Living by yourself in a new country can be fun and exciting since you get to be independent and free from your nagging parents! However, it also comes with a lot of responsibility and can be quite daunting for some.
The first thing you’ll probably need to do once you arrive is to purchase some living supplies and essentials. Thanks to Korea’s convenience, pretty much everything you need will be minutes away from your accommodation, so you really don’t need to pack the kitchen sink with you.
Handy Stores to Check Out
Daiso – Sells everything from beauty products to household items to school supplies ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 KRW
GS25, CU, 7-Eleven – Some of the major convenience stores. Sell snacks, food on the go like sandwiches, triangular sushi, and lunch boxes, drinks like soda and beer, and household items like detergent and soap. Click here for our picks on food to try from here.
Emart, Lotte Mart, Homeplus, and Costco – The major supermarket chains with a larger variety of food, drink, and living supplies in bulk quantities.
Bonus: Supermarkets also have friendly ladies in red aprons giving out a multitude of food samples to the point where you could have a whole meal from them.
IKEA, Zara Home, and H&M Home – Already well-known international brands where you can get home goods at affordable prices.
Now that you’ve got a gist of places to go, here’s a selection of things to grab if you’re looking to formulate a handy list of things to buy in Korea. You can have all of these essential household supplies & small appliances delivered to your home by ordering via Trazy!
1. Roll Cleaner
Use these simple but innovative roll cleaners to clean hair and dust off your floor or remove lint from your clothes. You can also purchase refills in bundles.
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Unless you live in a large apartment, they’re a much better option than having a huge vacuum cleaner (and having to lug it around if you move).
2. Reusable Recycling Bins
Korea is quite strict with recycling policies and there are certain rules you should follow if you want to avoid having any angry apartment maintenance man chasing after you!
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These reusable recycling bins make sorting your trash easy so you don’t have to be digging through your trash at the dumpster.
3. All-purpose Tweezers
If you’re a lazy couch potato, this product is ideal for you. Now you can reach for the TV remote, switch off the lights, and pick up the can that missed the bin – all thanks to these all-purpose tweezers! Such a simple invention, yet so genius.
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4. Hair Stopper Sheets
Those of you with long hair can especially relate to this. No one likes cleaning clogged hair out of a drain as it’s messy and gross. Well, you’ll no longer have that problem with these hair-stopper sheets!
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Simply peel and stick them onto your drain, then dispose of them once there’s a significant amount of hair caught on them. Simple! It comes in two kinds (square and circular) to fit both types of drains.
5. USB Humidifier
You may be wondering how people maintain their dewy, glassy skin even during the dreadful, dry winter. Speaking from experience, no matter how much face cream you slather on, if the air is dry, you’ll instantly look dull and dehydrated. Korea’s winter is insane, and it doesn’t help that they blast the heater indoors, which wreaks havoc on the skin and makes you more susceptible to getting sick.
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Introducing the USB humidifier. It’s small enough to tote around and fits right on your desk, helping retain moisture in your skin, nasal passages, and throat. The multitude of designs and sizes is also a plus.
6. Foldable Drying Rack
You’ll come to realize that dryers aren’t a built-in option on most washing machines. Some dorms will have a separate drying machine, but it can be tedious. A better option is to just buy your own drying rack.
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A small foldable one fits right into a shoe-box-sized room and hardly takes up any space. Plus it’s extremely inexpensive (around 3000 KRW at most) so you can dispose of it at the end of the semester with no hassle.
7. Electronic Mosquito Racket
A must-have for the summertime. You’ve probably all experienced it at least once- turning the lights off and crawling under the covers, only to hear the whine of a mosquito right by your ears.
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Next time that happens, whip out this racket and you’ll hear the satisfying zap as the mosquito is caught and fried to a crisp. For best results, keep right by your bedside.
8. Portable Fan
Another staple for the nightmare is a Korean summer. Gone are the days of using paper fans that do absolutely nothing to cool you down, only making your wrist ache.
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Available in all shapes and sizes, electronic fans have leveled up tremendously. You can get battery-powered or chargeable ones and most come with at least three wind-speed settings. Heck, some even have glow-in-the-dark lights.
9. Floor Cleaning Slippers
We personally consider cleaning the house to be one of the most tedious tasks, along with doing the dishes. I mean, why bother if it’s going to get dirty again, right?
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If you’re lazy as heck and still want to maintain a somewhat presentable space, check out these floor-cleaning slippers. You can walk around your room while cleaning annoying dustballs and hair off the floor.
10. Mood Lights
Mood lighting can instantly spruce up an active character to your room. They’re also extremely handy for when you don’t want to be walking all the way to the door to switch off the lights before bed.
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There’s a multitude of designs ranging from flowers to animals to fruits. We’re currently obsessed with this keyboard one that you simply tilt to control the lighting.
Additional Tips for Packing for and Shopping in Korea
Clothes: Bring your own jeans, especially if you’re tall and curvy. Sizes tend to run quite small and if a pair of jeans fit you in the waist, they’ll probably be extremely long.
There are international brands like H&M and Zara in Korea as well and you can easily go to these stores at shopping malls in Korea.
Shoes: The same goes for shoes. If you’re anything above a size 8 (250mm) for girls or size 12 (300mm) for guys, it can be a challenge. You don’t want to be wearing boots during summer because you couldn’t find a pair of flip-flops that fit, so bring a varied range for safe measure.
Makeup: It’s no question Korea is extremely well-known for its huge range of cosmetics. But they’re not too varied in their color selection, specifically for foundations. If you’re even slightly sun-kissed, it may be hard to find your shade as Korean foundation shades tend to be extremely limited.
Although certain brands have started to roll out with a more universal shade range (an example being Etude House’s Double Lasting Foundation which comes in 12 shades), if you stick to the same product, make sure to bring back-ups from home.
Olive Young is highly recommended if you want to check out a wide range of cosmetic brand options in one place. The stores are spread out almost everywhere in Seoul.
Hassle-Free Services for Your Life in Korea
1. Moving Service
Moving can be stressful especially if you are in a foreign country. By booking a moving service via Trazy you can relocate absolutely stress-free! You can choose from basic moving service and full packaging & moving service options.
2. Luggage Storage
If you need a place to store your luggage, you can keep your luggage safe and sound in Seoul or at Incheon International Airport! It offers storage options for luggage of various sizes and you can extend the storage period with additional payments at the office.
3. Luggage Delivery
Enjoy a stress-free experience with a luggage delivery service between Incheon Airport and any accommodations in Seoul! Have your luggage safely and promptly delivered to your accommodation from Incheon Airport or vice versa.
- Seoul Luggage Delivery Service (Incheon Airport ↔ Any Accommodation in Seoul)
- Seoul Luggage Delivery Service (Incheon Airport Terminal 1 ↔ Any Accommodation in Seoul)
4. Airport Taxi
Once you arrive at the airport, it can be a hassle to look for transportation to your accommodation with a bunch of bags. It’s highly recommended to book this private transfer & transport service that offers you a convenient and reliable way to transfer from Incheon Airport (ICN) or Gimpo Airport (GMP) to your final destination. It’s a 24-hour transfer service, which includes a meet & greet with a friendly driver and toll fee & airport parking fee. Your flight and arrival time will be tracked to ensure everything goes smoothly.
- Incheon/ Gimpo Airport ↔ Seoul Van Transfer – Airport Taxi (24/7)
- Incheon/Gimpo Airport ↔ Suwon/Pyeongtaek/Bundang/Goyang/Hanam/Hwaseong/Dongtan/Gunsan (Kunsan) Van Transfer – Airport Taxi (24/7)
- Intercity Private Van Transfer: Incheon/Gimpo Airport/Seoul → Gapyeong/Chuncheon/Gangneung/Sokcho/Suwon/Jeonju
For those who are planning to join an exchange student program in Korea for the fall semester, check out Welcome Discounts for Newbies in Korea!
With an endless amount of things to do and places to visit, don’t forget to stop by Trazy.com, Korea’s #1 Travel Shop for endless suggestions on things to do!
[Photo Credits]
Daiso Mall
