Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Joe Thanks]

Anybody live in a Korean officetel? What is the norm to be expected of one? Are the rules simlar to an apartment (no rules) or are they more like a hotel (a hassle if a friend stays the night), etc?


Joe

[kangnam mafioso]

i think "office tel" is just the konglish definition for "studio" apartment -- a one room living space in a tall building w/ a small kitchenette and bathroom. there aren't any rules regarding guests, although the ajoshi may eye you suspiciously from time to time. most office tels are in the smaller apartment buildings or villas with 10 -60 units rather than the huge skyrise apartments often bearing the name of samsung and clustered together and organized numerically. families usually live in those kinds of apartments while single working people will live in an office tel. despite there small size, office tels can be outrageously expensive. i lived in one in kangnam my first year and it was 800,000 won a month with a huge key money deposit. luckily, the hogwan paid everything.

[Joe Thanks]

Thanks for your input. It's greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Joe

[HardyandTiny]

KM is right
it's an expensive American version of an "efficiency apartment", usually in an office like building.
Usually the deposit is much lower in comparison to a typical apartment but the rent is higher and the type of business you can conduct is limited.
The main difference is that no one can own an apartment in an office-tel building.

[Gord]

[Tiger Beer]

I live in an oficetel. I don't know how they all are, but I can describe mine.

Its a studio furnished apartment. (Whether the oficetel furnished it or my employer did, I'm not sure) - but I get the impression that it was furnished by the oficetel management.

In my place, I have 100% unrecognized freedom and no acknowledgement what I do here. I can bring whoever I want with no issue, as no one is at the door (carded eletronic entrance) to check up on me or anything like that.

So I think its basically broken down to will someone be enforcing their rules on you.. and the answer is no. Basically exactly like your own apartment in almost every conceivable way. Furnished studio. Nothing like a hotel room.. very apartment-like.. but of the same concept I suppose.

[crazylemongirl]

I live in 12 pyeong place, but have a huge bathroom (take about 1/4 of the floor space). I have had about half a dozen people in there at one time no one cares. Also there tend to be retail outlets in them eg bars. resturants and video shops which mean you don't actually have to venture out of your building much (great in winter).

Most officetels have roofs. Roofs are great.

Officetels rock.

CLG

[Holyjoe]

[crazylemongirl]

[funplanet]

I just got an officetel in Bucheon for 55m...22 pyeong, glass top stove with oven, washer/dryer, floor to ceiling windows, great bathroom, plenty of cabinet/closet space, video intercom system, and a loft for sleeping...pretty awesome place....by the way, it's brand new...

If I had decided to rent it it would have been 10m key and 400,000 monthly...still, not a bad deal if you don't mind getting out of Seoul and commuting

[Swiss James]

Good to know- I'm moving to an officetel in 2004 and my budget is about 2m per month. I should get a flipping palace!

[chalkdust_torture]

The place I'm at now is my second offictel. As far as rules go there is no difference from any other apartment complex.
The only difference I've noticed between offictels and other buildings are the maintenance fees and there also tends to be a lot more offices or small business mixed in with the apartments.
My first officetel came furnished and this one was furnished by my employer.
Maintenance fees can be a pain, my first place was upwards of 150,000 a month.

[Swiss James]

Did you get it through an agency? Or no of any websites to have a look for some? I'll be lookin in Feb 04

[crazylemongirl]

Btm wrote a great post on the subject

[HardyandTiny]