Life in South Korea as an American Student

In February of 2022, I moved to Seoul, South Korea as a full time student who had never traveled internationally before. I want to use this post to highlight some of the things you can expect in terms of culture shock.

Minor Shocks

Here’s a few things to keep in mind if you plan to move to South Korea that won’t majorly effect your stay, but will catch you off guard.

Western food is either expensive or non-existent.

Yes, there will be burger restaurants, and many of the fast food chains you’re used to from America will be there too. They will be priced reasonably as well. However, Korea has mostly Korean food, and this becomes more true the farther from the city you get. It seems obvious at first thought, but if you have any preconceptions that you can find all the food you’re used to by looking hard enough, I have to be the one to tell you that this isn’t the case. Korean food is great though. The big talking point here though is that there is no food at all from south of the border. You will not find any decent burritos anywhere in this country. They are all made in the vision of the restaurant owners - which seem to be that a burrito is made of fried chicken nuggets and french fries. It is far closer to fast food than real Mexican food.

Trash

Lots of countries do this already, but America is not one of them. In South Korea you to sort your trash by food, plastics, cardboard…everything. Also there are no trash cans on streets to use, so you will probably be carrying it around all day. I recommend a tote bag for daily travel.

Kimchi

There is a lot of it. And it will make everything around it smell like kimchi. If you buy it keep it separate. I didn’t like it when I went and a couple months in I was eating it regularly. There is also lots of kimchi flavored things. Honestly just give in to it. You probably will eventually anyways.

No tipping culture

People do not tip here. They earn a fair wage for their work. Also you have to get used to calling for the waiter/waitress to come to you - not waiting around for them. There should be a button that rings when your table needs something, but if not you have to yell.

The bathroom is the shower

Exactly how it sounds. The entire bathroom is the shower. It is all tiled and there is just a detachable shower head on the wall. Some hotels and fancier places will have a section for a shower like we do in America, but for the most part you get a regular bathroom with a showerhead on the wall somewhere. Super easy to clean the bathroom with it though.

Hongdae boys

A bit of a weird one, but if you are a woman and you go to Hongdae (one of the main party/shopping districts), at some point or another you will be approached by what everyone refers to as a “Hongdae boy”. Very simply - it will be a creepy guy who is exclusively running around the streets trying to sleep with foreign women. Not dangerous from what I have heard, but pesky.

Major Shocks

Here are some major changes to keep in mind and that you need to be actively aware of.

Your behavior is important.

In South Korea, etiquette, the way you present yourself, and your respectfulness are very important. The reason this is shocking is because you don’t expect everyone to commit to these standards. Being quiet in the trains, leaving your stuff unattended in the open, and being respectful to others here is normal and expected. You won’t be confronted for being noisy, as people know you’re a foreigner, but everyone will judge you from the depths of their souls. It isn’t hard to blend in behavior-wise, and I think it’s just respectful to do so.

You will be treated differently as a foreigner.

South Korea is extremely homogenous. Only about 5% of the population is foreigners. Many people, especially the older generations, believe in dating purely within Korean blood, or keeping Korea purely Korean. These beliefs are widespread enough to be enforced through discriminatory practices, which you will probably encounter during your time there. It doesn’t take away from too much, as there is always somewhere else willing to accommodate you, but you should mentally prepare to be turned away from establishments that only allow Koreans inside. I have never been refused from a place as a foreigner, but that is also because I knew which places would refuse me and simply avoided them. I have, however, been refused many times for renting a car on Jeju Island - so if you decide to leave the city you should really plan in advance where you’re going. If you try to actually live there as a foreigner - outside of school - you will very quickly realize that how difficult it is to do something like rent an apartment. Foreigners are generally seen as “risks” and you will have an extremely difficult time setting up life compared to a Korean person. However, universities typically shield you these experiences by setting everything up themselves, so it is usually a good idea to work through them for dorms or places to stay.

Party Culture

South Korea drinks a lot. Soju is strong. The hours are longer. The trains stop running at 12am, and they don’t start again until 5am. Most people will go party around the last train and come back with the first. Anyone who can’t last that long will take a taxi (expensive but fast) or a night bus (cheap but can take like 2 hours). House parties aren’t really a thing, as people are respectful of neighbors and walls are generally not sound proof. So the party culture is drinking soju from the 7/11, clubbing, and doing karaoke rooms. Noraebong (karaoke) is huge here, and you get lots of food and drinks while doing it. I definitely recommend it - they’re everywhere.

Safety

Korea is generally very safe. I have had 2 Korean friends ask me to leave them on the street after getting too drunk so they could find their way in the morning. I can’t convince myself to do that but I feel like it says something about the trust in other people here. People will pass out on the streets overnight in the clubbing districts and wake up fine with all their belongings. I’ve lost a wallet and had it returned with everything inside (even the cash) to the police. Same with friend’s passports. Also, you should go to if you lose something because there is a good chance someone will find it and return it to them. Women can walk around at night here and feel safe and enjoy themselves. The biggest concern is either foreigners acting out (usually the military), or old Korean people shouting at you.

You can also leave your valuables on a café table and just leave for the day, and when you come back your stuff will still be there. There are videos of people testing just how true this is, and it quite literally will last all day without being touched. People are very respectful here, and my overall anxiety went down tremendously when I got used to not having to worry about my safety all the time. Incredible feeling.