Korean Job Discussion Forums

RichL · Joined: 14 Jun 2008

Hi first time posting so hello =p I should be leaving New York and moving to Korea by the end of this month. I have some questions that I'm sure have been answered a million times but I did some searing and I coudnt find anything really anyway

I need Advice on getting a cell phone- where to go, can an account be set up before I leave NY etc

also ban accounts- is it best to go with a Korean bank?

thanks in advance for any tips/advice...

Captain Marlow · Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Location: darkness

get the human resources people or a koteacher to help you with a cell phone. you can get two kinds: pre-paid or monthly plan. this will be easy to do so long as you have someone with you who speaks korean, and also because there is a cell phone store on every corner here.

your school will most likely help you set up a bank account with their bank. most want you to do direct deposits. i think you need your alien residency card to do this, though, so it may be a couple o weeks after arriving to get this set up. again, someone from your school will probably go with you to do this. it's not a bad idea to keep a bank account open in the states so that you will be able to wire money home if want.

sojourner1 · Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:45 pm Post subject:

Get a cell phone and bank account in Korea. You'll need the Korean bank account to be paid by your employer. You'll need a cell phone so you can be called by anyone who knows you as it's best to have a phone number as you're meeting new people or you'll lose out on social connections. You can also conveniently call for help such as translation in a situation of someone at your door wanting to converse in Korean with you and you don't get it or you just want help buying something or you want to inquire on anything. I believe there is also a tourist information number where you can call for translation help where you can hand the phone over to the Korean you're trying to speak with.

Cell phones can be difficult to get, but I understand you can get them in Seoul as most foreigners have one there. I found it difficult to impossible to get a cell phone with a Korean taking me to shop and still without a phone. Often foreigners get a cell phone by having a Korean guarantee it sorta like co-signing a loan while others find prepaid service. I don't have one even though I had a Korean help me, because the stores in smaller towns wouldn't sell to me and what they did offer was crazy expensive such as $300 for a phone on a 2 year contract costing $80 a month. I turned it down and a bit angered about being phoneless. I'm not in Seoul, but if I shopped in Seoul for one, I'm quite sure I'd have a phone.

Bank accounts seem easy enough to get even if you don't have money to deposit on the day of opening the account.

Be prepared to have many problems to be solved since Korea is not geared or equipped for doing business with foreign residents outside of English teaching jobs. This will require your best interpersonal skills, ingenuity, flexibility, open mind, and a lot of patience.

RichL · Joined: 14 Jun 2008

Thanks for the advice

I actually have another question many ppl have said buying a phone is quite expensive in Korea, well could I not just bring my existing phone and then get it activated under a Korean plan?

sheba · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Here there and everywhere!

Really?? I found Korean cell phones to be extremely cheap compared with NZ... not sure about bringing your own phone though... no one i know has ever done that.

But like the other posters said, come to Korea and get your school to organise everything for you. More than likely theyve done it for all the previous teachers as well so they should know what to do and get it organised quite quickly...

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Captain Marlow · Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Location: darkness

yep, right about not being able to use a foreign phone in korea. they don't even use sim cards here.
i paid a 200000 won deposit, had to keep the plan for a minimum of 3 months, and then after that i got back my entire deposit minus the last phone bill. i even got to keep the phone. that was my first phone. same with my second that i'm currently using. pay about 18000 a month. i use a prepaid calling card to call back home. it works out nicely.
also, it seems like in korea your phone literally works everywhere. subways, elevators, etc.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

Make thread titles more specific.

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

Also, if you have a computer, Skype is your friend when you want to call home for cheap.