Housing in Korea
One of the first things you will notice when driving through any city in Korea is the countless number of apartment buildings. This is the preferred living situation for most Koreans and it is accepted as the higher standard. One major difference with apartment living in Korea is that many people buy the apartment instead of just renting it. Most real estate development is focusing on apartments, which means they come in all shapes and sizes, and cater to all income levels.
Some things you should know about living quarters in Korea:
- You will most likely live in a bachelor apartment near your school.
- Your school will often own the apartment.
- You will have your own bathroom and kitchen in the apartment. These will be relatively small compared to what we are used to at home. For example, you should not expect to find a bathtub but instead a showerhead.
- Your furnishings (such as a bed, dresser, TV, fridge, gas range, and in some cases a washing machine) will be provided by the school and will be used.
- In some cases, apartments will broadcast announcements to the residents over speakers in the apartment. These are generally courteous reminders.
- Your apartment will almost certainly be heated from the floor using ondols. This is a system in which water running in pipes under the floor is heated to provide radiant heating. This is one reason why many Koreans prefer to still sleep on the floor.
- Every living unit I have seen provided for teachers has had an A/C unit.
- Linoleum flooring will be the typical floor covering.
- You will have cable TV, a land phone line, and internet available to you if you would like it.
Suggestion for Couples
One thing you may want to consider, if the reduced space is a concern for you, is possibly paying a bit of your own money to upgrade the size of your living space. This is an even better idea if you are coming here as a couple. Please be aware, most short-term rental contracts here are ten months (Nobody seems be able to explain why the contracts are not one year) and they must be paid up front. As an example of cost, we live on the 2nd floor of a house. It costs $350/month. My employer pays $200/month toward this total, and we supplemented the rest. This was an easy decision because we also have a child, and we now have a great 3 bedroom, plus an open kitchen/living room area, with a nice flat roof that we have turned into a place to relax with tables and chairs, and even a pool for our son. I do not know of any other recruiting companies that offer this service, but if you are interested, I will look into this option for you. I offer this because I want to ensure you enjoy your stay in Korea. The option to have a kitchen table, or even a couch may be appreciated after a few months. *You may need to pay the Real Estate agent a small fee.
