Everyday logistics in Korea: the small setup jobs to handle early
Daily life in Korea runs on a phone number, a bank account, and an ARC card, and none of the three exist until you've already dealt with the other two, so most new teachers spend their first two weeks improvising.
Park English2026-09-193 min read
Nobody tells you this before you land: almost every daily task in Korea assumes you already have an Alien Registration Card. Delivery apps want a Korean phone number. Phone plans want an ARC. Banks want both. So the order you do things in actually matters, and getting it wrong just means a slower first two weeks, not a disaster.
What comes first, and roughly when
Most hagwons handle the ARC application for you, filed at the local immigration office after you arrive. In our experience it takes anywhere from ten days to a month depending on the district; speed varies by office and season, so ask your school what they've seen recently.
Until the ARC clears, this is what works:
- SIM card, week one. Buy a prepaid tourist SIM at the airport or a convenience store (KT and LG U+ both sell them) so you have a number for KakaoTalk and delivery apps. Switch to a proper plan once the ARC arrives.
- Bank account, once the ARC is issued. Open it at a branch of a major bank near your school; ask your school which bank it uses for payroll, because same-bank transfers are simplest. Your first paycheck goes here.
- T-money card, day one. Sold at any convenience store, no ID needed. Use it before anything else works.
- Delivery apps, once you have a Korean number. Baemin and Coupang Eats both need a Korean phone number and an address entered in Korean; ask a co-worker to help set the address once, and it saves you every time after.
Hospitals and pharmacies
Pharmacies (약국) handle far more than they would back home: sore throats, mild fevers, stomach trouble. No appointment, no prescription needed for a lot of it. For anything bigger, national health insurance (which your school enrolls you in) covers roughly 70% of outpatient costs, so a GP visit usually runs a few thousand won out of pocket. Seoul has hospitals with English-speaking international clinics, Severance and Samsung Medical Center among them, but a translation app and a patient nurse get most teachers through a smaller local hospital just fine.
Where teachers actually gather
City-specific Facebook groups (search "[your city] foreigners") are more useful for hagwon teachers finding meetups, secondhand furniture, and roommates. Physically, Itaewon and Hongdae in Seoul, and Gwangalli in Busan, are where the expat bars and language exchanges cluster, but plenty of teachers build their whole social life through co-workers instead.
What the first month costs, and what decides it
| Item | What decides the cost | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Prepaid SIM | length of plan and data | the carrier's airport or store counter |
| Phone plan (after your ARC) | carrier, data allowance, current promotion | SKT, KT and LG U+ sites |
| T-money top-ups | how far your commute is | your first two weeks of top-ups |
| Groceries and eating out | your city and how often you cook | your first month of receipts |
| Clinic and pharmacy | the size of the place (clinics charge the smallest share) | the receipt, after your health insurance starts |
| Housing deposit | whether the school provides the apartment | your contract |
We don't print won amounts here on purpose: they change with the city, the carrier's promotion and the school's housing setup, and a number that was right last year sends you in with the wrong budget. Ask the teacher you're replacing what they actually spent; that is the best figure you will get.