An Idiot’s Guide to Korean Apartments

Moving to a new country can be super scary and when a way of life is different than your own, you can run into a bunch of problems along the way. Also, don’t take offense to this guide or the video. It’s simply a funny way to joke about the mistakes I made in Korea and how you can avoid them. To be honest, I wish I had a guide like this when I first moved to Korea because it would have saved me a lot of headaches. I hope this complete guide to Korean apartments will help you out.

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1. Take Off Your Shoes!!!

That’s right. Avoid being an uncultured swine. There’s a reason there is a stoop right when you walk in the door and is very common in a Korean apartment layout. Don’t be nasty. Do you have any idea how many germs and bacteria live on the bottom of your shoes? Too many. Now take them off!

2. Go To Daiso

You may be sitting there like a sad waygookin because you have no idea where to go shopping since there’s no Walmart. Wherever will you go and get supplies for you home? Keep calm and go to the Daiso. This store originated in Japan and I can guarantee is better than the dollar store in the States. Daiso has cleaning supplies, hangers, kitchenware such as tupperwear, dishes, utensils, pots, pans, and glasses. They even have storage containers, shelves, beauty supplies, pet supplies, and stationary. This well help your living abroad costs go way down. Everything runs from 1,000 won to the most expensive being 10,000 won. Seriously AMAJING.

3. Shop at a Major Supermarket

Listen here, young padiwon. While the force may not be strong with you at first, there will be two stores in Korea that you will worship as the holy grail– they are E-Mart and Homeplus. Whatever you don’t find at Daiso will surely be there. Especially electronics like microwaves, TVs, and fans. They even carry clothes, bedding (which is super expensive here in Korea for whatever reason), and curtains. So get your booty over there and don’t be nasty and moon the neighbors.

4. Use A Neighborhood Market

Want to get a better deal on fruits and veggies? Shop at your local neighborhood market. They’re just as fresh and you’re supporting local businesses. And if you go shopping there often, your friendly neighborhood market ajhumma will set aside the freshest ones for you.

5. Try G-Market

Even more sacred and holy than E-Mart and Homeless is G-Market. Because Korea has to be special and unique, they scoff at Amazon and E-bay. Who needs shit weird foreigners have invented, amirite? Besides, their shipping is way too slow. You order something in the morning it will be on your doorstep in the afternoon or even the next day. They accept all sorts of payments like PayPal And AliExpress. Whatever you need will always be on G-Market so make an account like now. You’re welcome.

6. Get an AirPurifier

Do you ever wake up in the morning and notice the fog just drifting lazily along the Land of the Morning Calm?

Stupid waygookin. That is not fog, but a giant cloud of polluted death.

Do you want to die of lung cancer, 바보?

All those boogers clogging up your nose came from somewhere! Whether you choose to shop at E-mart, Homeplus, or on G-Market, buy an air purifier. Pollution affects your health and your sanity more than you think. Air purifiers reduce how often you get sick and make your home life much more 행복하다.

I personally recommend Winix or Airvax.

7. Washers and Dryers Are The SAME

While in America, we are energy and space wasters, Koreans have a much smaller country. Most of the time, the washer and dryer is the same UNIT. Which could be a shock living in Korea as an American since we are used to separate units.

Through pictures I will now demonstrate what those mysterious dials mean and how not to blow up your clothes or the house.

First, fill up your washer with detergent and fabric softener. I recommend 테크 because it has baking soda and we are stinky foreigners. Most Koreans don’t smell when they sweat or under their armpits so they do not require hardcore products.

But before you do anything make sure that the detergent and fabric softener have both been loaded into their correct panels. The orange lettering says 유연제 which means softener and the blue lettering says 액체세제 which means liquid detergent. Don’t be a ding dong and mess this up, capeesh?

Then, hit the power button.

Turn the dial to 표준 (this means standard wash cycle), and hit the play button.

Now as the music plays and your laundry gets clean you have time to think about your sad life… Like why do the people you love and care about always leave Korea?

SHOTS. FIRED.

But if you are feeling adventurous, here’s an idiot’s guide on washing machine lingo you might find beneficial.

세탁 – Laundry 건조– Dry  표준– Normal

삶음 – Boiling     급속 – Quick Wash    란재리 – Lingerie/Underwear

타월 – Towel       침구 – Bedding     커튼 – Curtains

헹굼 – Rinse Cycle     탈수 – Wring Out

Now for the dryer hit the button that says 맞춤건조 and means customized drying. Keep pushing the button until you have set the desired amount of drying time. Hit the play button.

The art of using a Korean washing machine takes finesse and time. You can’t just become a master overnight.

Now there also comes a time where you have to clean the lint that comes from washing all your dirty foreigner clothes. Open the door on the bottom and pull out the lint slot. Empty it and replace it.

8. Use a Drying Rack

Can’t figure out if your washer is also a dryer? That’s okay. When all else fails, you can get the 바보 proof drying rack.

9. Keeping Your Shoes FRESH

Speaking of being a smelly waygookin, you’re gonna have to keep your shoes in the show cupboard like everyone else. To keep your shoes from stinking up the whole house use the 옷장 탈취제 wardrobe deodorizer. It will make sure you don’t smell like a trash can.

10. How to Use the Korean Ondol 온돌

In America, we have central heating which isn’t as awesome as the Korean system of just warming up the floor. As an ancient and ingenious way of keeping warm, who the hell needs a fire place? After all, don’t you hate walking onto a cold floor in the middle of winter?!

Many ondols are attached to your boiler so that means hot water for your shower also depends on this system. If you want to activate this system, first, you need to push the red button that says 전원 which means turn on/ turn off.

If both lights for the green button underneath called 온수전용 which means hot water only and the red button are on, your floor will not heat and your shower will not get hot. Simply hit the green button so the light for 운전 which means operating will turn on.

The dial in the middle is to adjust the heat settings. For all you American folk, this is celsius and not farnheit. Forty Celsius is hot af and you will burn your behind. You have been warned.

Wait about 20 minutes because it takes time and then go in and enjoy a warm shower and hot floor. When you finish, don’t forget to turn it off using the same red button or you will wake up with swass in the middle of the night.

11. How To Use The Aircon

In America, we are insanely spoiled with central air and heating. I’ve never sweat once indoors. However, that is not the case in Korea, and if you don’t want to roast in Korea’s humid summers, pay attention.

Most air-conditioning units are very large and stand in corners like so.

While it may seem intimidating to operate, it’s actually quite simple. Like the ondol, push the button that says 운전 which means operating.

To adjust the temperature, hit the up and down arrows to make it warmer or cooler.

You’re welcome, waygookin.

12. Your Korean Bathroom

Alas, the dreaded Asian bathroom situation. There is no tub. Throw away your Lush bath bombs before you get here because you will no longer require them. Why you crying? Stop that. This is what you’ve signed on for.

Killing Mold

One product you will need is 곰팡이 Mold Killer which you can buy at Daiso for only 2,000 won. This prevents mold from growing and you should spray your shower with it every week. Or if you can’t find it, bleach does wonders too.

Alternatively if you get a nasty apartment that no one cleaned you can find a professional cleaner to help you kill the mold on Ask Ajhumma.

Cleaning the Mirror

The next product I really recommend is the diamond mirror sponge. It helps keep the mirror clean from humidity and grime build up. Never feel embarrassed about a dirty mirror again! You can easily find this at Daiso or on G-Market.

Keeping Your Bathroom Dry

Keep your bathmat outside of your bathroom. For a cheap price of 5,000 won you can find a good one at Daiso. Everything in Korean bathrooms gets humid and wet. Yes. That means the sink, the toilet and anything else you have. Don’t make that mistake and put it inside.

Buy bathroom slippers. Don’t be a ding dong and wear your socks into the bathroom. Chances are the floor is still wet and you will need to get another pair of dry socks.

You should also use a de-humidifier called 다목적 제습제. This is not only great for your bathroom but other areas of your house that get moist like closets, under the sink, and shoe cupboards.

Bring Your Own Towels

When I first came to Korea, and I was shown the bath towels I was like… This is it? This small towel will only wipe one butt cheek try, if that. Don’t fall into the trap and use tiny Korean towels. Bring your own from home.

Filtered shower head

The number one complaint most women have in Korea is… Their hair falls out in major clumps. I too was victim until I learned most people in Korea use shower head filters because the water is so hard. Since then all my luscious locks have grown back. This would have saved my drain, my hair and my sanity had I known about these at first.

13. Take Out Apps

Two apps that will save your life from complete and utter annihilation in Korea are McDelivery and Yogiyo. You wanna really integrate into Korean life? Then you need to order delivery like them too. Download them and type in your name, address, and phone number in Korean. Congrats, my young padiwon. You have now upgraded a level.

14. Saving Your Fridge

You wanna know what’s nasty? The smell of food rotting naturally in the fridge. Now you too can keep food fresher for longer. Use the 내장고 탈취제 and just place it in your fridge. It absorbs the methane gas that fruits and veggies emit too. Most of us waygookin do not level up to an awesome kimchi fridge like the ajhummas so this is the cheapest and next best thing.

15. Sorting Trash

Every city and even neighborhood in Korea has their own ways of sorting trash. Don’t use your western thinking in getting trash bags called 일반 쓰레기 봉투 which means general waste bag. They come in a variety of colors such as white, green, and blue. The easiest way to find trash bags for where you live is going to the local supermarket. The bags there double as trash bags and it will save you a lot of headaches.

Most places in Korea will have special containers for sorting food trash called 음식물 쓰레기 봉투. The ones in my city are red and are kept outside.

When it comes to recycling, my city separates paper, plastic, glass, and cans. You usually don’t need a special bag for these and you’ll find designated areas for which to sort.

I hope this guide was super helpful for you in getting your Korean apartment set up. I know it can be overwhelming living in Korea as a foreigner and having no idea how to navigate life here. Let me reiterate and say, I am in no way calling anyone an idiot. This is a simple guide I wish I had when I first came to Korea and I would have avoided a crap ton of mistakes.

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