Korea Decoded
Researched, dated guides to living in and traveling to South Korea.
Latest guides
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Food & Dining
Tipping in Korean Restaurants: Why the Menu Price Is Final
A ₩20,000 dish in Korea should mean a ₩20,000 bill. Where VAT and service charge went, the 100g rule at BBQ, and the 5-day closure for overcharging.
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Culture & Etiquette
South Korea Public Holidays 2027: Dates and Substitute Days
Korea gets 7 substitute holidays in 2027, a 4-day Seollal and a Memorial Day that doesn't move. Every date, plus what Labor Day means if you work here.
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Travel & Itineraries
Korea Exam Day 2026: Flights Retimed for the Suneung CSAT
On November 19, 2026, Korea's CSAT retimes flights around the English listening test and asks offices to open at 10:00. Here's the day hour by hour.
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Working & Studying
Korea Minimum Wage 2027: ₩10,700 and Weekly Holiday Pay
₩10,700 an hour from January 2027, but a 15-hour weekly line decides if you also get paid holiday hours. The maths, the probation rule, and who to call.
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Living in Korea
Heating Bill in Korea: Why the First Winter Gas Bill Hurts
Korean gas is billed in megajoules, a month late, sometimes on a guess. The arithmetic behind a ₩200,000 January bill and the boiler settings that move it.
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Shopping & Beauty
Shipping From Korea to the USA: What the Post Office Charges
Mailing a box to the US now means paying postage, US duty and a broker fee at the Korean counter. What each layer costs, and the items the window now refuses.
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Getting Around
Can I Drive in Korea With a US License? Not On Its Own
A US license alone is not enough in Korea. Three documents go in the car, and the one-year clock starts when you land, not when your permit was issued.
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Money & Costs
Korea Freelance Tax: Getting the 3.3% Back in May
The 3.3% withheld from freelance pay in Korea is a deposit, not your tax. Most people paid this way are owed a refund, and a missed May stays open five years.
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Culture & Etiquette
Gyeongbokgung Free Admission: What Actually Counts as Hanbok
Free palace entry in hanbok is real, but jeans with a jeogori is not. The garment rules, the age bracket foreigners misread, and which day each palace shuts.
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Food & Dining
Drinking Age in Korea: Birth Year, Not Birthday
Korea's drinking age is 19, but the law counts your birth year, not your birthday. Plus what ID actually works, the 50% delivery rule, and park drinking.
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Working & Studying
How to Quit a Job in Korea: 30 Days Is Not the Rule
Quitting a job in Korea has no statutory notice period. Civil Act 660 and your pay cycle decide the date, and two 15-day immigration clocks start.
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Living in Korea
Where to Buy Trash Bags in Korea: Your Old Ones Still Work
Korean bin bags are only sold at designated shops, and the leftovers from your old district are not waste — two official routes make them usable again.