Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jessiegirl]

Hey ladies!

I lived in Korea many years ago and I am planning to return for another stint of teaching. My question is, what is difficult to find now?
Do I need to bring tampons or are they fairly easy to find? The last time I was there, they were slowly introducing the OB tampons, but I'm not a fan of them. Anything else? I know Korea has changed a lot and they have a lot more stuff now then when I was there.

Thanks for the info !

[Mariella713]

Tampons aren't difficult to find - but I find the ones from back home are more comfortable Hmm...I think you can find most things here now without a problem. Any specifics? The only thing I bring from home is my cosmetics - simply because the shades in Korea are too light for my tan skin. Everything else, I can find here.

[nomad-ish]

i think it'll depend on where in korea you are. in seoul it's really easy. i've easily found tampax, playtex, and ob at emarts and watson's in seoul.

[jomiro]

really? ob's at emart? thats about the only store i havent checked.
i kept bringing boxes back from home, cuz i believed there arent some.

i found some local tampons and playtex. they all come with applicators tho and are rediculously expensive for the quantity you get compared to the prices at home.

i agree with mariella..
make up is to be brought. cuz the shades (for foundation) are too light here or too dark here. they are simply missing the shades inbetween.
you can either go very pale or very yellow-ish.

you can also find deodorant. but its expensive too.. twice or more the price than it costs at home. so if you have room in your luggage, bring some.

other than that everything is available at acceptable prices.

[NYC_Gal]

I see playtex everywhere, but never saw OB, and that's my brand. I guess I didn't need to pack four 40 packs on home leave!

[Jessiegirl]

Thank you ladies for letting me know the situation. This means more room in my suitcase for all of my other things

[nomad-ish]

yeah, the ob was either at emart or watson's (the only two places i really shop for sanitary products). i prefer either tampax or playtex though, so i don't remember the price/quantity/deal of the ob i see.

the only thing i definitely bring each year from home is make-up (i'm always paranoid of buying something with whitening product in it!) and some extra sticks of deodorant. oh, and usually a sickeningly huge tin of my favourite coffee

[NYC_Gal]

You can get Bobbi Brown make-up at any department store. The stuff's great. The mark up isn't ridiculous, either.

[schlotzy]

The cosmetics/pharmacy store called Olive Young is everywhere and it has TONS of western products.

It has playtex tampons and the Korean Tempo brand. It has Chapstick and Burts Bees, as well as Maybelline and Covergirl. I'd suggest that as one place to pick up a few things. However, as others have stated, the prices are often significantly higher than in North America.

[Ruthdes]

The things I bring from home:

Tampons (I don't like applicator ones and they seem to be the only kind I can find here- not that I've looked much)
Condoms (If you're single and looking to get jiggy with another foreigner, the chances are that Korean condoms just won't cut it - or will, if you know what I mean!)
Pain killers with codeine. (These are OTC in Australia. There's nothing worse than having a crook neck and having no decent pain killer to help you get some sleep).
Vitamins (hideously expensive here)
Sunscreen (also very expensive for a decent size bottle - I'm very white and I need a lot)
Deodorant (b/c I'm quite brand loyal)
Dental floss (the stuff I've bought here seems to shred really easily.)
Insect repellent (you can find it here, but after being mauled at mudfest a few years ago, despite using insect repellent, I bring some strong stuff from home).

If you're loyal to any particular product, you should bring it. I don't bring any make up, but then I'm pale, so Korean foundation is ok for me, plus I hardly ever wear it anyway. It's quite personal. I order stuff from an online pharmacy in Australia, which saves you taking up room in your luggage. The postage isn't cheap, but it's a great way to get those familiar brands easily.

[Dazed and Confused]

Pain killers with codeine will show up on your drug test as opiates. You'll be booted out the door at Inchon International as a drug user. It is crazy I know but this IS Korea.

[Ruthdes]

[Globutron]

How on earth do you people manage a 30kg limit when you bring deodorant cans, insect spray and every necessity ever? I packed about 3 socks and an MP3 player and was at the weight limit.

True, the MP3 player was a good 29kg, but still.

[Ruthdes]

[stellarsky627]

This is along the same lines, but are pads hard to find?

I don't really care brand wise. Anything that'll actually "work" and with wings is all I really care about.

Thanks for the advice!