Safety

South Korea is very safe. As a young female, I felt safe walking by myself at night in comparison to walking around in Hawaii. Korea has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. You can even leave your belongings in broad daylight (ie at a cafe, restaurant, etc) and no one will take them. It was a culture shock for me when I saw phones and wallets just being left on an unattended table! 

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Public Transportation

Public transportation is efficient and inexpensive. One way is 1,300 KRW (less than $1 USD). Try to avoid using the subway or bus during rush hour. There is no such thing as personal space in Korea. There were several instances where I was butt to butt during rush hour. Pushing and shoving are also quite common in Korea. The unspoken rule in public transportation: don't talk loudly or make loud noises in public transportation. I noticed that the buses or trains would be completely silent or would have whispering conversations.  

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Useful Apps to Download 

• Kakao Talk (the main communication platform in Korea)

• Naver Maps or Kakao Maps (Google Maps or Apple Maps does not work in Korea; I preferred using Naver Maps as it was more English-friendly and reliable)

• Kakao Taxi (Korea's version of Uber or Lyft) 

• Papago (translation app; more accurate Korean-English translation app than Google Translate) 

• Currency + (currency converter)

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Make friends with those from all over the world

Prior to leaving Hawaii, I was so nervous because I did not really know anyone else in Korea. The friends you make can truly enhance your experience! All of the friends I made were from all over the world: Netherlands, France, Iran, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Korea, and more. It gave me many opportunities to learn about other cultures and languages from all over the world. It shocked me that most of my friends could speak three to five languages! 

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No Tipping Culture

There is no tipping in Korea even in restaurants, hair or nail salons, taxis, etc). From what I heard, it can be offensive or disrespectful to tip in Korea. 

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Public Restrooms - toilet paper does not go in the toilet

In Korea, they don't throw their used toilet paper in the toilet. Many restrooms ask that you throw your toilet paper in the trash rather than the toilet to prevent clogging. I was told that Korea has a bad piping system which is why most places ask you to dispose of the toilet paper in the trash can. 

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Shouting at your server

Chances are, you may be sitting at your table waiting for the server to take your order. If there is no "call" button on the table, it is very normal to shout at your server to get their attention. Unlike the US, the servers don't go up to you unless you verbally call for them. To get their attention, you would say jeogiyo (저기요 – excuse me).  You need to be firm and confident. Don't worry about being impolite because this is a cultural practice. After my four months in Korea, I was still intimidated to shout at the servers. 

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Shopping in Korea - sizes, try on, return policy

Most stores in Korea are "one size fits all." This "one size" is between an xs to small between sizes 0-4. The stores that sell multiple sizes tend to be more expensive or at department stores.

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A majority of stores don't allow you to try on tops, especially white pieces of clothing. For females, they don't allow try-ons for tops for fear of getting makeup on the shirts. In some cases, the store will give you a face covering. 

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Shopping for clothing in Korea can be risky.  You are not always allowed to try on the product and yet you can't return the item in some cases. This is true for the majority of the small shops. 

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Cults in Korea

There are many cults in South Korea. It is quite common for Koreans to approach you and ask your name, where you are from, beliefs, and if you want to meet up. Typically they will ask for your phone number or Kakao ID. Please be mindful as to who you talk to. 

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Learn Hangul

I highly recommend learning Hangul (the Korean alphabet) before going to Korea. I went to Korea not knowing any Korean or Hangul and wished I knew a little prior to arriving. This will help make the transition easier. 

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