Moving to Korea: What to Bring

Congrats! You decided that you’re finally going to move to Korea! You’ve got your job waiting, you’re all excited, except… You have no idea what to pack when moving to Korea. (I’m also going to go out on a limb here and guess you’re moving to South Korea to teach English.)

Luckily, Korea is pretty modern, so you’ll find most things you need here; however, this packing list is to cover the things Korea doesn’t have that don’t fit our western bodies and needs.

I get a lot of people asking me, “What should I bring to Korea?” or “What do you need to go to Korea?” Here are some moving to Korea essentials, and I hope you will find this helpful.

Related: How to Get a Job Teaching English in South Korea

Pro Tip: Don’t be a master procrastinator aka dumbass and pack the night before you leave. That’s gonna give you unbelievable stress.

Suitcase

People seem to overlook what kind of suitcase they should bring when moving to South Korea and I wish I had someone to advise me on what would be better. The suitcases I brought with me to Japan, while sturdy, are heavy af and they don’t allow for me to pack much because of it.

The maximum weight you can bring is 50 pounds or 23 kilograms. The suitcase itself weighs into that, so the lighter and sturdier the actual make of your suitcase, the better. I honestly recommend the American Tourister Sunset Cruise 28″ spinner. It’s lightweight weighing in at only 9.7 pounds, it’ll be super useful when trying to get the right weight limit.

Plus, it comes in all sorts of fun colors like pink berry, apple green, and night shade. And if you’re an organizational freak like me, I also suggest getting the Bagail Packing Cubes too. They really help sort your essentials and pack them in for optimal storage and space.

Learn Korean

This should be a no brainer, but do yourself a favor and sit down for an afternoon to learn hangul. It’s seriously easy and phonetic. It’ll also help you in the first initial stages. After all, there’s nothing scarier than moving to a foreign country and not knowing anything about the language. I recommend using Korean Class 101 to help you learn Korean.

I like this resource because it’s completely online and you don’t have to lug any heavy books around.

Electronics

Some things I don’t recommend bringing is your straightener, curling iron, and hair dryer. If you’re coming from America, the voltage in is 220V. Sell those products, leave them behind, or buy the ones with the 220V plug and bring them along.

Unlocked Phone

Probably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done was not unlock my phone before I left Japan and while I was in the US taking a break from Asia. I could have saved myself a lot of headaches when putting in a new sim card and finding out it didn’t work. Do yourself a favor and have your provider or an online breaker unlock your phone.

Converter

For all the plugs you just can’t be bothered to switch, bring a converter. I recommend the SEYAS 500 Watt converter. It works 24/7 if you choose and is good for most things like plugging in your laptop, phone, or TV. Be aware it weights about 8.4 pounds which is about 3.81 kilograms. That will take up precious space in your suitcase.

Clothing

Unless you’re a size 6 (and even that that depends) you are most likely not going to find any clothing in your size. Korean women are shaped different. I noticed the majority of them don’t really have wide hips. If you’re a size 6 gal with any sort of hips, then you’re also in trouble.

Also note that what’s conservative in Korea is the completely opposite of what’s conservative in your country. For example, I’ve gotten away with wearing skinny jeans and trainers to work (for medical reasons). In addition, sometimes my skirts have been mid calf and no one batted an eye.

Korean style is more boxy. Meaning since it is boxed shaped, you’ll most likely be able to squeeze into some things. (I’m a size 12.) I personally don’t like Korean style because it doesn’t suit my body type and curves. I buy most of my clothes in Seoul at Hollister, American Eagle and H&M.

Bras & Undies

If you are above a C36 cup, then you’re not going to find any bras in your size. I’ve seen some stores carry C and smaller D cups, but not anything above that. You can find bras at Aerie and also Solb stories.

Do you have a booty? Most Korean women don’t. Bring as many pairs of undies as you can carry.

Tops

If you’re a girl, low cut tops are an absolute no-no. Living in the west, we are desensitized to seeing any cleavage and chest area. In Korea, so help you cheezus, you will be looked at like the Whore of Babylon just for showing a little bit of chest space. Try to find and buy tops just below your collar bone especially for work. Outside of work, do your own thing, homie.

Bottoms

I repeat, if you’re a size 6 or above, consider bringing shorts and pants in your size. You can definitely squeeze into some skirts here if they’re stretchy but most foreigners report problems in the jean department. This is because if you have any sort of hips, most bottoms will most likely not fit you.

Shoes

If you’re a size 8 and above, you are totally gonna be in trouble. While some stores do carry a size 8, your selection will be limited. I’m a size 9 and shoe shopping is one of the MOST depressing things on the planet for me in Korea.

Big towels and/or a robe

I don’t know why Korea believes in having towels the size of your crotch, but they’re seriously tiny. They don’t believe in big towels when drying off and it’s the biggest pain in the ass. Bring your own towels from home because you’ll be paying premium for big towels if you can find them.

Winter Jacket

Us Western women have bigger shoulders. If you’re anything above a size 8 in jackets, then bring your own. Don’t bring any winter clothes because let’s face it. We all end up

Toiletries

P.s. Don’t worry about tampons. When people say they’re no existent, that is so not the case. I’ve seen many grocery stores now starting to carry them and I live in Gyeonggi. If you’re more rural, you’ll probably find them in your next biggest city.

Deodorant

I don’t know what it is about most Koreans, but they literally don’t smell. Most have a copy of gene that makes them not stink when they sweat so they literally don’t need deodorant. What does that mean for us stinky foreigners? We’re not gonna find any. My favorite deodorant is the more natural Arm&Hammer which you can easily get off iHerb.

Toothpaste

There is fluoride in the toothpaste in Korea; however, it’s not a very high percentage. I’ve had a lot of cavities here compared to Japan and I’m pretty sure it’s because of the fluoride count. Bring your own and strap in for the ride.

Related: Advice for Moving to Korea

Makeup

Obsessed with beauty and skin care? Korea is too. Literally this is the playground to try out all different products and remedies for your skin. You’ll be able to find fabulous lipsticks, wonderful eyeshadows and 10 step skin care lines.

Foundation

Korea only has two skin tones when it comes to their foundation. White and whiter. While it has been getting better in recent years, (the darkest color being light beige or sand) if you’re darker than that, bring your foundation and back ups with you. This also goes if you’re lighter as well. The undertones in the Korean makeup are often yellow so even my very pale friends have trouble with the Korean foundation.

Mascara

I’ve tried many different mascaras here and they are just not suited to my eyelashes. Asian women have a different genetic makeup and the way their eyelashes grow is way different. I’ve wound up using only western brands when it comes to mascara here.

Related: I’m Beautiful in Korea

Food

I know some of us have food and other allergies. Also, there may be some snacks from home that are not available. For example, Flamin Hot Cheetos. That being said, I’ve found Cheezits and Ritz crackers in the Homeplus. They are the best comfort foods whenever you’re feeling down.

Be warned for whatever reason, most of the snacks in Korea are sweet and salty. To be honest… I really fucking hate it. American food comes from two extremes. Either it’s really sweet or really salty. Everyone’s tastebuds are different and that’s just my 2 cents on the matter. If you like sweet and salty snacks, then by all means, go to town, my friends.

I don’t really recommend bringing protein powder (unless you LOVE a specific brand) or any spices. All of these things can be easily found online without a problem and shipped to your house.

Related: Why I Prefer Living in Korea Over Japan

Helpful Websites

If you’re coming from the US, it’s impossible to bring everything you want/need. My advice is to also have everything else you can’t fit in your suitcase shipped to you.

Korea has their own system of doing things. For instance, they’re not really into Amazon and all about the super fast delivery. I’ve had instances where I ordered something in the morning and it arrived in the afternoon or evening. Like literally that awesome.

ASOS

What I love about this company is they have worldwide shipping and returns. It’s super easy to order clothes and send them back if you don’t like it. I also find the shipping to be quite fast.

Coupang

You’ll need to use the Google Chrome browser to translate this website because it’s all in Korean. You’ll also need to set up an account. I love Coupang for buying hot cheetos and cereal like Cinnamon toast crunch. I’ve also bought lasagna pasta. #winning

Gmarket

This website is the amazon of Korea. What’s even cooler about it is that you can translate the website into English, Chinese, and Korean. You will find anything and everything. Also, if you see something in the store, I guarantee you will find it on GMarket much cheaper. If it’s not cheaper, then eBay and Chinese knock offs are your best friend. 😉

iHerb

Natural is the way to go. Ya’ll don’t need nasty preservatives and yucky stuff in all your food. For the natural alternative to your every day products like spices, foods, and even products, get it off iHerb. Plus, you can get 10% off your first order as a first time customer.

Costco, Homeplus, Emart

One of my favorite stores to shop at is Homeplus. They literally have a huge selection of imported and foreign foods there like tortillas. Granted they’re usually flour, but sometimes I find the corn ones. I’ve seen Emart carry foreign foods like Quaker Oatmeal and even different types of cereals. For everything in bulk, Costco is your best friend.

Related: How I Paid Off My Student Loans in Korea

Helpful Numbers

What’s a poor wagook to do when you’re moving to South Korea? Sometimes you don’t want to burden your coworkers or friends, so what do you do? Luckily, there’s tons of helpful numbers and hotlines in Korea that will help you if you’re in a pinch.

Helpful Korean Telephone Numbers

How Much Money to Bring to Korea

Money is an important factor in when moving to Korea. I kept track of all of my expenses when I first moved to Korea and I hope this breakdown will help you know what to expect. Keep in mind, I lived in Gyeonggi-do which made a lot of my expenses much cheaper than in Seoul.

In addition, the cost of living in Korea is much cheaper than some of our home countries so prepare to be amazed. Take note you can probably save lot more money if you don’t spend a lot on beauty and makeup. I was also spending a lot more on transport because I lived quite a bit aways from my school.

First Month Expenses When Moving to Korea

As you can see, about $1200 worth of money should be sufficient enough to get you through your first month in Korea until you receive your first paycheck. Even though I only spent about $1000, I really recommend that cushion room just in case something happens.

Bringing a Pet to Korea

Decided you can’t live without Fido? I totally understand. I wouldn’t want to leave my fur baby behind. Make sure where you’re moving into is dog friendly. Also, check out my post on moving to Korea with a dog here. Moving a dog to Korea can be a big pain in the ass because the laws are so strict here.

Related: Adopting a Dog in Korea

Conclusion

I feel like moving to Korea as an American isn’t so bad because Korea has so many foreign food products like snacks and sauces in special supermarkets. They also carry other snacks and trinkets from European countries and when you’re in a pinch, Itaewon has any and everything you might want to eat.

Moving to Korea for work is in my not so humble opinion one of the most fun things you can possibly do.

Don’t forget to download my moving to Korea packing list while you’re at it.

This post contains affiliate links which means at no additional cost to you, I make a small commission to help keep Gina Bear’s Blog running. Thanks for your support!

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