Korea Plain

When a foreigner looks for a home in Korea, the contract type and two reporting deadlines matter more than the housing type. Report your move within 15 days of moving in (a change-of-residence report). If your lease is above a set amount, report the contract within 30 days of signing (a lease report).   In Korea, even monthly rent comes with a deposit. There is also a separate system called jeonse (전세), which uses a very large deposit. Which one you choose can change the lump sum you need at move-in by tens of times.   A residential alley lined with low-rise villa and one-room apartment buildings in Seoul. Photo: Yonhap News   Six Types of Housing in Korea Foreigners in Korea usually choose from one-rooms, officetels, goshiwons, hasukjibs, serviced residences, and apartments. Size, rent, and maintenance fees differ by type.   One-room (원룸) : A small home made up of a single room. It is also called a studio. Officetel (오피스텔) : Usually larger than a one-room a...

The Korean stock market's regular session on the KRX (Korea Exchange) runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. With Nextrade (NXT) and the KRX after-market included, trading runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 12 hours a day. Korea Standard Time (KST) is UTC+9, and every time in this guide is KST. There is no lunch break. The same stock may or may not be tradable, and the order types you can use differ, depending on the time of day and your broker.   A passerby walks in front of the KRX stock price display board at the Korea Exchange in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo: OhmyNews   KRX Regular Session: 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Regular-session trading on the KRX starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Orders are accepted from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A trading day runs in this order:   8:30–8:40 a.m. : Pre-market closing-price trading 8:30–9:00 a.m. : Opening call auction 9:00 a.m.–3:20 p.m. : Continuous trading 3:20–3:30 p.m. : Closing call auction 3:30–4:00 p.m. : After-hours closing-price ...

Korea's main taxi-hailing app is Kakao T, made by Kakao Mobility. Foreign visitors can also use k.ride, an app for foreigners that the same company released in June 2024, or the English-language app TABA. Both let you register an overseas card and call a taxi.   The Kakao T app home screen, with taxi and taxi-reservation options. Source: Kakao Mobility   Kakao T Is the Default Taxi App in Korea The best-known taxi apps in Korea are Kakao T, Uber Taxi, KakaoMap, and intltaxi.co.kr, a booking site for international taxis. Kakao T supports English. Uber Taxi is not an Uber car service. It calls regular Korean taxis.   With Kakao T, you can call Blue, Venti, Deluxe, and Black class taxis across the country. The app supports English, Japanese, and Korean. Once you register one card, you can pay for every service in the app.   Kakao T app screen showing Venti and Black taxi options with estimated fares. Photo: Naver Blog (taxicome)   Foreign Visitors: Use k...

"Korean BBQ chicken" is not a fixed menu name in Korea. In English, the phrase can mean dak-bulgogi, dak-galbi, or the BBQ chicken brand. At a Korean chicken shop, three words are enough to order: one whole chicken, half-and-half, and boneless.   What "BBQ Chicken" Can Mean The phrase covers three things: dak-bulgogi, dak-galbi, and the BBQ chicken brand. When you order at a Korean chicken shop, the brand and the fried (huraideu) and seasoned (yangnyeom) chicken are what apply.   Dak-bulgogi (닭불고기) is chicken thigh marinated in gochujang (red chili paste) sauce and grilled. It is also called "Korean chicken BBQ" in English. Dak-galbi (닭갈비) is chicken in gochujang sauce stir-fried with sweet potato, cabbage, and rice cakes. It started in Chuncheon in the 1960s as food to go with drinks. Its original name was dak-bulgogi, and it was grilled over charcoal. The difference between the two is the cooking method: dak-bulgogi is grilled, and dak-galb...

In Korea, some crosswalks change only when you press a button, and others change on their own. The ones that need a press have a "pedestrian push-button signal" (보행자 작동신호기). If you press the button and the light does not change, wait for the next signal cycle. If the green walk signal is flashing, do not start crossing.   A pedestrian push-button signal (보행자작동신호기) beside a crosswalk in Korea. Photo: Naver News   Push-Button Signals: Press First A pedestrian push-button signal turns the walk signal on only after a pedestrian presses the button to request it. These buttons are supposed to be placed where pedestrians can easily see them. The walk signal will not come on unless you press, so if you see a button at a crosswalk, press it first.   Some crosswalks have a button on the pole, but pressing it does not change the light. Some buttons on signal poles are for visually impaired pedestrians. Pressing one gives a voice message telling them when it is safe ...

Four of Korea's seven major music festivals in 2026 are already over. Three remain: Gangwon RED FRYS in Gangneung on October 24, and two November shows in Incheon and Goyang. This guide covers the dates, lineups, ticket sellers, prices, and sale timing for all seven. All prices are in Korean won (KRW).   Four Festivals Are Over, Three Remain This year's seven festivals run from the Seoul Jazz Festival on May 22 to WONDERLIVET on November 22. The first four have already ended.   Seoul Jazz Festival : May 22–24, Olympic Park, Seoul Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival : July 31–August 2, Songdo Moonlight Festival Park, Incheon Busan International Rock Festival : October 2–4 (Friday–Sunday), Samnak Ecological Park, Sasang District, Busan Grand Mint Festival : October 17–18, Olympic Park, Seoul   The three still to come:   Gangwon RED FRYS : October 24, Gyeongpo Beach central plaza, Gangneung ASEAN-Korea Music Festival : November 7 (Saturday) at 5 p.m. and November 8...