10 Things I Will Miss About Living in South Korea

As my departure from South Korea gets closer and closer with each passing day, I become an emotional wreck. This year meant more to me than I could have anticipated. I’m grateful I’m able to realize the impact South Korea left on me before I’m gone for good. This way, I am able to fully appreciate the remaining moments I do have. Today I’m sharing the things I will miss most after I leave Korea. 

1.  My job

The best thing to come out of this entire experience, was the love I found in teaching tiny humans. Tiny Korean humans to be exact. With zero prior experience, I jumped headfirst into the classroom, and attempted to go with the flow. While it wasn’t always easy, and made me want to throw my computer out the window at times, it eventually paid off in the end.

I bonded with these kids in a completely unexpected way. While we had difficulty communicating certain things to one another, other emotions and feelings were easily recognized. Laughter, humility, and appreciation, I discovered, are universal. While it was technically my job to teach them this year, I learned just as much from them over the last 12 months.

Related: 10 Things EPIK Doesn’t Tell You About Teaching English in South Korea 

2. Convenience

Imagine the convenience of a New York bodega, but then imagine them everywhere in the United States. In my tiny town alone, I have three fully stocked groceries stores within a two minute walk from my front door. Then of course, there are the 7/11’s, the CV’s, and the GS25’s on every corner. Plus, you can find a Daiso in nearly every town. Daiso is essentially a “dollar store” with a large variety of affordable items for literally any need.

3. Public transportation

Speaking of things that are convenient, Korea knows what they are doing when it comes to public transportation. Bus service is easy to navigate, and KTX trains connect cities to one another splendidly. Getting from one end of the country to another isn’t a hassle, but more so a comfortable, fast journey. It’s easy to accomplish a day trip from Daegu to Seoul, for example, if you really wanted to.

4. Hostels

Having stayed in hostels {literally} around the world, I can confidently say Asia has some of the best. The amenities are always on point, the service is superb, and usually you’ll get a comfortable bed with a curtain. And the best part, they are so affordable. South Korea is no exception when it comes to their hostels. My favorite hostel in the world is located in Daegu itself. I will miss staying at top notch hostels for a fraction of the price I would pay in Europe, etc.

Related: 9 Cultural Mistakes You Should Avoid in Korea… But Don’t 

5. Affordability

In general, things in South Korea are cheaper than America and Europe. I rarely go shopping and spend more than ₩10,000 {approx. $9} on any given clothing item. Meals are usually between ₩6,000 – 10,000 {approx. $5 – 9}, unless you are eating at a western style restaurant. Korean beauty products are cheap, but again, the western counterparts will cost you double the price at home. Taking a charter bus to Seoul from Daegu {3.5 hours} will only cost you ₩17,000 {approx $15}, and subway rides are less than $2.00 USD.

6. Well dressed men

Boy, did I get spoiled in South Korea. The men in this country are impeccably dressed. Regardless of the style, they know how to wear clothes that fit correctly. I am going to get a rude awakening when I arrive back in the states to find only a handful of men that can emulate the same standard of dress.

Related: 15 Things That Surprised me About Life in South Korea

7. Seoul

It’s no secret that Seoul stole my heart this year. You can read more about it here, or read up on my latest NYE celebrations in Seoul here. I come to life when I travel to Seoul from Daegu. It’s a forward-thinking city, with residents from all over the world. Seoul was the first metropolitan city I visited in Asia, and it took my breath away.

Related: 48 Hours in Seoul, South Korea

8. Mandu, 붕어빵, and ramen

While I didn’t love the majority of the food in South Korea, there were still a few stand out items I will miss. Most importantly, mandu {Korean dumplings}, 붕어빵 {fish-shaped pastry stuffed with sweetened red bean paste}, and ramen. As you can imagine, any hope of losing weight in Korea went out the window once these became my favorite foods.

9. Affordable healthcare

One thing I will not miss about this year was the amount of times my health suffered due to the terrible air quality in Korea. That being said, when I was feeling under the weather, I didn’t need to worry. With my ARC {Alien Registration Card}, I was able to walk into any “clinic” {what would be a GP at home} with no problems. I was seen within a few minutes, treated and given a prescription in a timely manor. The best part – it never cost me more than $8.00 USD. And it was the same with prescriptions!

Related: 10 Things the World Can Learn From South Korea

10. K-POP 

Admittedly, I became completely obsessed with the K-POP band BTS this year. Since then, I have had so many strangers reach out to me expressing their own unconditional love for the seven Korean idols. It’s true that once you dip your toe in the water, it’s hard to keep yourself from drowning.

While they are the only K-POP group that I actively listen to {edit: this is no longer the case, I listen to more than BTS}, I will miss the entire attitude towards K-POP that engulfs the entire country of Korea. It’s a brutal world to live in if you are a K-POP idol, however the fans in South Korea are the most committed fandom in the world.

Ever since I became a BTS fan, my entire experience in Korea has shifted. It has allowed me to appreciate Korean culture in a completely unique way. As cheesy as it sounds, I’m completely indebted to K-POP for helping me embrace South Korea. 

While I will miss so many things about my temporary home, there are just as many things I won’t mind leaving behind. Next, I’m sharing the “10 Things I Won’t Miss About South Korea”. Watch this space.