Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MitchMartin]

I see a lot of articles about what to BRING. But what are some things that are somewhat native to Asia/Korea one should buy upon arriving?

[thegadfly]

If you eat Korean food, and also cook at home, I would suggest a rice cooker (the cheap one I bought 8 years ago is still going strong), and a steamer -- one of those three-legged metal thingies that you set in a pot of water. Some packaged mondu in the freezer can be a snack or meal in just a few minutes in the steamer.

If your place does not have one, or has an old one, an air conditioner might be worth it for the summer. I also bought one my first Spring here at my current gig -- it is also still going strong, but even if I had stayed for only a year, I think it would have been worth it.

Coffee maker, drying racks for clothes, and one of those hand-held wand-blender thingies, or even a standard blender.

If you don't want to go the car/scooter route, a cheap bicycle can expand your wandering range and give you some exercise. When I ride mine to school, I actually beat the bus.

...so, to sum up, things that *I* have found to be worth buying here:

1 Rice cooker
2 Steamer
3 Air Conditioner
4 Coffee Maker
5 Bicycle

6 (Yeah, you said 5) Clothes Drying Rack
7 Blender/Wand-Blender/Bullet-Blender

Oh, they also sell these clothes hanging rack things that form sort of an H shape -- two floor-to-ceiling adjustable rods with rubber endpads, and a bar that runs across, suitable for hanging clothes on hangers. I bought two sets of them (two H's, as it were) and set them up on my porch, with the crossbeam set near the ceiling. I ran three clotheslines across them, which gives me MUCH more room than using clothes racks.

[sojuSthompson]

Cell phone

Fan (helps dry laundry and drowns out some of the background noise)

Microwave and/or toaster oven

Nice speakers for your computer (which will now be your entertainment center)

Either a water filter that goes on the faucet or a water cooler.

I toughed it out when it came to bedding, but I could see how that would make most peoples list.

[yellowdove]

Look at your contract, and see what your employer says they will provide for you. For me, they said they would provide a vaccum, microwave, fan, air con, etc. So as far as that stuff goes, its your school's responsibility to get those for you, and you should definitely bring that up if it's in your contract and it's not there.

As far as what won't be in your contract, here's my list:

1) Cell phone (either get one passed down to you, or wait until your ARC card comes in and get one yourself, get a Korean to help you)
2) A fitted sheet (and other bedding) if you didn't bring one from home
3) An electric kettle (my husband loves coffee, and he uses a french press... I drink lots of tea... its so nice to have boiling water in 90 seconds instead of waiting for it on the stove)
4) Speakers for your computer
5) Blender or food processer

[isitts]

1. T-money card
2. food (especially breakfast food for the next morning)
3. cookware - pot/pan, bowl(s), plate(s), fork, spoon, knife
4. floral pattern curtains
5. trash can/bags

[CtotheB]

Floral pattern cutrains? What?

[madoka]

First things I would get upon arriving in Korea for the first time:

1. Fill up a t-money card
2. Bottled water (I don't trust the tap)
3. Assorted snacks since your body is in a different time zone, you can get hungry when most stores are closed
4. Air filter
5. Make sure you have enough household supplies (e.g. toliet paper, paper towels, bath towel, etc.)

[climber159]

1. Coffee
2. T-Money Card
3. Food
4. Basic household supplies (yeah there's a whole lot lumped into this, I know)
5. Cell phone

*Your first trip to E-Mart/Lotte Mart/Home Plus will be an expensive one.

6. Bicycle
7. Speakers
8. Musical instrument
9. Velvet sheets
10. Barry White Discography

[sojusucks]

If your apartment doesn't have one then you will need a large drying rack for your clothes. Since you will have 12 months, you can go to Costco and buy many of the larger items like laundry detergent, soap, and other necessities. You'll save money by shopping at Costco for larger items.

[DaHu]

Buy nothing until you're here a while and think "boy, I really need that". Otherwise you collect a lot of stuff you really could've done without. Also you may meet people who are leaving soon who will give/sell you stuff saving you money.

[allovertheplace]

This list needs to be boiled down into the 'first things' to buy, and the things you 'should buy' in the first month. There are many things I wish I had bought earlier on to get more use out of them.

First things;
1-household items such as t.p, towel, bedding etc.
2-t money card
3-random food items as per the snacking craves of time differences
4-pots and pans, forks etc
5-drying rack

Things to get in first month;
1-cell phone
2-microwave
3-rice cooker
4-costco membership
5-nice speakers for computer

The first 5 are essential, the second 5 make life significantly more enjoyable.

[Cedar]

For those not yet in Korea who are wondering-- T-money is a transportation card/bus pass/subway pass which is refillable with the amount of money you want to put on it. It's also your transfer card (works for 30 minutes before you pay again, as long as you're taking a different bus (or subway to bus, bus to subway). If you're out of the Seoul Metro area they have other versions of the T-Money card for their neighborhood. Also your bank card can often serve as a T-Money card. (ask when you open the bank account).

First things to buy:
1. T-money card (any mini-mart in a subway station sells them, then charge them at the charging machines)
2. Toilet paper/soap/bathroom needs so you look presentable at work
3. Something you can easily eat for the next couple meals (and I'd bring more snacks than you need on the plane)
4. Bedding if it's not provided (not necessarily provided and if it is, when was it last laundered and who was that guy who taught for the school before you and what were his bathing habits?)
5. A frying pan, a pan that can boil water or rice or cook noodles, etc. a bowl to eat things out of, a spatula, a spoon, a fork/chopsticks, a cup for the drinkables.

First week to buy:
1) The rest of the kitchen things you need depending on your cooking habits and all that. Cheapest in traditional markets, the E-mart etc selection sucks and prices aren't that good, that said, Home Plus has better selection of dish designs etc.
2) dish detergent, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies (how clean was your apt. when you moved in?), cleaning rags, dish towels, etc.
3) clothing drying rack
4) cell phone
5) hangers and a rack for your clothes if not provided. An iron so you look presentable at work. A dresser. a bookcase. You'll have books and more clothes later.

Things I think you don't need:
A rice cooker (unless you really eat a lot of rice, but rice cooker rice only tastes good right away, it goes downhill afterwards)
COSTCO card (you live in Korea, stop thinking you need to buy the same food things you bought in the US)
Air-con (just buy a fan)
Microwave

[Squire]

1. Washing powder, washing up liquid, TP
2. Drying rack
3. Umbrella

[uklathemock]

[Vimfuego]

first to buy is a ticket out of here