STAYWORKS

Korea Life Guide

Everything you need to settle into life in Korea as an English teacher.

T-money Card

Getting Around Korea

1
Buy a card
Available at any convenience store (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, Emart24) for ₩2,500–3,000. Ask for "티머니 카드".
2
Charge at the store
Hand cash to the cashier and say "충전해주세요 (chung-jeon-hae-ju-se-yo)". Minimum ₩1,000, max ₩500,000.
3
Charge at subway stations
Use the T-money charging machines (yellow machines) at any subway station. Insert cash and tap your card.
4
Check your balance
Tap your card on the reader at any convenience store or subway turnstile to see your balance.
💡 Transfers between subway and bus are free within 30 minutes when using T-money.

SIM Card (유심)

Staying Connected

1
At the airport
KT, SKT, and LG U+ all have booths at Incheon Airport arrivals. Fast but slightly pricier. Good for same-day setup.
2
Online (cheapest)
Buy an MVNO plan on sites like Ureka or Hello Mobile before you arrive. Plans from ₩10,000–30,000/month with data + calls.
3
Convenience stores
GS25 and CU sell prepaid SIM cards (선불 유심). Good for short stays, limited to data only.
4
Carrier stores
KT, SKT, LG U+ stores in any major shopping area. Bring your passport. Plans from ₩35,000/month.
💡 For a long-term stay, MVNO plans (알뜰폰) are the best value. Look up "LG HelloMobile" or "KT M Mobile".

TEFL / TESOL

Getting Certified

1
Choose a course
Most E-2 visa jobs require 120-hour TEFL/TESOL. Popular providers: TEFL.com, i-to-i, ITTT, Premier TEFL. Online courses run ₩100,000–500,000.
2
Complete online
Most courses are fully online and self-paced. Takes 2–6 weeks depending on hours per day.
3
Get your certificate
Download and print your certificate. You'll need to provide it (apostilled if required) for your E-2 visa application.
4
In-person options
Some hagwons prefer in-class TEFL. Check SMOE or EPIK requirements — some programs accept online TEFL.
💡 EPIK and SMOE (Seoul public school programs) accept 100-hour online TEFL. Most private hagwons just need proof of certification.

Essential Apps

Must-haves for Daily Life

📦
Coupang (쿠팡)Shopping

Korea's Amazon. Rocket delivery often arrives overnight or same day. Great for household goods, groceries, and almost anything.

🥕
Daangn Market (당근마켓)Second-hand

Local second-hand marketplace. Find furniture, electronics, and daily items from neighbors. Great when first moving in.

🚖
Kakao T (카카오택시)Transport

Korea's Uber. Call taxis anywhere — regular, deluxe, or van. Pay by card in the app. Drivers accept the app pickup.

🗺️
Naver Maps (네이버지도)Navigation

More accurate than Google Maps in Korea. Shows bus routes, subway lines, walking paths, and real-time transit times.

📍
Kakao Maps (카카오맵)Navigation

Alternative to Naver Maps. Better for finding restaurants and reviews. Many locals use both.

🍜
Baemin (배달의민족)Food Delivery

Korea's top food delivery app. Order from thousands of restaurants. Korean UI but easy to figure out with Google Translate.

💸
Toss (토스)Banking

Easy banking app for Korean accounts. Send money, check balances, pay bills. Essential once you have a Korean bank account.

🌐
PapagoTranslation

Naver's translation app — better than Google Translate for Korean. Has real-time camera translation for menus and signs.