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I’ll never forget my first month in Daejeon. I had the visa, the apartment in Dunsan, and a burning desire to not teach English. I spent three weeks refreshing the same three job boards, watching “해외영업” (Overseas Sales) posts that required fluent Korean, and wondering if I’d have to commute to Seoul just to use … Read more

— Intro: The Hook I’ll never forget my first trip to a Korean mart in Gwangalli. I was fresh off the plane, jet-lagged, and starving. I walked in, grabbed a cart, and spent 20 minutes circling the aisles like a lost puppy. Everything was in Korean, the produce was priced by the *geun* (a unit … Read more

I remember my first weekend in Daegu, standing in the middle of Dongseongro, surrounded by neon lights and the smell of sizzling tteokbokki. A group of ajummas physically pushed me aside to get a free sample at a cosmetics store. I was offended. Now, ten years later, I realize that wasn’t rudeness—it was a cultural … Read more

I remember my first year in Suwon, staring at a contract written entirely in Korean, too embarrassed to ask my boss for a translation. I signed it, thinking, “This is fine, it’s a standard agreement.” Three months later, I found out I wasn’t entitled to the severance I assumed I’d get. That’s when I learned … Read more

I remember my first month on Jeju Island. I was walking my dog, and an elderly ajumma walked straight up to me, grabbed my arm, and asked, “어디가?” (Where are you going?). I froze. In my home country, that’s a privacy violation. Here? It was her way of saying, “I see you, and I care.” … Read more

I remember my first month in Songdo, staring at my bank account balance and wondering how I’d afford another round of tteokbokki. The campus job board was a ghost town, and every “Help Wanted” sign in English seemed to require a native speaker with five years of experience. Sound familiar? If you’re an international student … Read more

I remember my first trip to a clinic on Jeju Island. I had a splitting headache and a fever, but the real panic set in when the receptionist handed me a form written entirely in Hangul. I couldn’t read my own prescription instructions, and the doctor’s rapid-fire Korean left me nodding like a broken bobblehead. … Read more

I remember my first month in Songdo. I had a fancy degree, a polished resume, and the naive belief that my native English would be a golden ticket. Three weeks in, I was broke, eating convenience store ramen, and wondering why every job posting required “5 years of experience in a Korean conglomerate.” Here’s what … Read more

I remember my first week in Songdo, staring at a job posting for “English Teacher” that required a “perfect American accent” and a “willingness to work weekends.” I had the accent, but the pay was laughable, and the contract was a red flag wrapped in a bow. That’s when I learned the hard way that … Read more

— The first time I walked into a hospital in Pyeongtaek, I was sweating bullets. I had a killer ear infection, my Korean was limited to “hello” and “thank you,” and the receptionist at the registration desk just stared at my passport like it was a puzzle. I ended up pointing at my ear and … Read more