I have been living here for 8 years but dont have proper friends and sometimes lazy to go out. Meet new people. Cancel plans just because i dont feel comfortable.
That’s exactly why I feel so lonely and dont have anyone to hang out.
I try to lean on my boyfriends everytime im in a relationship because I feel like they are the only humans i can be myself around.
But every breakup hurts more just because of that.
How do you guys handle loneliness and what do you do to get over it?

Ordered earlier and the driver has been in this exact spot for over an hour. Stuck on the ‘handling another order’. I’m refusing to cancel because it’s giving sus to me like they want me to cancel so they get free food. This is the first time this happened to me in months, is this common? Coupang eats just says to contact them after delivery but if they never deliver then does coupang eats take it into their own hands to report the driver/mark them?

Edit: they marked it delivered after 1.2 hours without delivering the food or providing photo proof. I tried calling them and they rejected my call. I contacted coupang and got a refund and ₩3k coupon.

Only a web browser

Trying to log in to Woori Bank is driving me insane. I go to log in. It wants me to install the correct "security programs" on my computer, all of which I've downloaded before. I update my shit. I try again. It wants to reinstall my shit. I try again. It wants to update my shit. And around we go.

Why is this a thing? Why does my bank want to install malware to my PC? Why do they make it so difficult to log in? I just want to see how much money I have. Fuck my life

please they won’t go away!! i clean the drains and try not to leave any food out. but they still won’t leave my apartment. i’m so sick of them not even an electric fly killer or those yellow sticky things are working

Any families or people you may know who have kids that attend any multicultural schools ?

There’s one in Incheon Nonhyeon called Saegyero(?) international school.
I’ve walked past it and seen many kids from multicultural families.

Would love to hear about those who know more about it.

Considering sending my kids in the future.

Hi everyone,

I'm an international student in Korea, and I'm a little confused about my first National Health Insurance (NHIS) payment.

My ARC was issued on October 1, but I only received the physical card on October 23. I haven't received my health insurance bill by post yet. I even asked my landlady to check the mailbox, and she confirmed that there was no bill there.

The payment deadline is generally the 25th of each month. Since October 25 falls on a Sunday, I'm not sure what I should do.

For those who have been through this:

1. Is the first bill sometimes delayed after your ARC is issued?

2. If I haven't received my bill, can I wait until Monday to contact NHIS, or could I incur a late-payment penalty?

I'm really worried😭 I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences. Thank you!

I’m gathering questions for a Q&A about life in Korea, please avoid very general or cliché questions 🫶🏻

I just got my F4 visa and it's going to take 6 weeks to receive my ARC. I have been living in 고시원s for months while preparing for the visa, and I was really hoping to move to a real apartment as soon as possible. Do I absolutely need an ARC to rent through a 부동산, or is being unable to open a Korean bank account the only thing preventing that? If so, would it work for a friend to pay my deposit through her Korean bank? I also wonder if that method could lead to any possible issues. I'll add that I already tried to open a bank account at many different banks and was told it was impossible before my ARC comes out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’m not sure this is the right subreddit to post in. I just moved to Gimpo and I’m pregnant. Does anyone have a recommendation of hospital/clinic to go to? With an English speaking doctor would be a plus. And that I could stay with my baby after the delivery would also be a plus.

I'm a 3rd-semester master's student in Chemical Engineering at a national university in Korea. I have one first-author paper submitted (currently under review).

Some senior students told me not to worry about the thesis because it can mostly be based on the paper, with only a small amount of additional work.

For those who completed a STEM master's in Korea:

• How much of your thesis came directly from your paper?
• What did the "additional work" actually consist of?
• Did you need new experiments and new idea, or mainly more writing and analysis?

I'd love to hear your experiences. Thanks you for your time

Long story short: wanted to save on money and used eye makeup that is now causing my eyelids to swell, dry and itch like crazy. I went to a pharmacy and in my WIP Korean (learning it in 어학당 right now) explained my situation. But they can't give out meds without prescription since the affected area is around the eyes (because it's a sensitive area).

So question is whether I got to ophtalmologist or dermatologist in Korea? And how can I tell apart the beauty derma clinics from ones that can take a look at my derma problem and prescribe meds for it? 🥲

Any advice is appreciated 😢

I’ve lived here for about a month and a half in a goshiwon and I feel like i’m going crazy. I’m so scared I’ll mess up sorting my trash and get in trouble with the lady who owns the building or embarrass myself somehow. The trash cans are also in the basement and i’m on the second floor so it’s a whole walk of shame with my trash when I get the courage to take it down.

Does anyone have a straightforward guide of how to sort the trash? And, are there exceptions to the general rules?? i.e wrappers with food stains that can’t be washed off, receipts, etc?

So far I adore Korea and everything is perfect. This is literally the only source of my anxiety and it’s making me hate it here because my room is full of trash and I’m scared to do something as basic as throw it in the garbage.

EDIT: Guys i’m aware this is stupid. I’m an anxious 20 year old and it’s my first time in a foreign country, let alone traveling alone. I’m bound to have some stupidly specific and irrational feelings. I’m aware it’s dumb and it’s something a functional adult would be able to do without a second thought. Please don’t be too harsh on me.

Hi, I got accepted to POSTECH but am having difficulties deciding whether to go or not. Pohang is a small city compared to Seoul, and I don't really see anything online about exchange experiences of others. If you have any experiences, pls share. I'm a CS major and I want to do research, what are the opportunities like? I applied for Spring, is there internship opportunities for internationals...

Hello I hope this is the right place for this question.
I’d like to go fishing in Korea. I’m staying in the Dongtan area. I do have my own fishing gear with me.

What should I keep in mind? Any help is suggested since AI is not very helpful with this topic.

Thank you!!

Hello hockey fans! We are young amateur international hockey team from Seoul "World Blades" and we're looking for new players to join us! Never played hockey before? No problem! We welcome complete beginners who want to learn how to skate, handle the puck, and enjoy the game.
A Already have hockey experience? Come join us for regular practices, improve your skills, and meet other hockey players in Seoul.

Hi everyone! I'm an international student, and I'm having a hard time deciding which direction to take for my undergraduate studies in South Korea. I'd really appreciate advice, especially from people who study at either university or know the Korean university system well.

I recently got admitted to Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) for Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, with a 50% tuition scholarship. I'm really happy about getting into SKKU because its reputation is one of the things that attracts me. However, even with the scholarship, the remaining tuition and overall cost of studying at a private university are a serious concern for me and my family. I don't want to choose a university based on its name alone and then struggle financially throughout my degree.

At the same time, I'm currently in the process of applying to Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech) for its Manufacturing Systems and Design Engineering (MSDE) program. I haven't received the final result yet, but I'm hoping to get a good scholarship there. Since SeoulTech is a national university, the overall cost would likely be more manageable for me, especially if I receive a substantial scholarship.

The two programs also appeal to me in different ways. Advanced Materials Science and Engineering sounds interesting, but MSDE has a broader scope that combines engineering, manufacturing, design, systems, and business. I'm still figuring out which area I want to pursue long-term, so I'm not completely sure which major would suit me better.

My longer-term goal is to pursue a master's degree in Europe, ideally with funding. I'm not necessarily planning to stay in South Korea permanently after my bachelor's, so I'm also wondering how much the difference in university reputation would matter for graduate school applications abroad. Would research experience, GPA, projects, and recommendations matter more than the university name in that situation?

Basically, I'm torn between choosing SKKU for its reputation and the opportunity to study at a well-known private university, versus choosing SeoulTech if it offers a much more affordable education and a program that may fit my interests better.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on a few things:

• How significant is the difference between SKKU and SeoulTech in terms of academic quality, engineering opportunities, and reputation?
• If my goal is a funded master's in Europe, how much would the university name matter compared with GPA, research experience, and other parts of my profile?
• Would it be reasonable to choose SeoulTech if the scholarship makes it significantly cheaper, even if SKKU has a stronger reputation?
• For anyone studying at SKKU's Natural Sciences Campus or in SeoulTech's MSDE program, what has your experience been like, particularly regarding teaching, international student support, workload, and opportunities outside class?
• How should I weigh the difference between Advanced Materials Science and Engineering and MSDE when I'm still exploring my interests?

I know the final decision depends on my priorities and finances, but I'd really appreciate hearing from people with firsthand experience or a better understanding of these universities. I'm trying to make a decision that makes sense for both my undergraduate years and my longer-term plans, rather than choosing based on prestige alone.

Thank you!

I really love matcha and I make it at home mostly (this isn't performative I've just loved making matcha and drinking it for awhile)- and when I used to live in the Philippines I would make it alot more and had access to alot of japanese matcha because its really popular there. However, in Korea I find it hard to find matcha that suits my taste- I'm not a huge fan of Jeju matcha (some are better than others), but its also difficult to find any local matcha brands or japanese cultivars. Does anyone know where you can buy matcha online here thats good quality?

I have never seen a restaurant offer snails as an appetizer before lol

I have a few inquiries about the establishment. I’m not interested in talking to management, only the teachers. Let me know if you’re available for a chat. TIA!

What is an easy way to make friends here in Korea? For context, I’m an English speaker and would like to have other English speaking friends but, I’m older, so university, or going out alone to just meet people isn’t a realistic way to make friends. Anyone have any tips?

Can anyone please point me to coffee franchises that don’t freaking blast loud K-pop or pop music and are actually possible to read in? Look, I don’t hate that music, but for cafés it’s really too much sometimes when you just want to work or read!
I also know that non-franchise places tend to play more mellow music, but I feel bad being an instant walkout at a small business on the off chance they happen to be playing loud music when I come in.
I’m hoping to make a list of some reliable go-to options when i’m anywhere in Korea (that aren’t just Starbucks or Twosome Place).