Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ella Bella · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

I've just got a huge bill for my apartment upkeep. I live in a small apt, use little heating etc and got a bill for 135,000 won. Is this normal? Thanks

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

umm well what does that 135,000 won include? Are you paying that PLUS utilities or does that include utilities? If it doesn't include utilities you're getting ripped off big time. If it does, you're probably getting slightly ripped off. Also, is that just for one month?

kimcheeking · Guest

this is normal provided that you are living in an apartment (highrise). The fee usually includes utilities, garbage removal, & the guard fee.

waterbaby · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie

I live in a small one brm flat in Seoul and I just got a 71,000 won bill for just the gas alone! (I lurrrrve a toasty floor...)

If you can get a copy of the bill and ask a Korean co-worker or friend to show you the breakdown of costs then it might not seem so surprising. I used to just pay my share of the bills at my apartment and then one day asked what it all meant and was surprised to discover that the cost of running the lifts & lights outside and in the hallways and my cable TV was all included!

If your bill includes ALL of your utilities then I don't think you're being ripped off... especially a winter bill when heating is a necessity. You might be splitting the cost of water and electricity with other people in your building, regardless of usage, and then I might start thinking it's a bit of a rip-off, especially if you don't spend much time at home.

kylehawkins2000 · Joined: 08 Apr 2003

I lived in a highrise for a year and we had a monthly bill in the 100 000won range just for general upkeep of the building, security, groundskeeping, etc.

We had a gas bill in addition to the apartment fee. Our gas bill was outrageously high b/c we had a really old outdated heater that was really inefficient. The director refused to replace it and we were stuck paying bills for gas near 200 000won a month in the winter....and we only had the damn thing turned on for an hour a day!

Paying through the teeth to freeze your butt off.....Nasty! ANyway, it was a three bedroom place so the bill wasn't too bad when it was split up.