Korean Job Discussion Forums

iatemymonkey · Joined: 30 Aug 2010

I am heading to South Korea this fall from the USA and am currently in possession of a laptop which is about to die. Is it better and/or cheaper to get a new one in Korea or in the States before I leave?

jizza · Joined: 24 Aug 2009

Buy it in the US. Once you get out of the US you realize it's a goddamn electronic consumer's paradise, thanks to China and the rest of the world's economies based on selling shit to us that we buy with our ever-increasing debt.

Laptops in Korea are on average 25-35% more than in the US
Computers in China can run as high as 200-300% more (so I've heard).

There was even a NYTimes article about how the computers and electronics that are made in China are so much more expensive in China than in the US.

Anyways, like I said, buy it in the US. Just trust me on this. If you buy it here not only will you get Korean windows but you'll have to get a friend to help you if it breaks with tech support. Plus its more expensive.

frankriccard · Joined: 05 Sep 2010

don't buy here

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

hondaicivic · Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Location: Daegu, South Korea

nzbradly78 · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Location: Czech Republic

Get it in the US. In addition to being cheaper, you generally only get two choices of brands in Korea: Samsung and LG. Windows will also be in Korean and you can't change it without reinstalling Windows.

If you buy a Mac, there are Apple outlets in Seoul and Daegu for sure, and probably Busan as well. Desktops can be custom built here for fairly cheap, but again you'll need your own Windows disk. Monitors here are very good, but expensive compared to the US.

MasonMateni · Joined: 29 Aug 2010 Location: USA

Yes, definitely buy in the US. Even electronics by big Korean companies are still cheaper to buy in the US, and sometimes much cheaper. After traveling across 13 Asian countries, none of them compare to electronic prices you'll get in the US.