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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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 Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:12 am Post subject: Possible to get onto the Yongsan base w/o an army friend? |
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As title states. Been looking around, emailed a few people and didnt get much of a response back.
Just want to buy a few things :p |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 4:02 am Post subject: |
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nope can't be done, unless you are on a presubmitted roster of people for a certain event (ie a base 5k, a class etc and its only for that event). When there is a base run I can walk on for that and don't need a sponsor via my running club but I can't say walk on to base say tomorrow.
Buying stuff?? Even less of a chance, they have ration cards for the commissary and even if you are signed on to base and with the cardholder you won't be allowed in. Now you can buy a few things at a convenience store in say the Dragon Hill Lodge and you can of course buy meals but thats it. |
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 11:03 am Post subject: |
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| You can't just walk on to military posts. I still hear people, mainly newbies from Canada or South Africa, say that "Any American can shop on post in Korea." Not true. They are military posts, not embassies. Stop repeating nonsense. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 11:14 am Post subject: Re: Possible to get onto the Yongsan base w/o an army friend |
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| SeoulNate wrote: |
As title states. Been looking around, emailed a few people and didnt get much of a response back.
Just want to buy a few things :p |
Korea is not a backwater hellhole stuck in the 1700s. You can buy plenty of things. And for those things you absolutely must get from your home country but are not easily available in Korea, there is the post office functioning both your home country and Korea.
There are few facilities on the base for shopping. The two biggies are the Commissary and the Exchange (the latter used to be known as the Post Exchange, the Base Exchange, Navy Exchange, PX, BX, and NEX). Either of those requires a Uniformed Services ID card (military member, dependent of military member, authorized civilian [Civil Service, Foreign Service], dependent of authorized civilian), Service retiree or dependent of Service retiree. To actually purchase something at those two venues requires ration control authorization. One must register for such authorization. The other venues are concessionaires which do not require ration control authorization to shop there and, of course, the various restaurants on the base (Burger King, Taco Bell, etc.)
Now, if your military/authorized civilian friend were to get caught black marketing for you, your friend would be prosecuted by the US authorities and you would be prosecuted by the Korean authorities. It's simply not worth the risk for most people.
My advice: Shop online for stuff back home and have it sent to you in Korea. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 11:20 am Post subject: |
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| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| nope can't be done, unless you are on a presubmitted roster of people for a certain event (ie a base 5k, a class etc and its only for that event). When there is a base run I can walk on for that and don't need a sponsor via my running club but I can't say walk on to base say tomorrow. |
Correct.
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| Buying stuff?? Even less of a chance, they have ration cards for the commissary and even if you are signed on to base and with the cardholder you won't be allowed in. |
Supposedly, the USFK has abandoned the use of actual ration control plates (as they've been called officially for years) and now the ID card itself is used for that purpose.
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| Now you can buy a few things at a convenience store in say the Dragon Hill Lodge |
Incorrect. The convenience stores are Exchange outlets and every purchase requires the purchaser to present their ID card for scanning. No ID card = no purchase.
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| and you can of course buy meals but thats it. |
Correct. At the restaurants (and the concessions), one may pay in US Dollars, South Korean Won, or with a US bank-issued credit/debit card. Cards from other countries, to include those from South Korea, will not work for such purchases. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:42 pm Post subject: Re: Possible to get onto the Yongsan base w/o an army friend |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| SeoulNate wrote: |
As title states. Been looking around, emailed a few people and didnt get much of a response back.
Just want to buy a few things :p |
Korea is not a backwater hellhole stuck in the 1700s. You can buy plenty of things. And for those things you absolutely must get from your home country but are not easily available in Korea, there is the post office functioning both your home country and Korea.
There are few facilities on the base for shopping. The two biggies are the Commissary and the Exchange (the latter used to be known as the Post Exchange, the Base Exchange, Navy Exchange, PX, BX, and NEX). Either of those requires a Uniformed Services ID card (military member, dependent of military member, authorized civilian [Civil Service, Foreign Service], dependent of authorized civilian), Service retiree or dependent of Service retiree. To actually purchase something at those two venues requires ration control authorization. One must register for such authorization. The other venues are concessionaires which do not require ration control authorization to shop there and, of course, the various restaurants on the base (Burger King, Taco Bell, etc.)
Now, if your military/authorized civilian friend were to get caught black marketing for you, your friend would be prosecuted by the US authorities and you would be prosecuted by the Korean authorities. It's simply not worth the risk for most people.
My advice: Shop online for stuff back home and have it sent to you in Korea. |
I don't really want to shop there so much as to just hang out. I've always enjoyed the times I've been on base. |
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Otus
Joined: 09 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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I remember going to the Dragon Hill Lodge one time and forgetting to buy cigarettes beforehand. I was there for a conference and there was no way, not even in the small casino, that I could purchase a pack. Finally, I think I managed to bribe someone to make the purchase.
(Been a non smoker for over 3 years now)
As someone else mentioned, only the restaurants will allow transactions without ID's. |
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Waygeek
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:55 pm Post subject: Re: Possible to get onto the Yongsan base w/o an army friend |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
Korea is not a backwater hellhole stuck in the 1700s. |
Well... |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Otus wrote: |
I remember going to the Dragon Hill Lodge one time and forgetting to buy cigarettes beforehand. I was there for a conference and there was no way, not even in the small casino, that I could purchase a pack. Finally, I think I managed to bribe someone to make the purchase.
(Been a non smoker for over 3 years now)
As someone else mentioned, only the restaurants will allow transactions without ID's. |
You now need military/military-affiliated ID to even enter the small casino on all the bases. |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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rofl wasn't expected to be attacked by asking a question 
100% not trying to resell stuff, in fact, by "buy stuff" i mainly meant go to the steak restaurant since steak in Korea tends to be the worst possible food to order at any restaurant, even ones where you pay 50k+ per plate, and from my experience on base in the past the steaks were actually pretty good.
Sue me for looking for the easy way out :p time to troll Itaewon for GI friends again |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Is it true that military personnel can have goods shipped from the USA duty free? That could be more useful then being allowed on base. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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| SeoulNate wrote: |
rofl wasn't expected to be attacked by asking a question
100% not trying to resell stuff, in fact, by "buy stuff" i mainly meant go to the steak restaurant since steak in Korea tends to be the worst possible food to order at any restaurant, even ones where you pay 50k+ per plate, and from my experience on base in the past the steaks were actually pretty good.
Sue me for looking for the easy way out :p time to troll Itaewon for GI friends again |
Go to a real hotel for a real meal. |
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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Important and connected Koreans get on the base, and get stuff from the base all the time. English teachers are not important or connected, hence they don't get to play there as much as the Koreans do. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| SeoulNate wrote: |
rofl wasn't expected to be attacked by asking a question
100% not trying to resell stuff, in fact, by "buy stuff" i mainly meant go to the steak restaurant since steak in Korea tends to be the worst possible food to order at any restaurant, even ones where you pay 50k+ per plate, and from my experience on base in the past the steaks were actually pretty good.
Sue me for looking for the easy way out :p time to troll Itaewon for GI friends again |
Go to a real hotel for a real meal. |
The five star hotel restaurants are much more expensive than a steak on base (they're definitely worth it too, but if all the OP wants is a steak there's no point in spending 80,000 won or more on a high-end course meal or buffet). |
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Unposter
Joined: 04 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:01 am Post subject: |
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I have no idea who can and cannot get on base but I do remember hearing something like if you become a member of the American Chamber of Commerce, or something like that, you can get a special pass to get in Yongsan, but it costs a pretty penny to do so, so I don't think it would be all that cost effective in terms of getting a steak.
Maybe you could befriend a rich Korean with a pass.
I knew some rich Koreans who had a pass to get on the U.S. golf course in Seongnam. They took me out for steak there once that was pretty darn nice! |
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