

Our status note: Gas boiler controls in Korean are not explained on any shipped page.

Take everything by a grain of salt. Seriously the amount of fraudulent deals, contracts and businesses are crazy here.

Our status note: Contract and deposit fraud warnings are not part of the shipped surfaces.

The height of counters in apartments/houses. I get that until the last 20 years Koreans were pretty short but why are new buildings still being built with counter heights of <1m????

Our status note: Apartment fixture ergonomics are a housing detail no shipped page covers.

It is also possible for expats to buy property in South Korea, but in Seoul, parts of Gyeonggi Province, and seven districts of Incheon, foreigners must obtain prior government approval.

Our status note: Foreign property-purchase approval is outside the shipped surfaces.

“Often times we are discriminated against because we can't speak or understand their language (in order to deal with issues such our) house rent deposit and salary. We can't really express our thoughts (fully),” she said.

Our status note: Expressing deposit/salary issues in Korean is a language gap, not a housing page.

for me it was the idea that cars are first and pedestrians are a second thought, still not used to having to turn around for cars in every alleyway i walk in

Our status note: Pedestrian-priority behaviour is not covered by the fare table.

Having to wait three minutes to cross the road.

Our status note: Signal wait times at crossings have no shipped answer.

Korean drivers. They are the worst, don’t pay attention to anything except their phones when behind the wheel, streets are so compact that maneuvering them is terrible.

Our status note: Driver behaviour on the road is outside the shipped travel surface.

In many of our home countries, the smaller or less secure you are, the more protected you are. Thus pedestrians have the right of way in zebra crossings. In Korea, just the opposite is true – if you’re small, make sure to keep out of the way.

Our status note: Pedestrian right-of-way norms are not in the fare table.

People are generally rude. Like, I’ve never been refused at restaurants or cafes, but there’s many times where the employee will intentionally make it difficult for me. As in they ask more questions than needed or treat me like a burden when I ask for simple things. This has been pointed out by foreign friends who are fluent in Korean as well.

Our status note: Awkward restaurant service for non-Korean speakers has no shipped remedy.

The most stressful thing is I keep losing money every time I order a pizza. I miss having the USA cheesy pepperoni crispy, thin crust, New York style pizza. And every time some Korean restaurant promises good pizza. I’m devastated and take about one bite and have to give the pizza away because it’s so disappointing. If you live in Korea, prepared to have the worst pizza of your life

Our status note: Pizza ordering habits and price are not covered by any shipped page.

Platform or app isnt the bottleneck. The bottleneck is payment infrastructure that doesn't allow foreign issues credit cards. You won't get around it by simply building a new app in english

Our status note: Foreign-card payment limits in delivery apps are not addressed by any shipped page.

some update here from another foreigner. Does not work with Russian or Kazakhstan phone numbers

Our status note: Country-specific phone-number failures are outside the shipped surfaces.

Maybe its not specific for Korea but getting sick in a foreign land. When i get sick i just want my mom and her soup but she is 11 hours flight away. I feel even more lonely when i get sick in Korea

Our status note: Being ill far from home has no shipped practical guide.

I guess health insurance was a bit more expensive than i thought? But otherwise if you do basic research online most things shouldn’t be a surprise

Our status note: Health-insurance cost expectations are not documented on the site yet.

When I found out that I would be given no sick days and no health insurance, I was bewildered.

Our status note: Sick leave and health-insurance gaps have no shipped guide.

Even as Korean, the excessive bureaucracy and the ridiculous amount of pointless paperwork you need for anything in Korea is insanely frustrating. The only times I've gotten pissed off last year were dealing with identity verification and certificate stuffs. If it's this bad even for native ppl, it must be a nightmare for foreign ppl. I feel you man.

Our status note: General paperwork burden has no shipped guide.

name too long to fit in the name field... makes it impossible to sign up for anything.

Our status note: Name-length failures in signup forms are not addressed by any shipped page.

Ho boy. Just be glad that you're not a foreign resident who got a dash put in their name when they first got issued their Alien Registration Card. That's when the fun really starts.

Our status note: Name transliteration errors on the ARC are outside the shipped surfaces.

Felt this. Applying to colleges in Korea is absolutely awful for me right now. I always get 90% of the way through the application and then need some form of ID that I don't have, even on pages built for foreign applicants. I'd be using the normal admissions page if I had a Korean ID lol

Our status note: University application verification dead-ends have no shipped answer.

I tried to sign up to the AiSarang app so I could pay for my daughter’s daycare through my voucher card- foreigners can’t do it. My husband got the voucher put in his name. I signed up to a government site to look for jobs - foreigners have to go in person to sign up. It’s honestly ridiculous. I am however able to use internet banking through the KB Bank app.

Our status note: Foreigner-ineligible public apps are not documented anywhere on the site.

Not really. Banks, PASS verifications, university IT, getting packages through customs... Spent hours on it. I loved living in SK, but the frustration with anything which involved money will not be missed (currently abroad).

Our status note: Multi-step verification for banks, IT and customs is not covered by a shipped guide.

Not really im 3 years in and every time I need to pay online or log into a govt app I need to download a new authentication app its bloody annoying

Our status note: Changing authentication apps are outside the current shipped scope.

Yeah its ridiculous, its just all over the place. Websites, apps everything is so temperamental, the whole 인증서 certificate thing is ridiculously complicated. Always having to download a separate app for 'security' to use a specific shopping mall. Coupang is the only one that is intuitive because its built-in to the system (like most western platforms).

Our status note: The certificate (인증서) system is explained on no shipped page.

Ha ha. Naver locked my account for being suspicious the moment I wrote on my Naver blog in English. That was enough to get the whole account locked.

Our status note: Platform account locks tied to language use are not addressed by any shipped page.

If you think bureaucracy is annoying in your home country, welcome to Korea. Expats consistently rank things like visas, health insurance, and residential paperwork as frustrating.

Our status note: Visa, insurance and paperwork frustration has no shipped walkthrough.

1. Why are there no public trash cans 2. Why does everyone feel the need to brush their teeth, gargle loudly and spit in the bathroom after lunch

Our status note: Trash-can availability and public bathroom habits have no shipped guide.

How hard it is to find shoes to buy. Anything size 12+ is pretty much only available online, and I'd actually like to try shoes on before buying them

Our status note: Large shoe sizes and try-before-buy needs are outside the shipped surfaces.

Finding darker foundations😮‍💨 I brought a year and a half supply and just ran out... Sephora does carry a few brands, but not all of the colors are always in stock. Gonna need to have a friend back home send me some ASAP lol

Our status note: Finding cosmetics shades for darker skin is not addressed by any shipped page.

That as a curly hair girl, the shampoos here are all too harsh and drying (due to Asian hair being thicker and more oily) so I wouldn't have to spend 3 years wondering why my hair doesnt curl properly anymore and why I keep getting damaged ends even when I don't add heat.

Our status note: Hair-product suitability for non-Asian hair has no shipped answer.

* fixed door * no towels in some public washrooms * no cream for coffee * expensive shipping to international destinations

Our status note: Everyday amenity differences have no consolidated shipped guide.

The amount of waste for every single product. Packaging sucks

Our status note: Packaging waste norms are outside the shipped scope.

Korea’s 종량제 (volume-based waste fee) system means general trash has to go into government-designated bags that you buy at any convenience store, priced by liter size and different per district.

Our status note: The volume-based waste-bag system is not documented on any shipped page.

Korea is for Koreans. Even as a half Korean, I get treated like an outcast because I don’t physically look it. There are plenty of other countries that are more open and accepting of foreigners that I have visited and lived in.

Our status note: Belonging and treatment as an outsider are beyond what a utility page can solve.

The fact that it's considered perfectly normal and acceptable to treat foreigners as non-people in the workplace.

Our status note: Workplace treatment of foreigners has no shipped guidance.

Yup, I (non korean) can't count more the times I've been out with my wife (non korean) and men have literally stared at her breasts in front of her (very noticeable) and turned to look at her butt. I am nobody to judge people, but they are anything but discreet. Edit: Spelling.

Our status note: Public staring and harassment are not addressed by any shipped page.

Korean British here, and whenever I visit Korea, I'm always taken aback when the older males just speak over the female members of the family, and the females just accept it 😂.

Our status note: Family/workplace speaking norms are outside the shipped surfaces.

Norms are definitely different. I was called fat more than one time. Right to my face in front of many people. Was hilarious and shocking at the same time.

Our status note: Blunt comments on appearance are not covered by any shipped page.

As a fellow Aussie who lives in Korea I can see why you would make think this way. Compared to the Aus way of life it is a very rude society here. Somstimes I struggle with it but thats just the way it is.

Our status note: Crowd and etiquette friction has no shipped guide.

The fact that they don’t stick to any one side to walk drives me insane

Our status note: Sidewalk walking norms are outside the shipped scope.

Nobody really wears bright colours or patterns. I love florals, polka dots and wearing nice bright colours like red but whenever I go out here I feel like a freak haha

Our status note: Clothing and colour norms are not addressed by any shipped page.

Getting asked if I would/plan to laser off my handful of freckles off my face and arms lol. I was like wth would I do that and I learned because freckles are ugly Also cherry tomatoes on dessert is weird to me

Our status note: Beauty-standard remarks have no shipped answer.

Twice, some people pushed their way from the back of the plane to the front after it landed. Imagine a plane full of standing people with luggages and they managed to push their way through. They didn't even apologize or explain they needed to catch the next flight.

Our status note: Boarding and queueing behaviour is outside the shipped surfaces.

I am only a quarter Korean but when visiting (from Japan), I usually refrain from saying that I am Japanese. I speak Korean fluently but I want to avoid any arguments or trouble

Our status note: Concealing one's origin is a social issue a utility page cannot solve.

As a man, I've had plenty of Korean men put their hands on my thigh on the train, insist on talking to me in Korean when I say I don't understand, and just borderline harass me. Mostly older men

Our status note: Harassment on transit has no shipped guidance or reporting help.

I’ve noticed elders sometimes target me and will ram into me or shoulder check on purpose. My partner said it’s usual, even towards other Koreans. Just yesterday an old man went out of his way to slam into me when he got off the subway. I wasn’t even near him. What would he do if I was pregnant or vulnerable? Honestly it sucks 😭

Our status note: Being bumped or shouldered on purpose is not covered by any shipped page.

I’m not running a survey or promoting anything. I live in Korea and keep seeing foreigners lose money or get stressed in situations that feel avoidable if the rules were clearer. If you’re comfortable sharing, what situation caused you the most stress or unexpected cost? Housing, hospitals, banks, phone bills, or anything else.

Our status note: Avoidable money loss and stress for newcomers is not yet addressed by a shipped page.

Wish I knew that you can only bring in household goods/personal effects tax/duty free within 6 months of moving.

Our status note: Customs duty-free windows for moving are not documented on any shipped page.

Tickets to baseball & football/soccer games is a huge hassle without local number (& often card). Go Wonderfully can help solve it, but their charges are pretty high for something that takes them less than 5 minutes.

Our status note: Event-ticket booking without a local number/card has no shipped answer.

If you were there over the past 1-2 weeks, many businesses/hotels scammed BTS fans (ex: hotels charging 2-3x normal rates. They even cancelled fans bookings that were priced normally, just to turn around and relist the rooms at higher prices). You can read news articles about it

Our status note: Event-driven hotel price gouging is outside the shipped surfaces.

Very cool. I want to visit Korea. A question. Can you book a cab for a day? To do a tour of a city.

Our status note: Day-hire taxi tours are not covered by the airport-transfer guide.

It’s definitely a Korea problem - I lived most of my life in in Australia and it took me forever to figure out how to use apps here. Never had that problem anywhere else.

Our status note: General app-onboarding difficulty in Korea has no shipped guide.

How things are constantly decided or announced last minute.

Our status note: Last-minute scheduling culture is outside the shipped scope.