What To Bring With You To Korea

It’s hard to know what to bring with you when you pack for your flight to Korea. I will try and give you a general idea of what I (26 year old male) brought with me.

Deoderant – This is a great idea because it’s hard to find unless you live in Seoul or another large urban area. Even then it’s not easy to find. Bring 5-6 sticks with you at least.

Bed/Pillow Sheets – These CAN be bought here but I brought my own with me because having a comfort/reminder of is nice to have on a bad day of teaching.

Toothpaste – You also can get toothpaste here but it generally doesn’t taste very good or is very effective. Bring a few tubes with you at least.

Canadian Paraphernalia (or of your country) – Small pins, souvenirs, etc make good prizes for students and gifts for K teachers as well.

Shoes – If you have big feet such as myself, you may find yourself in trouble for finding shoes or sandals that fit you in Korea. You can find most sizes in Seoul but may have a hard time anywhere else.

Clothes -Same as shoes.

Money – Bring at least 700,000 Won ($700 roughly) to help you live and settle in till you get paid.

Laptop – Good time killer on the flight over as well as helping you to keep in touch with friends and family back home. Most if not all new laptops have dual voltage power units, meaning all you need to buy is a plug converter so you can use it in the outlets here. You DO NOT need to buy a step down transformer to use it.

Power Transformer – If you are bringing an electric razor, etc from home, good idea to invest in a step down power transformer or you’ll fry your appliance as soon as you plug it in. They can be bought for $30 or so. They also can be bought once you arrive in Korea. I bought mine in Canada and brought it with me.

Medication – If you get sick often, bring some meds. You can get them here too but it’s a good idea to bring some until you know where you can get prescriptions.

Spices – Some spices are hard to find in Korea. I brought lots of oregano with me.

Books – Bring a book or two (or three) to kill time on the flight over and during a slow day/evening. Book swaps do happen from time to time among fellow foreigners so there should be no shortage of reading materials.

Pillow – I’ve had a hard time finding a comfortable pillow in Korea. I wish I had brought one from home with me. Be sure to bring a pillow you find comfortable with you. Packing everything in Space Bags is also a VERY GOOD idea.

People come and people go quite often here in Korea. There are always people giving away things when they leave. You can usually get things you need during these times. I got many of my spices, electronics, and clothes this way. Plus if you are motivated, you could organize a swap meet amonst your friends too to trade for things you need.