5 Things I Miss About Living in South Korea

5 Things I Miss About Living in South Korea

South Korea was just a while vibe and it was the place I lived the longest outside of the US. When you're living somewhere it's easy to get used to stuff and take it for granted. Like your favorite local restaurant or things you use on a daily basis and start to overlook.

South Korea will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first time I ever lived by myself. Yes, at the tender age of 23 I decided it was time for me to try living on my own.

Prior to South Korea, I've lived with my parents, roommates in college, host families in Italy and Senegal, but never on my own. To be completely honest, I was really excited to finally have my own place and not have to worry about anybody else, but myself. No more roommates leaving dirty dishes in the sink for days or parents nagging me to clean up my room.

I was finally going to be my place and mine alone. All of that leads me to the first thing I miss about living in South Korea...

HEATED FLOORS (ONDOL)

I definitely did not appreciate this enough. The winter in Korea was brutal, but those heated floors made it a little more bearable.

To be honest, I don't know why the whole world hasn't adopted this heating method because it literally just makes sense.

There was no running to find the vent or sitting by a radiator when living in Korea and I loved it.

In Korea, it's customary to take your shoes off when entering a house and even some restaurants. Traditional Korean Beds are basically a comforter on the floor and many Korean restaurants have floor seating so having the heaters on the floors was a smart move. (More on Traditional Korean Beds here.)

For me, it didn't take long for me to move my mattress to the floor to take full advantage of the heating system. Getting into a warm bed during a Korean winter was a top tier feeling during those cold months.

NOT HAVING KEYS

No walking around like a building manager with a lanyard full of keys because the majority of buildings in Korea don't use keys. Instead, there is a keypad and code to enter and I STAN. I absolutely loved being able to just punch in my little four digit code and get in the house especially when it was cold or I had a bunch of groceries.

This is also the case with businesses and public places as well. For example, in Korea businesses often have shared bathrooms in a central location in the building. Instead of having a key at the end of a wooden block like in the States (🙄), you're given a code to open the door. Businesses also have these types of doors which makes a lot of things easier. There were a few instances in which myself and other teachers had to open the school when administration wasn't available and it was much easier for them to text us a code than trying to coordinate a time to give us the keys.

The added bonus is the general safety in South Korea that didn't require me to walk with my keys between my fingers to protect myself.

Unfortunately, women in the U.S. have to learn various ways to defend themselves and using common items typically on your person (like keys) can make a huge difference.

Luckily, South Korea doesn't have those problems. Being able to walk home alone in the middle of the night without worrying about being attacked was, again, another level of peace and something I miss about living there.

NOT PAYING RENT

One of the biggest perks of teaching in South Korea was not paying rent. Yes, you read that right. I was out here living in a free apartment. The majority of English teachers receive housing or a housing stipend in South Korea and I was one of them. Typically, it's a standard Korean studio apartment and that's exactly what I had. It definitely wasn't the biggest place, but it was just enough for little ole me.

For most people, housing is one of the highest expenses they have and I eliminated that all together while teaching English in South Korea. Being able to completely remove that financial burden was HUGE and after a few months I didn't even think about it anymore. All I had to pay were my utilities and, in Korea, they are ridiculously affordable compared to the US. I'm talking less than $20 a month. Take me baaack 😩

NO TIPPING

This may seem like a little thing, but it really makes life so much easier. Tipping is widely accepted, encouraged, and sometimes even expected in places like the United States, but elsewhere it's literally not a thing.

In Korea, the price is the price and the tax is usually already included as well.

Typically, prices in Korea are nice round numbers and you don't have to worry about calculating the tax or tip.

SOJU

My beloved Soju. Drinking in South Korea is part of the culture and something you don't want to miss out on. Soju quickly became my go to drink when going out and something I never ran out of at home. There are different flavors and it just goes down smooth. Soju can go with a normal dinner or with a night out. Whoever made Soju knew the assignment.

Drinking culture around the world is different from wine in South Africa to rum in the Caribbean. In South Korea, there are three major groups of alcohol: Soju, Rice Wine, and Beer. I love that they decided to keep it really simply.

My liver was probably struggling to keep up during my year in Korea, but I regret nothing.

More on Drinking in South Korea here.

The price of Soju outside of the country is truly unacceptable, but I'll be reconnected to one of my favorites again whenever I find myself in Korea again.

As a nomad, these feelings come with the lifestyle, but that doesn't make it easier. There are positives and negatives for every country, but it's hard not to romanticize cities and countries when you're on to the next destination.

A year in South Korea was a great way to experience adulting for the first time living and being on my own for an entire year. A time was had and I wouldn't be surprised if I find myself in Korea again one day...

What's something you've experienced on vacation and missed when you got home?