As a Korean-American, I have been fascinated yet terrified of heading to the homeland. Sadly I never picked up much of the mother tongue, so I never wanted to embarrass myself amongst my people with my toddler-level vocabulary. After ten days in Seoul and Busan, I felt quite comfortable traveling, eating, and shopping. We did our research, but there’s always something new that pops up on the travels. I did my best to pare down the amount of information, but hopefully, this guide will help you on your ventures through South Korea.
MONEY
The currency is South Korean Won (₩)
At the moment, the USD to KRW is about $1:1175₩, but be sure to check the conversion rate before you leave. As a general rule, as to not stress about money throughout the trip: 1000 ₩ = $1 (USD)
Plenty of restaurants and shops accept cards, so feel free to save your cash if you wish. When shopping in the larger malls don't forget to bring your passport for a discount. If you plan on heading to the independent stalls of the outdoor markets (as you should), you'll be needing some cash.
We found that our credit/debit cards worked in getting our hard bills out at ATMs in established institutions, i.e. banks, airport, western hotels, etc. However, once we ventured to the streets near the bars and restaurants, the machines relentlessly declined our attempts to get money. Be sure to plan your days and nights out if you know you'll be far away from a proper ATM.
The most popular bills you'll use and take out of the ATM are: 50,000 (if you choose this option; we didn't feel the need to), 10,000 & 1,000. For coins, the most popular are: 500, 100 & 50.
In most restaurants, they leave the bill at your table once you order and you pay up at the front of the restaurant or where the till sits. Especially when they know you're a foreigner, they clearly show the final price either on a computer (convenience stores), written on paper or they'll show the price on a calculator (mostly in outdoor markets).
GETTING AROUND
We made the mistake of trying to use Google Maps, but we learned that other than broad directions, it was useless to us, especially for walking directions. Naver Maps and Kakao Maps are the most popular apps
As with any other metropolitan city, you will need to get your hands on a metro card. In Korea, they have a few types, but we found any will do. All three cards can work on underground trains, buses, taxis, and even convenience stores.
T money
T money Tourist - This particular card can get you some discounts at tourist attractions. We didn't opt for it, but it seems a great option if that's where you plan on exploring.
CashB
They're available at Incheon International Airport in vending machines and desks as well as at most convenience stores near the cashier. Some of them are plain or have plain branding, but if you're a Kpop or cartoon fan, you'll be happy to know there are plenty of fun cards out there for you.
Our cards cost 3,000 ₩ each, which buys you the card itself. Be sure to load it with money; 20,000 ₩ got us through the week of plenty of traveling around Seoul (Busan's metro was significantly more expensive).
Be sure to download the Seoul metro app before you go. It was super helpful in planning routes and helping yourself orient through the city.
If you plan on heading outside of Seoul, have fun on the bullet train (KTX, a subsidiary for Korean Rail)! We went to Busan on the opposite side of the country, which can take anywhere from 2 hours and 15 minutes to over 5 hours depending on which train you choose to take.
BASIC TERMINOLOGY
I'm not a great teacher for this as I'm a beginner at best. Check out this youtube video 'Top 10 Must-Know Korean Phrases for Tourists.' Korean Unnie 한국언니 is a fantastic teacher, and if you get hooked, she's got plenty more videos to watch.