Hey all. I live in Korea, and I was genuinely surprised to see Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (out Oct 23) set its campaign on the Korean peninsula with Hangul signage, alley recreations, pojangmacha stalls, 24h convenience stores.

Two things hit me watching the trailer:
1. The realism of everyday Korea rendered— taxis, markets, alleys I walk every day.
2. The blackout-before-bombing scene gave me a small, real sense of panic, even knowing it's fiction.

There's already controversy — what are your thoughts?

Curious to hear your takes.

If I get a substantial amount of income to my US Paypal account, how can I use it to pay taxes in Korea if I’m a Korean tax resident? The PayPal account isn’t linked to a bank, so I can’t do bank transfers. The American IRS makes things much simpler because you can simply directly pay American taxes through PayPal. But Korea has no such option. I have no idea how to get any funds to Korea because I cannot link Korean banks to the account.

Im currently visting japan, and my friend is joining me today. They are a korean native.

They just arrived and realized her credit card does not work in japan (its appears to be a korean local credit card? Or something like that. But apparently not a visa / mc / amex.

I think it was union pay? (Im txting them again to confirm)

They are stuck in the airport because they cant use their card for anything....

Is there anything they can do that we may be missing? (Im not a korean native, and both of ours first time visiting japan. So not sure here)

Hi everyone! I am going to be moving to Korea next week (!!) on the E7 visa and will likely be starting work around mid November.

However, to start working, I will need the ARC? Or can I work on the basis of the E7?

Currently I have an Airbnb booked for my first 2 weeks in Seoul. I was thinking I would be able to find long term housing within the 2 weeks but turns out you need the ARC to find affordable long term housing but to apply for the ARC you need to have a lease in place already with the proof of address? I am so confused. I am not sure what to do and I am not sure who to ask.

Same with bank accounts and phone numbers - I will need my ARC?

Anyone faced a similar situation? What did you do? Any help would be awesome because this is so overwhelming!

https://youtu.be/2yVeCeL5HRA?si=SJSNjnZIKopZSx-h

If I need to move more than $10K USD from a US bank to a Korean bank, what do people recommend?

For smaller conversions I've been using WISE to send money to a Korean bank account; this works flawlessly although anything over $500 gets paused or delayed it seems. And there's fees at a few steps: sending USD to Wise and then the conversion itself to KRW.

Excluding teachers please, moreso for corporate positions.

I work for a global American company and we have an office in Seoul. It's a huge company company (major brand) so they have extremely strict localizations when it comes to salary bands. I transferred 2 years ago from San Francisco to Singapore, but I'm currently visiting the Seoul office, and I think I like it so much more here.

I'd be effectively taking a paycut from 275k SGD to 165 million KRW.

Anyone gone through a similar experience and could share if it was worth it? It is so much more fun here than in Singapore.

​Hi everyone,

​I'm currently a second-semester master's student in a GSIS program in Seoul.

​When I first started my master's degree, I didn't pay much attention to the order of my English name because a friend told me it's normal for universities in Korea to switch them around.

​However, when I printed out my Certificate of Enrollment today, I noticed my full name is listed as [Given Name] [Surname]. Since I'm from a Chinese-speaking background, both my passport and ARC display my name as [Surname] [Given Name].

​Do I need to get the university to change my name order so that it matches my passport and ARC? If so, how should I go about doing this?

​Thank you so much for your help!

I’ve received my Overseas Korean Resident Card (similar to ARC) for my F4 Visa.

I’m wanting to set up a mobile plan so that I can use it for verifications even while back overseas.

I’m also looking to get a bank for ease of purchase and convenience for everything.

MOBILE PLAN

-What’s the best option? I’ve read a lot about MVNO 알뜰폰 and some where you get on a plan and can pause for ~W2000.

- Is there a specific place or a plan that’s recommended or fits the purpose?

MOBILE SET UP

- I’ve read a lot that the order is prepaid eSim, link to ARC, open bank, get new postpaid sim, go back to bank and update the number

- I’ve also read people saying mobile’s not necessary for bank and that bank should be first.

- What order should I be doing this?

BANK

- Any particular recommendations? I won’t be able to use any online only banks (eg. Toss or Kakao) due to limited time left here

- Is Hana, Shinhan and Woori all the same in terms of usage? I’ve seen a lot of ads on cashback systems. Is that available for all these banks?

Appreciate the responses!

I currently live in the US. My gf is from Korea. We plan to marry in a year. Then move to Korea to retire. I noticed she seems to have difficulty accessing Korean banks in the US. It seems to be Korean restrictions. So I am concerned about accessing my US accounts once I get there. Does anyone have any experience in how hard/expensive it is to access funds in US banks from Korea.

When the Climate Card was phased out, I started using the Modu card on the TMoney app and in September 2026, I spent over 70,000 won in Seoul but still haven't received any refund. I double-checked that my TMoney card number on the app as well as on the Korea Pass website match as instructed in the news, but my refund seems to be nowhere in sight. My Korean bank account, which I've been using to top up the card, has been linked since I started using the card via the app.

I do see a 57M mileage credit on the TMoney app, but when I try to use that as credit against my TMoney card, it translates to 57 won only. Does anyone know what I might be doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Seoul Economic Daily reports that more than half of the ransomware cases police have handled in Korea this year have been suspended, and no arrests have been made. It matters to readers here because most victims are companies, and so far there has been little law-enforcement follow-through.

I suffer from acne and eczema and am having a hard time finding a dermatologist that actually wants to help me in giving basic medical treatments. Many dermatologists prioritize patients who are there for expensive laser treatments and the like. And they tend not to listen to my concerns and give wrong diagnoses and unhelpful prescriptions.

So any advice about how to avoid these kinds of places, what to search for in Naver, or if you want to recommend any specific clinics (I live in Bundang) that would be helpful.

Hello everyone!

I am planning to move to the Gangnam area because of a new job so I need to move.

I was wondering if anyone has any real estate agencies they recommend? I almost got scammed once before ㅜㅜㅜ so I am trying to find someone trustworthy

I will be looking in 역삼동 (Yeoksamdong), 양재동 (Yangjaedong), 도곡동 (Dokokdong).

The company is near Gangnam station (강남역) and I am hoping the new house is ~30min away by public transportation.

Thank you! ^^

i'm considering buying clothes from a korean brand but am not familiar with the return process. in america, we print a shipping label and bring it to a post office and the shipping fee gets deducted from our return amount.

is the process different in korea? (CJ logistics pickup sounds like a different process) also are they a lot more strict on what case you can return items? for example, if a shirt just doesn't fit me well due to sizing or fabric material, am i allowed to return? or do they require the item to have an actual defect?

for example, i'm looking at this site: https://molente.kr/shopinfo/guide.html

I am recently completed my application process for my master in GIST ( Major Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)

My background and major achievements:
1)Bachelor degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering (India with 70 % scholarship) -2023
CGPA: 8.8/10
Did funded international internship in Taiwan in AI and semiconductor
Have won couple of robotics hackathons in university and ranked 3rd in coding
Received Leadership award from Gov of india.
Finalist of national science competition in Taiwan.
Did job for around 2 yrs.

Regarding GIST:
I discovered it through instagram reel, I did research and found it has great financial support for intl students and pretty good for AI as it’s research institute.

I tried to contact professors through gmail and LinkedIn but didn’t got response. Contacted current enrolled students( it wasn’t great help either)

I still applied for the graduate admissions but I am clueless as I don’t know whether i will get in or not.
Is there anyone from GIST who can evaluate me and inform whether not getting any response from professors consider normal or is it a red flag for me.

Would love to connect with current and prospective students

My partner (Korean) and I (US) are looking to get married in Korea. I have done some research and have seen some people saying it’s an easier process if you hire a lawyer to aid you. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations? Preferably in central Seoul area, thank you.

Hi!

I’m planning to move to South Korea in September 2027 for educational purposes on a D-2 student visa. However, I have a rare disease and I’m struggling to figure out how to arrange my treatment after moving.

I was diagnosed three years ago and I've been receiving regular treatment since then, IV treatment once in two months. Fortunately, I haven’t experienced any severe complications. I live much like a healthy person with the main difference being that I need to receive my medication regularly.

This is where things get complicated. My medication is an extremely expensive drug and I’m concerned about whether South Korea’s healthcare system would cover it.

Some unofficial websites (notices from 2024 and 2025) suggest that reimbursement may only be available to patients who have experienced severe complications or adverse effects. If so, my relatively stable condition could make qualifying more difficult. However, I also found notices from 2026 suggesting that the criteria may have changed recently.

Another concern is how HIRA would classify my case. Since I was diagnosed years ago and have already been receiving treatment, I wouldn’t be considered newly diagnosed. Would HIRA assess me under a different category or apply different reimbursement criteria since I’d have to continue existing treatment?

I’ve contacted hospitals by email but haven’t received clear answers. Some aren’t familiar with my disease or medication, while others can’t advise me because I don’t have a Korean visa yet and my situation is hypothetical.

I was advised to contact the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) but I couldn’t find an email address, and international calls would be too expensive. I’ve also submitted a petition to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) but I haven’t received a response.

If I can confirm that patients with my condition can receive the medication after HIRA review, the main challenge will be navigating the bureaucracy and arranging treatment in time.

Once I receive my Alien Registration Card (ARC), which I’ve read can take three to five weeks in Seoul, I'd have approximately 3-4 weeks. I’d try to see a specialist as soon as possible. I’d then begin the evaluation process at a Korean medical institution and find out how to apply for HIRA reimbursement.

Since this process could take longer than a week or two and it has a great not to get the medication in time, I’m considering a short trip back to my home country to receive my next dose while waiting for the Korean process to be completed.

However, I’m unsure whether this timeline is realistic or whether I’ve overlooked any administrative or medical requirements.

I’ve spent over a month researching and planning but I feel stuck. I don’t know anyone in Korea familiar with the healthcare system who could guide me.

I’d be incredibly grateful for any advice, especially from people experienced with the Korean healthcare system, HIRA reimbursement, rare diseases or accessing expensive medications as an international student.

Thank you so much for reading and sharing your knowledge.

What is Korean society’s view on tattoos these days?

I went to Korea in 2016. I only had a few tattoos on my arms back then, and I wasn’t really bothered. I even got a new one while I was there. Some elderly people made comments, but honestly, I didn’t mind at all, and it really wasn’t that bad.

Now… I’m heavily tattooed, like 60% of my body, including both of my legs entirely. I’m planning to go back to Korea and was wondering how tattoos are perceived these days. Has it changed? Would you recommend that I hide them all?

I don’t want to be inappropriate, and I would never intentionally have them on full display if it were considered disrespectful. I’d rather respect Korean society’s views and cover them if I have to.

Also, any idea if there are any things or activities I wouldn’t be able to do because of my tattoos?

Thanks!

While the headline seems humorous, the actual story is quite sad.

As a brief summary: this man runs a Sulbing and his daily income in winter is something like just 30,000won, so he took to this stunt to try to drum up attention and survive. Some people tease him for having to do this, but he doesn’t want to give up his store and some have shown him support. It’s a hard world out there...

is it possible to renew/extend my Philippine passport in busan or is it only available in seoul?