Seoulstart · the practical companion

Your practical guide to living in Korea.

Plain-language help with visas, jobs, housing, taxes, and Korean life. In six languages.

Featured this week

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New

A Jindo puppy is waiting for you

A Jindo puppy now lives on Seoulstart, and it needs a home. Adopt it, give it a name, and earn treats by reading guides and trying tools. Spend them on toys and furniture to make its room cozy.

Illustration of a train leaving a city skyline toward distant mountains, a picnic basket in the foreground

Travel

Day Trips from Seoul: How to Plan and Book Them

Book KTX, SRT, and express buses from Seoul the right way. Timing, channels, destinations, and the Korail Pass mistake every new resident makes.

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Korea, decoded

Best Newsletters and English News Sources for Following Korea (2026): Honest Picks

Honest picks on English newsletters and news sites for Korea coverage: weekly digest, NK beat, business, culture, and Korean-learning picks, all verified active in 2026.

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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.

This week in Korea · Jul 19

The Bank of Korea raises rates for the first time in three and a half years

Most read this week

What other foreign residents are reading right now

The guides getting the most reader attention in the last 7 days, by unique visitors.

1
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Visas & work

EPS (eps.go.kr) in English: How Korea's Employment Permit System Works (2026)

2
Illustration of a smartphone with several job app tiles, one glowing bright while the others sit dim

Visas & work

Which Korean Job Platforms Actually Work for Foreigners: An Honest Comparison (2026)

3
Illustration of a person settling in front of a cozy Korean home with a suitcase

Visas & work

F-5 Permanent Residence in Korea: The 2026 Guide to 영주권

4
Illustration of a factory with a conveyor belt leading out of it toward a small welcoming house

Visas & work

Korea's E-7-M (K-CORE) Visa: The Manufacturing Track from Junior College to Residence (2026)

5
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Visas & work

Korean University Scholarships for International Students: Side-by-Side Comparison (2027 Spring Intake)

6
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Settling in

50+ Essential Websites and Apps Foreign Residents in Korea Use (2026)

Browse by pillar

Pick a topic, see every guide in that pillar.

Visas and work rights

50 guides

Housing in Korea

12 guides

Healthcare and family

28 guides

Settling in

15 guides

Travel

10 guides

Money and taxes

26 guides

Korea, decoded

25 guides

Korean language

12 guides

Just arrived in Korea?

All settling-in guides
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Settling in

Moving to Korea: The Complete Checklist from Pre-Arrival to Your First 30 Days (2026)

Verified

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Settling in

ARC Registration Guide: How to Get Your Alien Registration Card in Korea

Verified

Illustration of a bank passbook and a bank card on a teller counter beside a round ink stamp

Settling in

How to Open a Korean Bank Account as a Foreign Resident

Verified

Illustration of a smartphone with a SIM card sliding into its tray, rising signal bars floating above

Settling in

Korea SIM Card Guide: Phone Plans for Foreign Residents

Verified

Working in Korea

All visa and work guides
Illustration of a payslip under a magnifying glass beside coin columns of different heights

Visas & work

Korea Salary Guide for Foreign Workers: Floors, Deductions, and Offer Checks (2026)

Verified

Illustration of a large payslip with a magnifying glass revealing its line items as colored bars

Visas & work

How to Read Your Korean Payslip (급여명세서) (2026)

Verified

Illustration of a cardboard box of desk belongings next to an envelope thick with banknotes

Money

Severance Pay (퇴직금) in Korea for Foreign Workers

Verified

Illustration of an open card-catalog drawer with file tabs carrying tiny tool icons: wrench, laptop, chef hat

Visas & work

E-7 Occupation Codes: Which Job Titles Qualify for Sponsorship and How to Find Yours (2026)

Verified

Tools · 22 calculators

Tools that do the work for you

Calculators, checkers, and builders for foreign residents in Korea.

Finances

Severance pay calculator

Estimate your Korean severance (퇴직금) under the statutory 30-day formula. Base salary, allowances, bonus, years of service, and retirement tax.

Finances

Net pay calculator

Enter your gross salary to see your Korean take-home pay after income tax, health insurance, and pension.

Finances

Benefits checker (what can I claim in Korea?)

Tell us your visa, income, housing, and family situation. We list the Korean benefits you may be eligible to claim: pension refunds, EPS departure insurance, rent tax credit, and more. Free, anonymous, primary-source verified.

See all 22 tools

Seoulstart Korea Weekly

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New and updated

All guides
NEW

How to Extend Your Stay in Korea: The HiKorea Renewal Process (2026)

Jul 21NEW

Korea's Private Education System Decoded: What the 10 PM Academy Streets Mean (2026)

Jul 20NEW

Korean Dental Care for Foreign Residents: What NHIS Covers (2026)

Jul 19NEW

Korea Housing Guide for Foreign Residents: How the System Works

Jul 18NEW

Changing Jobs on a Korean Work Visa: The 2026 Rules by Visa Type

Jul 17NEW

Divorce in Korea: What Foreign Residents Need to Know (2026)

Jul 17