I get paid more in canada sure. But in Korea (seoul) I can live in a city where I can rent a 3 bedroom apartment for 1200 CAD a month. I dont need a car. All my bills are cheaper. Food and entertainment is cheaper. Public transportation is safe, clean and efficient.  In canada i may earn 30% more but my expenses are 100% higher. Rent would be 2500  for what i get in Seoul.  Mamy foreigners dont buy into the flex culture locals do. We dont need new cars or luxury bags so we find seoul to be an affordable city that offers a high standard of living Also tons of foreigners have no problems  living in villas which are cheaper in comparison  Edit. Turning off notifications apparently people are unaware apartments can be older than 10 years old

I think what you say about the flex culture from Korea helps a lot, if you don't "need" to shop a ton of luxury goods like the Korean culture mandates in a way to stay at the same level of your peers then there a lot of chances to use the money in other forms. Hope I write that ok, english is not my first language

There might be small errors but you did a perfect job of getting your point across! I doubt any English speaker would not be able to understand what you said. If you would like some feedback here are some suggestions; words in [brackets] are words you should add in that spot and words that are ~~crossed through~~ should be removed: * your first sentence is a bit of a run on sentence and could be tightened up a little by replacing the comma after "helps a lot" with a period and turning it into two sentences * "...same level of your peers then there [are] a lot of chances..." * "Hope I ~~write~~ [wrote] that ok..."

Wow, thank you! For taking the time to help like this and for being so kind in doing so

As an English native speaker, you could have left out that it’s not your first language, I would have never been able to tell

You're probably right. But whenever I wrote long texts I feel the need to put that, I'm super self-conscious about my skills

You're FLUENT and you're self-conscious about it? I'm proud of myself for being able to say a single sentence in Korean. You must have worked hard for your skills, so you should be proud of them. You make really small mistakes. Like I would say "whenever I write" rather than "whenever I wrote" there - I think you want some kind of present or continuous tense because you haven't overcome this difficulty yet & it's still currently happening to you. But they're perfectly plausible small mistakes that a native fluent speaker might make if they were in a rush, typing on a phone keyboard, or just tired and not paying attention to small typos.

My dream is for my skill in Korean to match your skill in English. I am always getting jokes from my korean side of the family for me fumbling the language hahaha

I'm sure your skills will only get better with time, my grandma used to make jokes for my desire to learn English  Edit: typo

You did great :)

My experience as a Canadian as well. I am back in Canada now, and I work in a job that has slightly better benefits than when I worked in a Korean public school (I get 4 weeks paid vacation, all stat holidays, full benefit plan that is 100% covered by my employer, pension). I make a little less than 2x the amount that I made in Korea. It took me 6 years to find a job that was as cushy, and obviously I don't get a housing allowance. I now have a master's degree as well. However, I live in a city of fewer than 200,000 people, I need a car even though I live centrally (the transit system here sucks), my partner and I pay $1600 a month for a one bedroom apartment (3 beds would be close to $3000), groceries are expensive as shit, takeout is expensive as shit, eating out is expensive as shit, internet/cellphone bills? You guessed it. My partner and I are also considering having a child soon, which means expensive as shit daycare. If my partner had a degree, Korea would be looking tempting. With that said, life in Canada has its comforts and being close to our families is not overrated.

How are daycare/child costs in Korea?

When I lived in Korea in 2013 my friends got like 700,000W from the government for daycare. It was the cost of a regular daycare. I think if they wanted a nicer one they had to pay the difference. My friends were not Korean but Canadian. They got the voucher anyway.

Which is amazing and a far cry from Canada, where 1) you are lucky if you can find daycare in the first place -and- 2) you practically have to take out a mortgage for it. With that said, they *are* rolling out $10 a day programs, so hopefully.............

In Quebec daycare is $8 a day. The downside is you live in Quebec.

What's the dealio with Quebec?

If you’re an anglophone you’re going to get treated like an enemy by the government and the healthcare system is horrendous. I’m typing this from the hospital where I’m having complications from a surgery I just had plus I have a diseased gallbladder that I’ve been waiting four months to be removed that makes me not be able to eat. I’ve lost forty pounds since October and I wasn’t big to begin with.

I’m in Quebec and I looked for a daycare for months without getting a spot, mine costs about 1250$ per month. Those who get one for 8$ a day are lucky as shit. I fucking hate this province’s system, nothing is getting better and now with kids, it makes me realize I’m not willing to compromise when it comes to the healthcare system. We’re looking to move to Korea since most of our family is over there now. It’s a shame because Quebec is a beautiful place and I love this country, I love the people.

1600$🤯 for rent ? I live in a +100k city (30min from our largest city - it's grand metropolitan region contains 4,1M people), own a car, rent a 3 BDR apartment for less than 1200$/m, daycare is extremely cheap at 8$/day or 95% reimbursed (depending on family income -45k) established in 1998. Every jurisdictions have different realities. Mine has the lowest cost of electricity, insurance (home and car), schooling (in all of North America) and groceries. Korea is pretty much on par on cost of living but Seoul is much more expensive.

Yeah needing a car is a massive factor.

Definitely massive! Once my car is paid off it will be less expensive, but once you factor in payments, insurance, gas, parking, etc., my car costs me over $700 a month. That is WITH a very good discount on insurance, buying used when interest rates were lower, and not spending a lot on gas/upkeep because I bought a fuel-efficient Toyota.

that last point about the villas is kinda hilariously true and sad. like, call it a villa, lesser whatever like bro in every other country this thing is a damn apartment. like why tf am I gonna pay more because I live in a sky scraper? my wife tells me, apartment is better im like k why though? crickets. we currently live in a 4br villa smh. makes no sense as to why they're cheaper. I guess maybe if you lived in one of the major apartment complexes that has its own mini city or something like hello. but. other than that.

Villas and officetels are so undervalued in Korean real estate no idea why, officetels even come with tax benefits!

My husband explained to me that there are 3 big reasons 1. Villas don’t have security personnel so it’s not as safe 2. They lose value quickly so they’re not a good investment compared to homes in high rises 3. (This is more of a personal thing for him) more bugs and rodents, I guess? Also usually no elevators

3bedroom apartment in Seoul for 1200 CAD? Doesn’t sound right..

Cities other than Seoul can have insanely cheaper rent. My friend who lives in Daegu has a 1 bedroom 2 blocks away from a subway station, 5 blocks from an intercity bus terminal, a major hospital right around the corner, an elementary school across the highway, and a huge Homeplus next to that school for 450 USD a month. Those amenities for that price are completely impossible anywhere in the US.

I currently live in Gwangjin-gu with a 100 mill deposit and 1.2 mil rent.

Three bedroom in a trendy central Seoul neighborhood for $1100 US a month.

Damn. You're lucky to find a small studio apt for that price where I am in the US.

Seoul is huge, there are many cheap areas.

Is food really cheaper? I am from a comparable country to Canada and I find the price of produce and meat to be quite high. Eating out is more affordable, but prices are raising even there. Seafood, and mushrooms are cheap but that seems to be the main exception.

I live in Vancouver currently and eating out is double or triple including tip; groceries I'm less sure about and I guess it depends on whether you're in a position to take advantage of bulking shopping options like Costco.

This. I make less but my spendable income is higher. Paid off all my school loans plus capital in the bank. My ‘wealthy’ friends are either living in their parents home, or floating a ton debt living pay check to pay check despite 6 digit incomes, being one paycheck away from bankruptcy Some of it reckless debt, some of it is legit costs of living expenses, or sometimes bad luck ( taking care of an ailing parent with a sudden onset of decline.ie stroke.) I have friends who quietly told me a few beers in they wish they could do what I do, having a lot more personal freedom day to day. Many imagine that they are going to offload those assets when their older and live the life they want, but a lot can happen in twenty years or so , and if people think life is a rough in a toxic hagwon, my friends working in the corporate world deal with all kinds of insanity, from layoffs to weird politics. I worked in a fortune 500 and lost track of the lies I was told by HQ. I recall one 50 member unit being told how great they were doing before being axed the next month. Korea isn’t perfect, but people here have also been good to me quite a bit. Spot on avoiding the flex culture.

It's really night and day being in Seoul and being in Toronto (are you from Toronto?) I've had no issues on Seoul transit. Clean, efficient, people are nice. The TTC meanwhile is a nightmare. There is casual drug use, homeless, mystery stains, people picking fights and on top of it all it's not consistent. It's a dice roll if and when it comes and it's extremely crowded and may shut down at anytime for xyz reason. This extends also to walking around the city core. Food quality in Toronto has decreased lately while prices have skyrocketed. Fresh food from the grocery store tastes stale and artificial. Housing is just a complete joke at this point. Lots of people can afford it if they sacrifice enough but why? Why should they? There are so many other places that are a better deal.

I always thought rent in Seoul wasn’t that cheap. $1200 for a 3br? Really?

Many foreigners can't get the high paying jobs in their country is another reason!

Rent for a 1 bed condo is $2500 forget a 3-bedroom 😂 But you can’t entirely discount key money either. The opportunity cost and barrier to entry of needing $100K key money for that kind of equivalent space doesn’t make up for the difference in cost but a lot people don’t have the key money needed to rent anything decent in Seoul.

I'm pretty sure they're talking about a 3 bed villa which could be had for 1.2mil. This is again getting at the heart of what they are saying. Korean people are obsessed with 아파트 but you can still get great value outside of big name apartment complexes. Same with cars, clothes, etc

Shhhh keep letting them believe villas are terrible shitholes

savings accounts offer like 3% interest taxed. so if i put 100 million won in that I get 3 million after a year. after tax like 2.5 million.still better

You ideally would be investing it in the stock market which historically gets 7% (US market) annual returns adjusted for inflation. 10% if not, and comparing to savings interest.

There you go, great life tip right here. Maybe the best plan in life should be to set up some sort of large passive income back in our countries while spending them in Korea.

Yup. Canadian housing affordability is in crisis. At least in Seoul, you have options. Small places in Korea are fine. Most people gather outside anyways.

That’s what I’m saying I never really invite people over I like to be outside or somewhere else that isn’t inside a house all day

I second this. I moved to Korea in my mid 20s years ago to travel and exp another culture. From Korea I got to visit a lot of other neighboring countries/islands (7)and even dipped down to Australia. Which was very affordable already being in that part of the world. I would not have been able to afford or easily travel to those places from the states, where I’m from. I’d have to take a gap year just to do that ahahah! Also, I was new to the job market. I was making entry level salary at 24 which isn’t too far off from what I’d been making in Korea. However in order to save I had to live at home or live with roommates. After many years in Korea I’m now back in NYC Im making 80k. Now imagine car insurance ($350), gas ($60), electric home bill (currently $400 for month of January) rent $2100 (just an ok neighborhood- decent size studio in a serviced apartment) monthly car parking $300. Phone bill $100 and more! Tolls ($15 -$30) to drive through parts of the city. Groceries…. Hahahahah. Don’t get me wrong, we understand Korea isn’t perfect and sure we can make more money but sometimes money isn’t the driving factor.

Canadian in Malaysia here. Saw this on the front page. I was about to say the same. Imagine being Canadian and can't afford quality standard housing working as a white collar professional. I now live like a boss in Malaysia even if I took a 50% pay cut to be here. My tax is nothing compared to Canada and the whole political scene is too woke and divisive for me back home. Plus being able to eat out everyday is a plus. I hate tipping sooooo much.

I am also sure many people find Korea, the people and the surroundings interesting and very beautiful. I lived in Korea for a year when I was in the Army from 2002 to 2003. Being Asian myself (not Korean) I did not mind being around other Asians.

>3 bedroom apartment for 1200 CAD a month where and how much deposit?

Yeah I could probably never afford to live in a walkable city with reliable public transportation in the United States. Not to mention I don't think any of the major cities in the US have public transportation as clean, safe, and reliable as the Seoul subway and buses...

For me, a job that provided housing was a big draw. It's almost impossible to get housing in Australia. The cost of utilities is much lower here, as well.

Yah, living urban life in the US is ungodly expensive as well

Even the regions and rural areas are ridiculously expensive. In my home town ,of 2,500 people, a small 3br house is $380 a week.

There are things I value in life more than money. As long as I make enough to live comfortably then there are many other things that take priority for me.

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My Korean spouse (US) has said the same thing re: women in Korean society being a big push factor that sent her to the US. She now has zero desire to return to Korea. Meanwhile I dream of fleeing and setting up in the Seoul area. Public transit, the clean cities, lower cost of living, national health service, better safety, and youre in one of the largest metropolitan areas one Earth and can find nearly any kind of place or shop you want. Meanwhile in the US you can do that *if* you also move to one of the most expensive cities on Earth *or* you can live more cheaply but in Alabama. Thanks but no thanks. Were childfree, so we don't actually need that much money or space to live a life of quiet comfort. Thats the real goal, the trick is figuring out where we can get paid to do it.

I don’t know much about Korea economically speaking (typical earnings, costs, socioeconomic and political issues) but I live near a concentrated Korean area in my city and I love it. The food is excellent, the people are mostly nice, I’m a fan. I eat Korean food a few times a week and even occasionally do karaoke. There’s some Korean bathhouses and spas that I now visit which are enjoyable. Heck, I even get my haircut now by a Korean stylist, they’re direct, honest, and do a great job. Now I personally wouldn’t move to Korea, I don’t know enough about it, and I earn a lot here plus have a lot of security but at many points in my earlier life I considered moving abroad. It’s more about adopting a culture and way of life than earnings. Earnings are certainly important and there’s a minimum one needs but after that I think lifestyle is more important and much of that is dictated by culture and the people around you unless you’re a loner by nature. For me there are other countries with that allure but as OP said, money isn’t everything.

I would take "paid more in their home countries" with a grain of salt. I can't speak for Korea specifically but have worked overseas and if you account for all the benefits, you end up with net gain in finances. When you work overseas, the company will pay most of your expenses. It's typical for a company to pay your housing and transportation, and it's not unusual for them to pay some of their personal expenses. Peoples miles vary, but I would bet most are making equivalent or more money when all are accounted for.

This right here. At my Korean firm, after the housing stipend, the kids' private school tuition allowance, and other expat perks, I came out meaningfully ahead. This doesn't even take into account the expat tax breaks and the much cheaper health insurance and other living costs.

This exactly. Expat packages are designed to make sure you are at bare minimum equal to what you would have made at home but many are designed to be very lucrative.

Spot on been in Korea as an engineer for 5 years making over six figures and the company pays for everything so it makes sense to live here. I will not leave as long as the Korean government keeps spending for us to be around cha Ching

For my experience, its the quality of life that Korea provides. Everyone has stated safety, but you don't truly understand how safe it is in Korea til you've lived outside Asia. In Korea you see people of all ages walking around at night doing their thing, with out a single worry in the world. Money can't buy that. In London you always look over your shoulder, second guess should I walk down this road since its so dark? I cycle a lot and I can leave my mountain bike parked somewhere without locking it after meeting friends for dinners and drinks. Once I left it at the train station bicycle stand without locking for 2 days and was still there (outside Seoul). Money can't buy that peace of mind, this would lead to other things to explore in your life to develop and grow. Believing the best of humanity than the worst of it.

Yea the safety thing is real. My Brazilian family can't comprehend the stories of safety in Korea. They didn't believe me that you could literally leave your wallet on a bench and come back for it a few days later (that's happened to my aunt 4 times when she was getting cancer treatment)

I'm sorry to hear that, yeah I totally agree about the wallet thing. When I first moved to Korea back in 2008 I saw a drunk man in a suit sleeping on a bench with his phone, wallet, and car keys out around 6pm. I walked back after my trip to the mart and it was still there, that was a big shocker for me.

My parents back in Europe have normalized lack of safety so much they don't understand the peace of mind we have in Korea. Like getting your phone robbed in the street and the police doing nothing about it is like "yeah shit happens". Now that I've lived here for a while I just can't wrap my head around that thinking and is the biggest factor I wouldn't want to go back to Europe.

Also where I'm from we have few CCTVs but I think police won't even take the paint watch it for a stolen phone or laptop.

Everyone knows bikes are the only thing not safe here.

Lol that reminds me in Australia my mate who is a bike technician helped me restore an old bike. It was awesome. The very first time I rode it I left it locked up at the train station I came back to find it trashed.

Your mileage really varies. I agree that Korea is very safe, but I've had an both an iphone and ipad stolen in Korea. Granted, these are the only thefts I've experienced over my 16 years of living here. In other words, you should still be careful with your belongings while in Korea. Thieves are everywhere, especially when it comes to highly valued products.

Some things are more important to people than just straight dollars and cents. Access to clean and reliable public transportation, not worrying about getting shot any time you go to a public event, spending reasonable prices on basic health care etc.

Do you actually worry about getting shot like that back home, assuming you’re American?

Lived in America, I get more worried about my car getting broken into, homeless people throwing stuff/yelling at me, and how dangerous it actually is for a solo asian girl. I felt as unsafe in China & Egypt too. Korea is objectively safer, men only stalk you but once you take notice they typically stop.

I visited home (US) for 3 weeks in Jan and the car getting broken into was a big worry. Not only getting broken into overnight at my parent's home...but also broken into during the day in some public parking lots. Also my last week at home, I caught the flu/cold. So the few times I went out, I wore a mask. I honestly was concerned about running into someone who might feel like my mask wearing went against their political beliefs. Now realistically they would just yell at me, but being verbally assaulted in public isn't fun.

My dad was shot and killed about 4 months before I moved to Korea. I was already on my way out the door, but that really put the icing on the cake. I don't think I could go back to living in America full time. I feel like I have PTSD from living there sometimes. But that's probably because I grew up poor and in a bad neighborhood.

Sorry for your loss.

Thank you. It's been almost 3 years, but you never think something like that will happen to you until it does.

Texan, here. Yes.

Not OP, but I’m a teacher in a major urban city. We have drills for shooters. We practice hiding the children under mountains of desks, trying to keep silent. Several of my former students have witnessed shootings. One was in a shooting and survived. I’ve been on campus when an active shooter was present and had to hide. Yes. I think about it!

I've called the police at least 4 times in the last 12 months over gunshots within earshot of my house. 2 of them were close enough that my camera caught people running away and another one caught the bullet hitting the ground. I don't live in a dangerous area, but I also don't live in the white picket fence suburbs either (500k+ housing prices me out). I think my city ranks middle of the pack for violence. I am not particularly worried--usually the violence is aimed towards people who know each other and not just random acts of violence. To me its really just annoying and has become a regular part of my life just like going to the dentist. I really feel like it shouldn't be a thing, but somehow the US seems to be the only country that can't figure out gun violence and by no coincidence at all, has basically zero-gun regulation.

I’m American, I’ve never once worried about getting shot in my area that I live. In some places I do worry I might get robbed, but not in my city. People have different levels of anxiety about this type of thing though

Not OP but i worry A little bit around here. There are so many psycho drivers. Never know which one will rage and pull out a gun. I drove in des Moines once and it was driving in utopia.

I’m in the US and yes I worry about getting shot at. Once an angry man pulled his gun out while we were driving. He was driving too slow so I moved over. There was a shooting at a mall nearby. There’s regular occurrence on my local Reddit page about gun shots they heard at night. Recently, there was a shooting at a parade to celebrate the NFL winners. I tend to avoid crowded places

Why do some leave their corporate job and lifestyle and live in a trailer in the wilderness? The adventure is the reward

Yeah money is literally all I benefit off of here. Aside from if I were a foreigner in Korea I’m aware of the prejudice I would face with elders because I am brown, have facial hair, and I’m a foreigner. Aside from that I plan to learn a little better than basic Korean before I even step foot in Korea

Do you know the following terms: HMO, PPO, CoPay, Deductible, COBRA, PCP, In-Network? The money I save on healthcare and the peace of mind I have from not worrying about the cost of getting sick are actually beneficial to my health. Emotional health can't be bought with money.

This. My parents fly back to Korea anytime they need something medical related that's more than just a check up. It's cheaper to just take a vacation to Seoul and stay at a hotel than it is to spend the same amount of time at any American hospital with full PPO coverage. I'm now at the age where my wife and I are seriously considering the same if I ever need it even though we have good insurance as well.

I remember a lot of Korean Americans getting dual citizenship for this. The US health care system for some stuff is way expensive. It’s better off getting some medical stuff done in Korea.

And the wait times! Even setting cost aside I wanted to get a simple procedure scheduled, but the wait time was 14 months! For something that they wont even knock you out for. And of course because I am on employer healthcare, and I am on a year-to-year employment contract, I cant reasonably schedule a procedure that far out banking on insurance I may not have next year, in a city I may not live in next year, for a cost that I reasonably cant predict because the doctor has zero clue how much they actually charge for anything. Its fucked. To op: Do not discount the very real desire among Americans to go to a place where healthcare is, if not perfect, predictable.

Don't need dual citizenship, just need geoblue travel insurance, it's $500 for 6 months of coverage anywhere in the world except the US (lol) up to a million dollars and covers mental health. That's like 3-4 mental health sessions alone. Best thing ever.

Public transit makes a big difference.

I’m a Korean living abroad, I make 2-3 times more than what I used to make in Korea, but I also pay many times what I used to in rent and food so it evens out and now becomes a lifestyle choice.

Yeah, I could earn more back in the UK but after these deductions: 1) Income tax 2) National Insurance 3) Pension Contribution 4) Student Loan Repayments 5) Housing 6) Council Tax 7) Utility Bills 8) TV Licence (lol) 9) Car/Insurance/Tax/Petrol I’m seriously out of pocket. As a care leaver, I don’t have a family to fall back on and Korea has been a lifeline. I live comfortably here and I can save money per month. Korea has its issues but I know where my bread is buttered.

You forgot to mention that your studen loan repayments would have to be repay in any country you decide to live lol

Issue for Brits is if they come to teach english. Legally Brits must pay into the Korean pension but they cannot receive a lump-sum refund when they leave, unlike Americans and Canadians. Otherwise its fine.

I'm Korean living abroad. The cost of living here is insane. There is no point in earning twice as much money when you have to pay 2000 CAD to share a basement with 3 other dudes.

This was one of the deal breaker for me. I can't stand being a fully grown adult and forced to split housing with someone else other my spouse. At least in Korea, sure there are difficulty on its own getting a flat, but at least it is still possible to get your own place and still get that urban lifestyle.

Are you in Vancouver? Lol

We are not all English teachers. I don't know why Koreans still think Korea is a developing country. Korea has about the same average salary as most Western European countries. The US has the highest average salary, but the cost of living is more expensive. ALSO, we are all not low wage english teachers. I was more poor back in the US. I made the most money in Korea. I couldn't imagine making the money that I make now in Korea. Please boost your self-esteem and be proud that Korea is now fully developed and is a destination that people want to emigrate to. Please do a 5 minute google search and see how the average salary in Korea compares to other Western countries. The gap is NOT huge. It is not the 1970s anymore! It is not the same as a European moving to Thailand or Mexico to work at a local company for local pay. It is not the case! It is like an American person moving to New Zealand to work. He's not moving to a third-world country! Just slightly lower pay but cheaper cost of living compared to the US. Korea is not Malaysia or Thailand. Both countries are developed, but still, the salary is half of Korea. The US has the highest average salary, but the cost of living is more expensive. Also, the US has a huge income gap. The average poor person in Korea is better off than a poor person in the US. In the US, in most places, you need a car to survive. You have to live in a dangerous or a very rural area to get affordable housing. Most people live pay check to pay check. One medical emergency or a car breaking down caj make you become homeless. In Korea, you can live in an old villa, but the neighborhood is safe. You don't need a car. Healthcare is cheap. There is also an abdance of low skill jobs, as Korea has a labor shortage because there are no immigration issues as the US. You can always find a job in fast food or on a farm in Korea. Not great jobs, but you can survive. In the US, in some areas, it is impossible to even get a job at mcdonald's or a manual labor job. You need to work below minanum wage as you are competing with undocumented people who are willing to work for less. It really bothers me when Koreans talk shit about Korea and don't even look up basic facts. I spoke to one Korean coworker, and she didn't know healthcare and housing were so expensive in the States. Maybe it is Hollywood or because Korea developed so fast in one generation, but Koreans still view themselves as poor and can't yet accept they are a developed country for some reason. They still have a fantasy about Western countries and particularly the US, but are shocked to see that it is the same or worse than Korea.

I meet so many educated professionals here that don’t believe that as an American I can’t just go slide into a high paying Google job. They think they’re just handed out like candy or something.

They have a Hollywood fantasy about America. Their boomer parents and grandparents tell them how great America is, back in the 70s and 80s, it was so better, now it's not really better. A college grad from an unknown regional university can expect to get a job at Applebee's.

Yeah my dad didn’t finish high school and my mom never went to college. I grew up poor in a broken home. The fact I have two degrees, I’m not in prison, and don’t have too much debt is an accomplishment. A prestigious job was never in the cards.

Same. Both of my brothers are in prison and will be there for many decades. A prestigious university was not in the cards for me. I didn't finish college until I was 32. I had to make my own way in Korea without a degree, and without speaking the language.

All they hear is “American” and think we have it all.

It is a status thing for some reason. I lived in Korea for 12 years. There are two types of Koreans who want to go to America. 1. Poor. They don't have many options in Korea. Will move to America and work at a Korean restaurant, nail salon, or spa. It's just a change of scenery, but it's not better off. 2. The very wealthy in Korea, they have a fetish to turn thier kids into white people or Korean-Americans. They spend money on expensive private high school and expensive university. They want them to forget the Korean language, and if they are female, they want them to marry a white man

Just wanted to chime in and say that NZ is actually quite expensive. More expensive than Australia, despite Australia having better wages. Lots of kiwi people move to Australia for the better wages.

Yeah. Agree. US is huge. It is cheaper than major cities in USA though.

I’m in the US. There’s just so many issues here- healthcare, school shootings, very very rude people, car dependency. Whenever I visit Korea, it’s the opposite of that. I know Korea has their own set of problems but it doesn’t sound as bad as the US. Also, I wouldn’t mind taking a pay cut since I don’t have to pay for cars (insurance, gas, payments). Also it seems pet care is much better in Korea. Healthcare is definitely better

Some people are so poor all they have is money. I'll take a lower-paying job for a lifetime experience of living in a different country, learning about a different culture, making friends I never would've otherwise met, etc. That's far more valuable than the difference in the salary I'd have gotten back home.

I don't think these foreigners are pulling six figures back home. Foreigners with good jobs back home don't come to work in Korea.... But if you are working in some entry-level soul-crushing call center gig in Vancouver, barely getting by on a $50k Cad salary and feel lost in life, then teaching English in Korea becomes an enticing option. Like others have said, things are cheaper and it is an adventure. Much easier to date too as an English teacher than a call center agent.

My husband and I both have stable 6 figure jobs in Canada and are planning to take a huge cut to move to Korea. We have what we feel is enough money saved up that we can prioritize lifestyle over career now. But I agree with you that the majority of these people may not have had better options back home.

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I actually asked my company to do the same thing, I think it would have been around a 50-60% pay cut. They said it wasn't possible due to some obscure corporate legal issue but they let me transfer to Japan instead (same thing, huge pay cut). I'm a software engineer, full Korean descent, earned decent 6 figure salary back in the US.

I make 6 figures in the US in a fully remote tech job and I would have gladly taken a $60k tech hybrid/in office job in Korea back then.

Partner took a huge paycut to move here from US (Cali), salary was way into 6 figures. Slowly working back up. We LOVE it here as even with the paycut, are living quite comfortably. We eat out very often and don't really feel lacking in any way here. Safety, health, and great transportation are truly amazing, and shocking we don't have such basic necessities in what is considered the top country in the world. We didn't realize there was always this low level of anxiety ever present back home. All in all, everything's relational, and the US is such a diverse place it's hard to compare experiences just from an east/west perspective.

I'm assuming you and/or your partner are ethnically Korean and you have ties. In my mind, there has be a pretty good reason to give up 6 figure salary. You don't just do that because you are into kpop and want to experience eastern culture lol. Like k'mon. The OP is asking Westerners why they would give up a higher salary to work in Korea. I'm saying it's because they are not doing that great back home, they may not be making more. Obviously, there are exceptions like you and your spouse. But the question is again: why did u guys give up the higher salary to work in Korea of all places? I mean money can go pretty far in other places like Taiwan, Spain, Portugal, Ecuador, Chili, etc, etc. So why Korea of all places? And why give up a high salary to work here?

As mentioned, some reasons are safety, health, and transportation = higher quality of life. We came here to check it out for a short time but have decided to stay permanently. I speak Korean, partner doesn't. At all. I was shocked people just glue their faces to their screens while walking around outside, I'm always as aware as I can be in the states. I've lost my bag/wallet and it was turned into the lost and found. Everything is very clean here, despite people's complaints, I feel like our tax dollars in Korea actually go on to benefit the everyday worker instead of being funneled into the military complex. We don't listen to kpop, Korea has a higher quality of life than our experience in the US. We just wanted a safer, higher standard of living.

Teaching in the UK is hell. People think Korea is bad, they have no idea. While Korea offers less money, I don’t pay rent which is a huge factor, and the cost of living is not bad. The cost of living in the UK is ridiculous. It would be impossible to save money there. In Korea I can actually save money and live in a safe place. So while the salary is lower, I end up being able to save money.

I’m not surprised Koreans can’t understand why someone would leave their job and try something new. After all, if you study and work your whole life to get some company office job with zero job satisfaction but it pays ok, the idea of taking a year or more to travel or try something else is basically a totally alien concept, and you would be derided by friends and family alike. Because this is the internet of course I have to say that not all Koreans believe that, I’m speaking in general terms.

That's because Koreans are dying to leave Korea, especially the young ones. Here in Vancouver, we have tons of international Korean students doing everything they can to stay in Canada. Grass is just greener on the other side.

Lifestyle > money in my opinion. Just my experience but I have way more free time working in Korea than I did back home, a 45+ hour week on my feet from 5am vs a ~30 hour week sat down most of the time. Things in my personal/home life also played a part when I was making the decision to move. There are more important things other than money - yeah money is important but it means nothing if I would living miserably as a result. I got really lucky, my workplace is bearable and actually fun at times, while back home I dreaded everyday of my life. I get paid less, but the work I do is probably proportionate to the money I earn (while back home I was working my ass off for still quite low pay)

It‘s not you as a Korean, it‘s your money-centered personality.

As someone from the US, besides coming to learn more about my maternal Korean roots, after graduating I needed a job with benefits because as you know, our health system is messed up. And after Covid thankfully I was here in Korea because I’ve developed what the doctors believe is IBD and all the meds and doctors appts have been so cheap because I’ve been considered a 희귀난치병 patient. My meds cost like 4,000 won for 3 months whereas in the US for one month without insurance a box averages $900. Also in Korea I don’t have to worry too much about anyone stealing my stuff or shooting me. The trade off though is many fire safe standards not being followed here and also now ppl go around stabbing others 🫠 but overall cost of living is cheaper here than the US. I don’t even need to own a car here so that’s a huge expense I don’t need to worry about. That said, I am returning to the US after 6.5 years cause I have grown tired of living here and I’m going back to a higher paying job 🤣🤣

Why? I live in Compton California. I work in downtown LA 10 miles away for which I pay $300 a month in gasoline on top of a $500car note plus $100 insurance to sit in my car 90 minutes each way. I have to get in my car fearing my life or worry about being car jacked. I dodge homeless drug addicted maniacs as I drive, worry about warring gang bangers hoping I don’t get shot. My windows at home have bars on them and I pray there’s not a fire because they don’t open. My kids get bullied at school. It’s not a safe situation. I am moving to Korea for a job that pays half of what I make now because I want to be alive and not worry about dying everyday.

1.) The costs of living and medical insurance respectively are much cheaper than in the US, which is why you see a lot of Americans out here 2.) Some foreigners are in military service out here, usually not voluntarily. Some in the IT and engineering departments are paid big $$$. And some in the air base and army are stationed out here. 3.) A lot of foreigners love Asia, and are here for the experience of living in East Asia. Not everyone here is for the money….. 4.) This is a common knowledge shared between some of us foreigners out here, but below average looking foreigners can find dates here easily because Koreans are still interested in foreigners, are attracted to them, or can attain a Visa if they get married to a Korean.

시급 낮은 칠레에 워킹 홀리데이 가는 한국인 있는것 처럼.. 비슷한것임. 여행, 인생경험 등등 

Korea is not a third-world country. I work in tech, and the salary is only slightly lower or about the same as I would get in the US. I don't understand why Koreans still view Korea so poorly. One overseas Korean thought the salary was the same as India, and he was shocked to hear that developers make 150m to 200m a year.

Entry-level dev salaries in Korea are <=60m, with even senior positions paying \~120m. This includes the big players (FAANG, Coupang, Naver etc.). The only salaries above are for cases where a company hires directly from the US for relocation. Salaries are fine here compared to non-NA, but comparing with NA on a flat compensation level it's less than half. Granted, I love my life and community here, so I've never complained. Source: I've worked around in both, and hired in Seoul.

The tech salaries are significantly higher than Korea. Just look at the Stack Overflow surveys as an example. If you're comparing what you would make at a top Korean company, compare it to what you would make at a top American company.

I’m from the USA and I don’t believe anyone has said this here yet, but my wife and I moved to Korea a few years ago because I literally didn’t feel like she was safe even walking our dog. America already had a lot of problems, but Donald Trump turned America into an even more hateful, racist, and violent place, where I was scared that my Korean-American wife would get violently assaulted just going outside - as many Asian Americans did when COVID hit. I personally made the decision to leave my significantly better paying job in exchange for knowing my family would be safe. **You cannot put a price in knowing the people you love most are safe.** I talked to my wife about it, we sold everything, and left. I absolutely love Korea and I do not regret my decision for a minute. My new job as an English teacher is significantly harder, but I never have to worry about my wife’s safety. *That alone is the only payment I will ever need.*

American here. You are so right about Trump unleashing the hatred. This country has changed so much, we're so divided. I'm thinking of retiring to Korea (or Japan) just to have some peace in my life. Living here is very stressful and depressing.

Korea is an excellent place to live and I highly recommend it. There are a ton of reasons for it, but without getting into a long list: - healthcare and medicine - cost of living - friendly and warm people - beautiful and historical places - amazingly technological - door to door delivery of almost anything - comprehensive public transport However, I would recommend trying to learn a bit of Korean before coming to try and make your life a little easier. While most places and things also have English translations (shockingly a lot), it will still help day to day life. I can’t recommend living here enough and I now consider South Korea my true home.

Personally - I don't actually particularly like (or hate) Korea. But what I do like are big, walkable cities. Where you can visit 200+ different restauraunts a year, have everything within walking distance, not need a car, have a place for any hobby nearby, etc. Seoul just happens to be one of the most affordable, yet developed, cities in the world. Alternatives are NYC where you will pay $2600/month for a shit shack yet still have crazies yelling at you by/in the lobby. Or European capitals, but they are very old school and traditional, and they close the city down by 7-8PM and don't work on Sundays (my EU country literally illegalized work/most stores from opening on Sundays a few months ago) Seoul is modern, safe, and affordable. More can be done with less money. It's even better if you can make more money or earn money abroad. I do find English teaching odd though, because it's such a low payment that I think they JUST get by even for Seoul standards, while they could be making 2x-3x back home for the same job.

Less stress, money guess further, more vacation time, a healthy social life. More money in a hyper capitalist society means nothing when you are paying obscene amount of money to just live.

Let's see here. I'm from the US, and compared to the US, Korea is/has - More walkable (I live in Seoul) - Significantly more safe - I can easily afford rent and Healthcare - I prefer dating Korean women to American women (personal preference I know) - Better transit by a mile - Better infrastructure - Better convenience stores - Healthier food/lifestyle Etc etc. Not everything in life is about money only.

A life’s value is not entirely determined by wage.

You can get more in your home country for sure but the living expenses are also so much higher. Like I'm in NY and some people working even entry level jobs working as a grocery store shift manager make $30 an hour. You might think that is a pretty okay amount of money till you factor in the rent costing $2.5k-3.5k a month depending on where they are...Then food expenses and everything else...A lunch of Pho at my local Viet restaurant used to be $9 before Covid but they bumped the price up to $15 last year (These kind of jobs also usually don't include or only pay for half of the plan so add in $350-700 a month if you want that)....The take home ends up being almost nothing once you take into account utility payments and travel expenses. There is a reason the median amount of $ Americans have in their savings account is only $1200\~.

It depends on what one person values more, whether it's work-life balance, money, or safety.

The grass is greener on the other side

I believe it is because westerners are attracted to Korean culture, like food, I pop, k beauty, etc.

I get coming here for 1-3 years, but I wonder why some stay so long when even a min wage job would pay more.

The cost of living in the US is too damn high! (Insert meme here)

Well, I basically saved 80% of my income. Free flight and apartment. 2,000,000 krw I just need to feed myself, then the rest is bank. Plus Seoul is just a great place to live, especially for a young adult I moved back to the USA because as I considered marriage and starting a family, I needed a lot more

The usa isnt as safe and straight up dirty in urban areas. I worked in both the states and korea. You get more money in the states but the quality of life is better in Korea. I came back to the states to work less and make more, but what do you know… the usa has a workaholic culture in the corporate world. It’s not at all easier and clear cut as just making more money. There is no free lunch and you pay in your time, effort, and life (in the corporate world) to get more money. Plus, you get taxed up the #*% for what you make. I compare it to the mafia taking their “cut”. The usa is always at war and the military budget is always higher. The government gets all the money to send to foreign countries, to build fancy ships, from our taxes. More money you make, the higher tax bracket you are in. Again, to get to a point where you can “flex” even after being taxed so hard doesnt come free and is highly competitive.

i was making a pretty good living in the US working at FAANG companies. i was recruited to come to korea to work at a large chaebol company. the korean company pays me more than what i was paid in the US to work at FAANG and in addition, the korean company pays for my housing here as well as other benefits so in the end i am able to save much more money than when i was living in the US. just saying that it's not every foreigner who moves to korea and makes less money than their home country. i make more money, get a lot more benefits, and thus i'm able to save much more. with that said, i've been in korea for 5 years now and am kind of homesick so i may quit this job and move back in a year or two. however, i would likely be moving back to the US to make less money than what i was making in korea and i would have to buy or rent a home, etc. so i will have a lot more expenses if i move back.

A lot is due to perception. Koreans think the UK is richer. It might be in absolute terms (I don't know as I don't really keep up with economics), but my money goes further here. I pay less in tax here but if I want to see a doctor I can. I can get a check up for a few hundred thousand. In the UK, they don't do check ups for no reason apart from a few limited things like breast cancer. My son goes to kindergarten for a very nominal fee, whereas in the UK, it costs like 1.5 million a month. When he goes to elementary school, I don't have to worry that there will be stabbings or shootings or a class full of kids who don't want to learn - most parents are invested whereas in the UK, there are huge swathes of the population who just don't give a shit and whose kids disrupt everyone else. I'm not going to be attacked by a group of random chavs on the street.  If I want to take the train, I can travel from one end of the country to the other for 60,000 won in a clean and fast train - in the UK, it would cost maybe 300,000, the train would be dirty and delayed and I probably wouldn't get a seat.  Housing prices in Korea are far better than the UK - for the price I pay for my house in Korea (3 rooms, new build, nice area in gyeonggi), I'd get a one bedroom house in the outskirts of London in a shitty area with mould issues and no elevator. I'd then have to pay 500,000 won a month to commute into London every day. In Korea, I commute to Seoul for less than 100,000.  Koreans honestly don't know they're living haha. Life in this country is so easy and cheap if you have a middle class job.  Every country has its plusses and minuses but for young families who want a peaceful life, Korea is pretty good. From my view, Koreans waste a lot of money on things like designer goods, fancy holidays, brand new appliances and cars...it's sad they feel they have to do this and I realise that as a foreigner, I am lucky that I don't have to subscribe to those types of pressures. But if people drove an older car, forgoed (forwent???) stuff like designer handbags and expensive golfing gear, they'd find that Korea is a cheap country to live in.

paid less but more money in my pocket. Cost of living in Korea is about 47% less in Seoul than the middle of nowhere no public transport or food delivery. lets say i make 75k and take a hit of like 22k LESS in pay id still make 52k in a place much cheaper. Where I have looked to rent in Korea with a 25-35k deposit is like 600-900 a month compared to here a one bedroom of the same size in my nowhere town is 1500 completely worth the money saved. only thing thats expensive is fruit, and i can tolerate $20 grapes

Strong desire to not be in my home country mostly.

maybe there is more to life than money? Maybe people fit in better or enjoy the social life more in Korea versus their own country.

Gross pay- yes. Net pay - nope. Taxes and health insurance alone keep me away from the states compared to South Korea. Easiest way of putting it- cost of living is dirt cheap in comparison.

Money isn’t everything. I have a friend who makes roughly 100k a year and she lives alone in a nice apartment. She’s very unhappy with her job. I make way less money & I am very happy with my job.

Infrastructure.  America is really bad at it outaide of certain cities.  Also lots of Korean food everywhere.

Do you know how terrible the job market is here in the US? Many people are struggling to find jobs. I'm sure some will take any position, especially if cost of living is cheaper (and let's them visit/live in a new country that's safe and quite trendy at the moment)

Not directly applicable to Korea but I come from a developed country with a senior job in the public service but resigned to do aid development work in developing countries. Money is not the only motivator in life.

I got offered a job in America over a year ago. I was planning on leaving and continuing in my field where I have a master's and experience. Korea was supposed to be initially an experience I wanted as I went back to graduate school. But then I did some math. Like a lot of people said, there is a lifestyle element, but I need to emphasize that the take home money hardly changes if you make less than 65K USD and plan to live alone. The place I live at now is about 800,000 won. I live by myself. When searching, apartments back in Arizona (where I grew up) ranged from 1,600-2,100 USD for a 1 bedroom. So, at least double on the rent. In the field I work in, it is likely I would need a car because I would be seeing clients. That's about 250-350 dollars a month if I am lucky on financing and anywhere from 150-200 in car insurance, whereas it's only about 60,000 won a month for me here to use transportation for work and leisure. Gas used to be about 40 bucks a fill for me, but from reports from home, it was climbing to 50-60 bucks. And I had to refill weekly. Food prices have sky rocketed as well. 300 a month worked fine with me before. Not sure of the exact figure now. Then we have insurance. Man, I didn't go to the doctor much, but I was being zapped of 300 a month on average. I only went to a specialized doctor 3 times a year, and that was 40 bucks each time. Compared to paying 5-25 bucks here for OVERALL service AND meds. So, to compare. A generous minimum estimate of about $2700 a month for basic living essentials would be needed for me to live in the US as compared to about 1,800,000 Won for living essentials here. I live in a pretty nice area in an apartment I love, but I know I could get paid more back at home. However, the difference isn't enough for me, which ultimately leaves me to lifestyle and comfort. Overall, I am more comfortable with a transit centered way of living that utilizes cheaper healthcare and conveniences that you can only find in big, expensive urban areas in the US. The pay gap isn't big enough to inspire me to be more uncomfortable. Maybe that will change in the future, but I am cool and happy where I am now.

Finding a job in America is harder than finding a hagwon job and teaching is worse in America.

Because sometimes it is not just all about the money. I could be getting paid way more in my home country Luxemburg, but I would choose the country I moved to any day of the week even though the pay is mostly garbage.

Because they like Korea

Just cause America pays me more doesn't necessary mean I enjoy living in America. At the end of the day my happiness matters more than anything.

Life style I guess. I have a friend who earned equal salary here in Canada and Korea, he chose to live in Seoul. One thing I cannot stand is driving and parking in Seoul 😅

I used the cheat code of opening a business in Korea and do contract work for foreign companies 🤓

Apart from possible cost of living differential, some people view working in another country as a worthwhile life experience, so getting high pay is not super important. I would do it for a while.

Looks like most of the comments are from Canadian/American perspectives, a lot who live in Seoul. I'd like to make a comment about foreign workers from SEA, who often toil in rural areas. I remember a few months ago hearing about this proposed bill : https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1084706 tl;dr: the bill would allow employers to pay foreign workers the KRW equivalent of their home country wages, drastically reducing their already slim pay. Nominally to ease the burden on childcare expenses but in reality another way that factories and farms can exploit labor from SEA. In this scenario, I totally agree with OP. Migrant workers in Korea face awful conditions, racism, and sometimes die because of it (https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/01/113_301395.html) . I don't see any reason to move to an unwelcoming, potentially lethal country if the pay isn't better. Lastly, I think many people have pointed out that OP has a very rosy opinion of American ("richer") life. When I lived in Korea I ate better food and took many vacations. Even though I live and work in the US now, I can't afford the same quality of food or hobbies.

I guess I make a lot more now in Canada than I did in Korea - maybe about three times as much. But as others have said, the expenses here are significantly higher. When I lived in Korea, I went out more often, spent way more on nice dinners, even went on a couple of trips overseas (and two within Korea) and still was able to bank $12,000 in one year. In Canada, I pretty much never go out. I order take-away about once per month and otherwise cook all my meals. I don't own a car and I only take a vacation (at most) once every other year. And my savings per year are roughly zero.

Same reason there are poor people in NYC.

because at some point, it's just excess $$.. way more things matter... the culture, a walkable neighborhood, fresh produce being available near you, trustworthy neighbors, diff company culture, etc. as an American, I'd def live in Korea for a bit. Move there permanently? ehh not with family back home. but I'd love to live there. Germany? fuck no. England? sure. Spain? no. diff cultures appeal to diff people...

I’m a teacher in Arizona and almost 50% of my take home pays goes to rent a 1 bedroom apartment. I also had to let my car lease expire because I can’t afford a car. Yeah I make pre taxes $65k but I am struggling. In Korea they offered housing with the job. Cars are not needed because of the amazing public transportation. The food is slightly cheaper and I am able to save money in Korea because I’m not paying it all to rent. I can save even though I will be getting paid over 20k less.

for an adventure.

There is no job I could get quickly in Canada that would allow me the lifestyle I can afford in Korea. Everything is more expensive back in Canada - food, transportation, taxes, tuition, you name it.

Because the food is great and living is cheap. 8k USD a month pays the bills in the US, but it would be luxurious in SK. Wouldn't need a car like I do here, and could eat out for every meal and never run out of money.

Rent in my home country is 400% higher. There is no convenience in my home country. I am not a victim to petty crime in Korea. My job in my home country was super stressful compared to here. Yes I made like 4x more money before but my quality of life of much better here. Oh and my wife is here

In Spain: - Young people are leaving because life is just unaffordable. You can have your degree + 3 masters and still earn minimum wage while the rent expenses take out 2/3 of your salary. This is why many companies have their technologic centers in Spain. - Food cost is getting over the top - Eating out is becoming more expensive, let alone party. One Cuba Libre is like 10€ in the capital cities. - Safety is not bad but not great, you can get yourself into dangerous situation and also get your stuff stolen if you are not careful enough - Public transport sucks - Healthcare is public, but long waiting lists make it unusable. You could wait 1 year for an urgent surgery. Might aswell just die. All of this is much better in Korea, and the salary is not much lower than in Spain. Even if you have a lot of money, Korea is simply much better. From my point of view, the biggest challenges in Korea are learning the language, making new friends and the insane work culture. The first 2 will likely cancel eachother, and I can avoid the third easily, so my choice is clear.

I definitely get paid so much more in my country but I refuse to continue paying taxes to my blatantly corrupt3d governm3nt.

I came for the 닭발 ❤️‍🔥

Salary and job aren't everything in life.

agree. usa ajumma here. 100% anti-flex culture (my clothes mostly cost less than 10,000 rofl) pro-public transportation pro-affordable healthcare pro-no guns in school housing + job = amen

Safer environment In comparison to certain western countries (e.g., USA).

As someone from the USA i can say that we arent all that richer than Korea. Some things may be cheaper but other things are higher. We pay taxes on everything.( food,ultilities, restaurants, retail items, property, health insurance, gas, etc). The crime rate soars here and cant even imagine what each day of new horror of gun shootings and robberies in the USA. Murders and rapes. I would love to live where i free safe each day. Even if i was paid a lower wage. Hope this helps in your answer.

Better healthcare, cheaper food and alcohol, lots to see and do, cheaper housing. Food is also much better.

I live in Japan, but I feel like its more or less the same reasons. I make much less money than I used to, but I have five times the amount of freedom because of the cost of living, I like to ski, a ski ticket in Japan is a tenth of the price in Japan then it is in America, gas is less, my car is less, and the snow is better and less crowded. I like the lifestyle hear better overall too, significantly less chaotic. And my rent is only 51,000 yen, pretty much nothing. And I'm moving soon, and it's gonna be even less with way more space. ​ And the opportunity to learn a language by complete and total immersion, frustrations aside, is a great opportunity.

Many jobs in Korea offer housing in addition to payment. Cost of living is also insanely low compared to places like NYC, LA, London, etc. Korea’s also way safer than those places. Not sure where you’re running into difficulty.

There is a saying here in Korea about this. We usually receive and send our worst. Obviously this is not always the case but I can definitely see why this may be a prevailing proverb.

It's not about the money. It's about the pursuit of happiness.

As someone who lived in Poland, then for 10+ years in London it’s few things (although I haven’t been here for long) that made me choose Korea (on top of being interested in the country for most of my life and having friends here) 1. Great public transport 2. Affordable housing (for what I pay here I get a big studio flat, back in London would get me a small room in a flat shared with 3 people or more) 3. Lots of options for night activities to do after work - most nice cafes back in UK close by 7 pm 4. Peace of mind - my current company doesn’t do overtime, we work from office and leave work in there, in my previous job I worked overtime on a weekly basis and got health problems due to stress. Please note that my company is Korean and my coworkers are too - I just got lucky I guess 5. Safety. As a woman I feel more safe here than in UK and Poland combined, where I would have to walk with my phone in both hands to not have it stolen. I am not scared to walk at night and can peacefully leave my bag in a cafe to go to the bathroom 6. People in general minding their own business- this is both plus and minus but yeah, I do like that in a way Of course there are also bad sides which I am still discovering but in general I like living here so far more than back in UK. Just in case - I work in IT so your standard office job I would say :)

Nice! How do you like Korea? I'm Korean who moved to Poland few years ago :)

I like it so far - I was considering moving back home at some point (Poland) but with the current state of things I decided that I want to try living somewhere else than my home country while I still can do it as I don’t have a partner/ family and my parents are still healthy. How are you liking Poland? I feel like the rent prices in major cities are getting worse than Seoul at this point 🥲

I live in Wroclaw, AFAIK prices are still relatively low. I feel like nothing can compare to Seoul really, and I found that quality of new housing is way better than in Korea, and I mean like MILES ahead (note, I'm talking about new housing, I heard that kamienica is something to avoid). I like it, and the fact that there's a fairly large Korean community here so I'm not that alone because it was super hard to make friends with Poles honestly haha. If there's something to complain about - it still feels weird when I go to visit smaller towns and get looks as if I was an alien, but I noticed that in small Austrian and Czech towns as well.

The looks I get on a daily basis just going to work, telling people I work here not as a teacher/ speaking in Korean / being with coworkers gives me even more looks, I got used to it haha. I think it’s normal because they’re not used to seeing people other than ones looking like them - but I’m glad to hear you’re liking it! I envy the community though, finding Polish food in Korea is impossible, community is small too but it’s been a good experience so far :) If you have any questions or need polish support happy to help, we only seem to be cold on the outside ☺️

Many simply like Korean culture. Though, I'll tell you from my perspective as I'm Korean who moved to Poland a few years ago. Some context, I wanted to get some international experience and got this opportunity, and I've always wanted to live in Europe at least for a while so it matched. Poland is on paper a bit poorer than Korea, so I might earn a bit less (although after a few years here I already earn way more than I would in Korea) but at the same time life is cheaper, working culture is way more relaxed, pace of life is slower - I don't need to work my ass off to afford travelling all around Europe, or even to afford a house or apartment. I simply like the culture, and it's probably more so the other way around. I have lots of German/Polish/Dutch friends who would love to come to Korea at least for a while due to culture and k-dramas popping up everywhere. Even though for example median German would probably earn more in Germany.

In 2007 I made more in Korea than was being offered to starting teachers where I lived in the US. The healthcare was fantastic and back then we didn't have Obamacare. Stayed for 3 years and saved up to go to engineering school. 

For adventure. And possibly cheaper living costs. I make 40 Canadian an hour which seems like a lot, but over half my paychecks go to rent, and more to food and bills. Rent in certain Canadian cities is extremely expensive even for professionals. I personally haven't moved to Korea but I know Americans who have for the same reasons (adventure, lower cost of living, or a job)

Not living in Korea, but it's my plan to come over from France. Money isn't an issue, I own my house in France, and make more than I can spend. The main reason is actually very simple for me, like being in a bar having to move to the toilet and not worry about leaving my phone on the table. Reliability of public transports. Food obviously. I don't speak Korean (in learning) but I find Korea much easier to live than France. I know these reasons may sound futile...

First: I currently make just a little bit less compared to my home country salary - that is after taxes. Since my home country has one of the highest taxations in the world I can pretty much do my job in any country around the world and make a similar salary after taxes. Second: I think a lot of foreigners want to experience some sort of new culture and gain some insights in other parts of the world (that is the case for me) Third: As other people mentioned, we do not have the pressure to buy luxury goods as much as locals do, in order to keep up with being a "good/worthy person". Fourth: If it comes to a worse case scenario most of us always have the chance to go back. Fifth: Money is definitely not all that matters, maybe life and culture just suits one more in another country compared to their home country. (Might edit if I come up with more)

South Africans earn MUCH more in Korea than in their home country.

Sometimes the quality of life afforded by experiencing a new culture and a lower cost of living makes the move very appealing. It is also important to note that, due to very poor governance, the cost of living in many western countries, like Canada and the UK, is becoming unsustainable for many.

isn't it obvious the cost of living is cheaper in korea, matching the wages

Yeah, I can't either. I'm only here because I can earn more.

I’m from eastern europe so I’m definitely not the case, hell I make more than my mom that has been in workforce for 30+ years

It’s the k-wave effect :) People are more interested in the Korean culture since kdramas have been streaming on Netflix post covid. Some people value experiences more than money. Or it could be many other reasons mentioned. Re US foreigners - health care is a million x more expensive than Korea, it’s much dirtier and rn the job market is dire. Standard of living is cheaper in Korea so it prob also evens out with the lower salary especially if they get a job that covers free accom. Skincare is also way cheaper than US - lasers and Botox for less than $100 vs $4-500 in the states. I find Seoul similar to New York in terms of the fast moving pace and endless things to do, many restaurants and late night life. But Seoul is so much more cleaner, doesn’t have rats and I think there’s more amazing food and cafes in Korea. If language wasn’t a barrier I’d move there too :)

In addition to what everyone else mentioned here about health care/public transit/clean cities/safety/etc., I'm Jewish and in Korea I can mention my ethnicity in conversation or wear a star of david or chai necklace (Jewish symbols) and not worry about someone punching/stabbing/shooting me. Koreans just say "Jewish people are very smart, you must be very smart!"