What should I bring from home?
Photocopies of your important documents, like your passport, diploma, another photo ID, etc. Were you to ever lose your passport, or misplace your Alien Registration Card (ARC), having ready-made copies on hand will help expedite the replacement process. And always remember to take a copy of information page of your passport when you travel!
Your smartphone. Many public places in Korea offer free wifi, so you’ll still be able to communicate with family and friends until you get a SIM card installed.
Deodorant and toothpaste. Korean toothpaste comes in funky flavors that you may not like (green tea and aloe, for example), so we recommend bringing toothpaste that suits your tastes. Deodorant, especially the style you’re used to, can be difficult to find. Most people need 2-3 sticks of deodorant and 3-4 tubes of toothpaste to get them through their year in Korea.
Some tips on clothing…
The spring and fall in Korea are mild and beautiful — by far the best time of year! But the summers are humid and the winters are bitter cold.
Are you tall? For ladies over 5’7” and men over 6’, make sure you have all the pants you’ll need to get you through the year. Clothing that fits taller folks is hard to find.
Ladies, bring whatever bras you’ll need. Anything larger than a B cup is usually hard to find, and even when you do, they’re expensive.
If your shoe size is 8+ (women) and 11+ (men), be aware that shoes will be very difficult to track down in Korea. Korean brand shoes generally run small and foreign brands will be expensive, so bring whatever shoes you’ll need from home.
Medicine can be tricky in Korea. While your local pharmacy will have wonderful, over-the-counter options for simple things like a head cold, prescription medications will be much harder to come by. If you take any prescription medicine, we strongly recommend bringing a year’s supply with you. You may also want to bring a small bottle of Tylenol, Advil or Ibuprofen. Most pharmacies in Korea will have something similar, but it might take you a little while to figure it out.
Tampons. Pads can be found in abundance because that’s what most Korean women use, but tampons are very difficult to find.
A plug adapter to plug smaller devices into a wall outlet, and power converter for larger electronic devices. See our page on Electronics for more info on managing electronic devices in Korea.
Spices and comfort food. If there are specific spices that you always love to cook with, bring them with you! Some Western spices are not sold in Korea, and even if they do exist, it might take you awhile to figure out how to find them. Comfort food can be important during your first few weeks as you’re still adjusting to navigating your local grocery store.