Seoul culture & etiquette

The Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증, ARC) is your master key: a Korean bank account, a phone contract, health insurance, and most apps all hinge on it. If you're staying over 90 days you must register via HiKorea and your local immigration office. Until the ARC arrives, you're locked out of half of daily life, so make it your first mission.

Endless Korean apps — banking, delivery (Baemin/Coupang), some KakaoTalk features — demand 본인인증 (real-name identity verification) tied to a Korean phone number registered to your ARC. A foreign SIM or a phone in someone else's name often fails it. Get a Korean number in your own name (with your ARC) early, or you'll hit walls constantly.

One rechargeable T-money card (buy at any convenience store) covers the subway, buses and taxis, with cheap, automatic transfers between them. Seoul's metro is vast, spotless, punctual and signed in English. Top up with cash at convenience stores or station machines; it's the backbone of getting around.

Cards and mobile pay are accepted almost everywhere, often even for tiny amounts. But foreign-issued cards are sometimes declined, and many local services (and Apple Pay's patchy rollout) favour Korean cards. A local debit card tied to your account smooths daily life; keep a little cash for small/old shops and markets.

Seoul mandates separated recycling and, crucially, food waste (음식물) goes in special bags/bins, while general trash needs volume-rate bags (종량제봉투) bought locally. Get it wrong and you can be fined or your bag left uncollected. Ask your landlord exactly how your building handles it.

Seoul is one of the world's safest big cities; late-night solo travel and 24/7 cafés, study rooms and convenience stores are normal. Healthcare via NHIS is excellent and affordable. The flip side is an intense work/study culture and long hours — pace yourself.