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Government programs
Korean government programs for your city and household
Tell us your city, visa, and household. We shortlist the published catalog in English.
This week in Korea · Sep 6
Lee Jae-myung declines to pledge he will not seek a consecutive term

Settling in
Moving to Korea: The Complete Checklist from Pre-Arrival to Your First 30 Days (2026)
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Visas & work
EPS-TOPIK Exam Day: What to Bring, How the Test Works on Screen, and What Your Score Really Means (2026)
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Digital Korea
Papago vs Google Translate vs Naver Dictionary: Which One to Use in Korea (2026)
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Most read this week
All guidesDigital Korea
Essential Apps for Foreigners in Korea: What to Install First (2026)
The phone apps foreign residents in Korea actually need: KakaoTalk, Naver Map, Papago, delivery, banking, and government. Install order by what works before and after your Alien Registration Card.

Visas & work
Internal Referrals in Korea (사내추천): How They Work and How to Get One (2026)
An internal referral (사내추천) gets your resume in front of a human reviewer at a Korean company. This guide explains how the system works, what a referral can and cannot do for your visa situation, and how to build a referral path even without existing contacts in Korea.

Travel
Korean Theme Parks: Everland, Lotte World, and Beyond
Korea's four main theme parks are each reachable by subway or train from Seoul. Here is what each one costs, how to get there, and what makes it worth the trip.

Korea, decoded
AI Compute Decoded, Part 3: The Choke Points and Why Nobody Can Break Them (2026)
One company makes every EUV machine. One makes most advanced chips. Three make the memory. A plain-language look at why these positions hold and what would actually threaten them.

Korea, decoded
AI Compute Decoded, Part 5: Export Controls, China and the Taiwan Problem (2026)
Why governments now shape the chip industry more than competition does: export controls, China's parallel supply chain, and the concentration risk nobody has solved.

Korea, decoded
AI Compute Decoded, Part 6: Where Korea Actually Stands (2026)
Korea owns the memory layer and little else in the AI stack. A plain-language account of the strengths, the announced investments, the honest weaknesses, and what it means for people living here.

Korea, decoded
AI Compute Decoded, Part 4: Electricity, Water and Money, the Real Limits (2026)
Chips are no longer the bottleneck. Grid connections, transformers, turbines and financing are. A plain-language look at what physically limits the AI buildout, and whether the spending adds up.

Korea, decoded
AI Compute Decoded, Part 2: The Nine Layers of the AI Stack (2026)
From design software to electricity, the nine layers that turn sand into an AI data center, who leads each one, and roughly by how much.

Travel
What's Open During Chuseok and Seollal in Korea (and Where Residents Go) (2026)
Banks close. Most restaurants close. Here's what stays open during Chuseok and Seollal, how to find a pharmacy, and where to go instead.

Visas & work
Is OneForma Legit? An Honest Review for Foreign Residents in Korea (2026)
OneForma is a real platform but has the weakest trust reputation in our AI-work directory. Learn how pay works and how Korean tax rules apply.

Visas & work
Which Korean Job Platforms Actually Work for Foreigners: An Honest Comparison (2026)
Most 'Korea job sites' lists start with Saramin and JobKorea without mentioning they are Korean-only. This guide tells you which platforms actually serve foreign job seekers, and which ones to skip.

Health & family
Korean Pharmacies for Foreign Residents: Prescription Drugs, OTC, and English-Friendly Options
How Korean pharmacies (약국) work: OTC vs prescription rules, NHIS copay rates, after-hours options via 1339, and Korean equivalents for common Western medications.

Money
Korea Pension Refund Guide: Claiming Your NPS Lump Sum When Leaving
How to claim your National Pension Service (NPS) lump-sum refund when leaving Korea. Who qualifies via visa, treaty, or reciprocity; how to apply; airport-desk option; and the 5-year claim deadline.

Visas & work
E-9 Visa in Korea: The EPS Worker's Practical Guide
Your full guide to Korea's E-9 non-professional employment visa. The EPS process, your rights, wage protection, changing jobs, and claiming your pension refund on exit.