South Korea has an amazing culture and vibrant energy to experience. Though I did ample research before my first visit, there were still plenty of culture shock moments in store for me from my North American perspective. Having spent many months exploring this fun country, in particular the capital Seoul, I’ve learned some important things to know before visiting South Korea, both to get around comfortably and have a safe and enriching experience.
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The following information is based on over 6 months of traveling around South Korea and is true to the best of my knowledge.
Get a T-Money Card
One of the first things you should do when you arrive in South Korea is get a T-Money card. These handy cards can be purchased in subway stations or at convenience stores (both of which are accessible in Incheon airport). Your T-Money card not only works on the subway, buses and taxis but can also be used to shop in the plentiful convenience stores for snacks, toiletries and other essentials. Just keep in mind that T-money cards must be reloaded with cash.
Getting Around South Korea (Useful Apps)
While the whole country is so easy to explore, one should know that Google maps does not function well in South Korea and it’s better to use a Korean navigation app such as Naver Maps or Kakao Maps for getting around. It’s also helpful to arrive with the Subway Korea App already installed for accurate train times and locations.
Public Transportation
South Korea has one of the best public transportation systems in the world! The trains and buses are prompt, clean, efficient, and very affordable. Just be aware that rush hour in Seoul is no joke! I would certainly try to avoid public transit from around 8:00am – 9:00am and 6:00pm – 8:00pm when most people are heading to or from work. I’ve never experienced such crowded conditions! Also, for my night owls out there, keep in mind that the subway does not run 24 hours with the last trains being around midnight.
Group Eating
Dining out is frankly one of the best things to do in South Korea! Diving into this countries unique food culture is a delectable experience. Korea has a very communal attitude towards eating. So much so that some restaurants do not serve solo diners. This is typical of restaurants which serve large dishes intended to be shared between at least two people such as Korean barbecue. Solo travelers needn’t worry too much: I have traveled alone to Seoul many times and was able to find plenty of restaurants that served single portions. If I was not sure of an establishment’s policy, I would ask: Hon-ja-ee-so-yo. Gwaen-cha-na-yo? Which means: I’m alone. Is that okay?
No Tipping
A pretty fantastic thing about eating out is that there is not tipping in South Korea. When you consider that traditional Korean meals often come with refillable side dishes, this makes eating out filling and affordable. If you’d like to learn more about Korean dining customs, read my post all about food culture in Korea.
Korean Restrooms
Even simply using the restroom in South Korea may present some interesting culture shocks. For example: while most toilets are like those we have in North America, Europe, etc, you may encounter public restroom stalls with squatting toilets. There are a number of interesting things about Korean toilets that you can read more about here!
Be Prepared to Walk a LOT
The Korean peninsula is over 70% mountainous region. This makes for some very hilly terrain to walk around! Even in downtown Seoul, you will encounter some very steep streets and great scenic hiking trails. As one of the best things to do in Korea is explore this beautiful place on foot, you want to be prepared to effortlessly clock in over 10,000 steps per day! To add to that, some subway stations don’t have elevators! I highly recommend bringing comfortable shoes and even invest in some good insoles like these to keep your feet extra supported.
Korea is Very Safe… but Stay Mindful
One of the things I love about traveling in South Korea as a woman is that it is very safe. Walking around at night was never uncomfortable and I saw many other women and people of all ages calmly strolling even dark alleyways alone. However, I think there can be a little danger when a country gets a reputation for being extremely safe if people let their guard down completely (YouTube and Instagram are full of videos of people proudly leaving their bags unattended in Korean restaurants for example). While violent crime is rare, it still occurs along with petty crime. It’s important to just stay mindful of your surroundings no matter where you are.
Beware of Scams
Travelers to any country should be wary of scammers who take advantage of tourists. While I have never been the victim of scams in South Korea, there is one notorious example I am aware of. Oddly enough, Korea has a lot of religious cults and some tourists have fallen victim to a tea ceremony scam in which a person approaches you on the street extremely friendly and invites you to take part in a “unique cultural experience”. The unknowing tourist is invited to a private area to participate in some rituals only to be pressured to offer a lot of money before being allowed to leave. In some countries it’s culturally normal to be immediately very friendly and familiar with strangers whereas that’s simply not as common in Korea. While I must emphasize that I have had lovely interactions with Korean locals, I’m still aware that someone approaching me on the street and wanting to immediately befriend me and invite me somewhere is a big red flag.
Occasional Bad Air Quality
A very important thing to know before visiting South Korea is that there is occasionally really bad air quality. From a combination of its own industry and its proximity to China’s notorious air pollution, Korea can unfortunately have some pretty smoggy days. A great phone app to get for visiting Korea is the iQAir Air Visual app to see the most up to date local air quality.
Luckily, protective face masks are cheap and easily found in convenience stores but I should say that I didn’t find the occasional smoggy days dampened my travels in Korea. For what it’s worth, Autumn seems to be South Korea’s best season for good air quality.
Navigating the Korean Language
As South Korea has in recent years become a particularly popular travel destination, this may give some the incorrect impression that most businesses can accommodate their native language to cater to tourism. While translations in a variety of languages are available in some places like the subway and businesses in the tourist hot spots, knowing at least a few Korean phrases will really help with getting around and diving into more authentic local experiences. At the very least, a great thing to do before going to Korea is learn the Korean alphabet: Hangul. It’s quite easy to get the hang of in a few days and will help a lot with identifying things such as location names and food items on menus.
Although, I certainly experienced some culture shock during my first visit to South Korea, I found people very kind, helpful and patient with me as I navigated the country. Nevertheless, I’m glad I did my research so that I could share with others some great things to know before visiting South Korea.
Thank you for reading! If you plan on making the voyage to the Land of Morning Calm, I hope you’ll read some of my stories below for travel ideas and don’t forget to check out my essential South Korea packing list!
