About Living in Korea

Who we are

Living in Korea (livinginkorea.org) is a free, independent website that helps foreigners move to and live in South Korea. We publish practical, step-by-step guides on visas and immigration, banking, housing, healthcare, employment, education, daily life, culture and language, travel, and community life.

The guides are available in 11 languages: English, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Russian, Nepali, Uzbek, Khmer, Indonesian and Mongolian, because many of the people who need this information most do not read English or Korean comfortably.

Who the guides are for

• International students and Korean language learners
• Foreign workers, including E-9, E-7 and other work visa holders
• English teachers and other professionals on fixed-term contracts
• Marriage migrants, multicultural families and long-term residents
• Working holiday makers, digital nomads and anyone planning a move to Korea

How we research

We start from official sources and write the steps in plain language. Each guide lists the official sources it relies on at the end of the page. Our main references include:

• HiKorea and the Korea Immigration Service for visas, registration and stay permits
• The National Health Insurance Service and National Pension Service
• The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the National Tax Service
• Korean law (Korea Ministry of Government Legislation) and Gov.kr
• Seoul Metropolitan Government, VisitKorea and the Danuri portal for multicultural families

Where official pages are only in Korean, we cross-check details against reputable Korean news reporting.

How we keep guides up to date

Rules, fees and deadlines in Korea change often. Every guide shows the date it was last reviewed, and time-sensitive figures such as fees, wages and insurance rates are re-checked at each review. The most recent full review of all ten guides was completed in October 2026.

Translations

The English version of each guide is the reference version. Translations are produced with AI assistance and are labelled as such on every translated page. For visa, legal, medical or financial decisions, check the English guide and the official source it links to.

Photos

Photos on this site are AI-generated illustrations of everyday life in Korea. They do not show real people.

Not legal advice

Our guides are general information, not legal, medical, tax or financial advice. For your own case, contact the relevant authority (for immigration questions, the 1345 Immigration Contact Center) or a qualified professional.

Independence

Living in Korea is free to use and ad-free. You do not need an account to read any guide.

Corrections and contact

Spotted an outdated fee, a broken link or a rule that has changed? Corrections are welcome through our contact page. You can also ask questions and share experiences with other residents in the community forum.