If any of you decide to come work in Korea, make sure you talk to us first. There are a lot of complicated things you need to get done, and your recruiter might not be as useful as they should be.
Before you leave, you have to get your diploma, a copy of your diploma, at least 2 transcripts, a criminal record check, a copy of your criminal record check, a health form, aaaaaaaand then make sure you have it all notarized by a lawyer (even if it's already been notarized by the police station first). All this before you even start packing.
Once in Korea, you need to make sure you have enough money for at least a month and a half. You'll be getting paid monthly, and it'll take your school awhile to get things set up. You also need to get a bank account into which you will be putting said salary. You'll need a Korean for that (trust me, it makes it a LOT easier if someone can translate). We do NOT suggest Citibank; Chloe thought it would be easier, considering it's an international bank, but she's got more restrictions on her account than Sam does with his Korean account. You only need your passport for this, not your alien card.
Then you'll need to go to the hospital and get a medical check up. Again, you'll probably need a Korean for this, because the nurses generally don't speak English. Then you'll have to wait a ridiculous amount of time for the results to come in, and take those results to immigration to get your alien card. If you're lucky, your school will do it for you, or at least send someone with you to find the immigration office. While you are there, you might as well apply for a multiple entry Visa, so you can leave the country if you get a vacation. Your contract should offer 50/50 health insurance, but you'll probably want to get a card for that. Sometimes you'll have to put money into it, roughly 70$ a month, and your company will match it. And some schools will want your diploma (your original diploma) to register you with the Ministry of Education, so don't leave it at home like Chloe did. You may have had to pay for your flight to Korea, so make sure to get your money back from your company.
Then you'll want internet- this needs an alien card so you'll have to wait until you get that. Again, your company should probably order it for you, and if it's possible, have a Korean wait with you until the installer comes. Trust us, it's really difficult trying to explain things to someone when you don't speak any Korean besides "hello" and "thank you".
It'll take roughly two months for you to get settled, and get everything done. It's definitely stressful, and you'll also be dealing with a lot of culture shock and homesickness. One of the first things you should do when exploring is finding some kind of western restaurant, so you've got some comfort food when you need it. Don't get us wrong, Korean food is delicious, but some days you just want something familiar.
But after all this, you can finally start enjoying yourself! And after this long boring post, here's a fun picture of a Bobot.
We love Korea!
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