Why Are Foreigners Leaving South Korea? 

Are you planning On Coming to or Leaving Korea, if yes let me know in the comments. To see the full video: www.patreon.com/kexplorer

I've lived here over 7 years and finally plan to leave in June. The number 1 reason why is the lack of holidays/vacation days. Korean culture is all about "living to work." But I want to "work to live."

My Aunty moved to Korea just to teach English and now she owns a few businesses there with her husband. So it really depends on what you make out of it.

I had lived in Korea for 15 years and moved back to the US a little over 6 years ago with my family. Korea was a great place, and I agree with a lot of what these people are saying. It can be tough once you hit the ceiling of working as an English teacher. Even though I had a permanent resident visa, which allowed me to work anywhere, I was still limited. I also didn't want my children to have to experience the pressure of Korean schools. It can be crushingly difficult. Even though I love Korea, and Seoul is my second home, I am glad to be back in the US. I am really looking forward to next week though, as we are going back to visit my wife's family for two weeks in Seoul. I can't wait!

I agree with a lot of what was mentioned in this video! I lived in Korea for 3.5 years, actually took the time to learn the language through kiip, and explored other options outside of teaching English. Unfortunately there’s just no opportunity for foreigners to establish a life long term there because of the lack of job opportunities outside of teaching English. Tbh even being an English teacher in Korea is not ideal because it’s extremely draining and not really the career field a lot of us see ourselves in. With teaching the hours are super long, the workload is A LOT and there’s no opportunity to advance/move up the ladder. Not to mention you get very little vacation/personal time… it’s sad because Korea is an amazing place to live but for a lot of people it’s just not realistic 😔

I lived in Korea for four and a half years. Let me start with the positives. Korea is a very convenient, safe, and modernized country. Everything from Coupang to Baemin to public transit makes life easy. All of the transportation signs are in English. There are lots of resources and entertainment options in English too (movies, bookstores, events, etc). While I did meet some nice Koreans, more often than not, they were dating a foreigner or had studied abroad (to be frank, they had become less "Koreanized"). Lastly, Korea, especially Seoul, has a lot of great festivals, events, bars, and cafes to check out. In my opinion, Korea is a great place to test the waters for life abroad. Despite all these positives, I found Korean society and culture to be cold, unforgiving, and suffocating. The work culture is nonsensical. EVERYTHING is a bottom-line decision or to save face. Decisions are constantly made last second or in a reactive manner. Nothing is ever carefully thought out or planned. The administration plans for nothing. Not only that, Korean bosses use absurd reasoning to ostracize, berate, and eventually oust employees. The relative social status and hierarchy of the Korean workplace, culture, and society are stupid to me. Skill or expertise does not have an age requirement. The educational culture is the same way. It's all about the bottom line. Kids who really need help or special education, don't get it because Korean parents believe it makes them look bad (loss of face). Moreover, it's a textbook-driven, test-oriented, and teacher-centered pedagogy that results in a mass loss of interest and motivation. Additionally, students are constantly stressed and worried about an exam. It could be a middle school, high school, or college entrance exam, or simply an exam at their hagwon. These poor kids are tested to oblivion. Moreover, Korea always gave me the feeling of "you're not Korean, you'll never be Korean, you're just a foreigner. You're here out of necessity, not because we want you here." I recall the few bars that posted signs "no foreigners." I also remember that time that the government tried to force EVERY foreigner in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do to get a covid-19 test. Basically, foreigners and locals live in two separate bubbles despite living in close proximity. On top of everything else, my friends and have experienced that classic phrase "foreign friends" that Koreans use; further creating that separation and feeling of otherness. On top of that, old Koreans are some of the rudest people I've ever met. They push or elbow you on the train, cut you line, talk over you in conversation, etc. Koreans also never stop complaining about Japan or explaining their "han" to people (a type of suffering unique to Koreans only). You hear little kids say awful things about Japan, obviously learning it from their relatives. In my opinion, it's nothing more than a political act to gain votes. Because quite frankly, Koreans weren't too nice to Vietnamese women during the Vietnam War which is the same thing Korea ostracizes Japan about. Plus, they seem to disregard the fact Japan invaded Vietnam, Malaya, Taiwan, and China too. But, Koreans conveniently ignore that historical fact because it doesn't fit their narrative. I'll try to end on a positive note again. I do not regret my time in Korea. I met a lot of wonderful friends (albeit not a lot of Korean friends). I learned so much about Confucianism, Buddhism, the Korean War, globalization, Asian work and educational culture, and Korean/East Asian etiquette and manners. There is absolutely no doubt that I am a better, more well-rounded person for having lived there. Nonetheless, you could not pay me enough money to move back for the aforementioned reasons.

Hi, Thanks to the interviewer, the people that agreed to be interviewed and all the people in the comments that have shared your experiences about living, working, visiting or leaving Korea. For me that knew nothing about this it's been wonderful to learn so much stuff I had no idea about. I like learner about new things especially from people that have first hand experience. Thanks so much.❤

One thing that will always be consistent like you dropping video, is the drip you always wearing each video! You really put it on bro!

8:16 Spent half her life in Korea, but is only now considering to start learning the language. Incredible.

Again, you keep striking goldmines with your vlogs. Love the openness and frank responses. K, you are the best.

Thank you for sharing everyone’s perspective. Wishing everyone wealth and the best in their lives!

I'm flabbergasted by the girl who lived half her life in Korea and still can't speak Korean. How?

Wish you all the best returning back home and thanks for sharing precious moments of your life with my country:)

Am glad you bring out these various opinions to us …thanks bro

As usual, great to hear perspectives from the interviewees! Could be a good thing for Korean citizens to hear and consider as well. I have heard many people complain about work culture in Korea.. And inflation/exchange rates have made the equation of earning money a bit more difficult on folks that ultimately want to convert their income to a foreign currency. Interesting food for thought.

this is the most informative korean culture show out there. Thank you K-explorer!

Thank you so much for having me Jerry! Great video! ^^~Keda

I lived there many years ago but contrary to the people interviewed here, i didn't go there as a teacher but as a carpenter specialised in historical construction jointed without nails (high school diploma😂😂😂) with an E9 work visa that is valid for less than 5 yrs. I had such a busy and fully booked schedule (so many OT hours=banked hours) with many weeks off as vacation; as the demand declined slightly during the winter and during "jangma". We were not limited to the peninsula as we were in demand also in Japan and in China. The wage was never a problem; even now the salary varies from 45k to 56k/yr (for employees) as food, insurance and living expenses are covered by the employeur with free korean classes or 85k-97k (independent contractor).

I love your interviewing skills. You're so neutral and respectful!!!

If you think about it, you can get a okay job in overseas just because you speak your mother language.. lol. That's freaking privilege.

Korea is a tough country to live in. Just ask Koreans - struggle begins at elementary school and never stops. Most Koreans would love to live somewhere else like USA where life is not so stressful.

2:23 Unfortunately about visa thing, that is pretty much same situation for "foreigners" with limited visa in anywhere in the world. Not specific to Korea.

“I’m 28 years old, took me a moment to remember.” 😂😂😂 so relatable

😊glad you gave her ..a shout..🫶about her book ..

In canada, people staying here is also the same. Not paid well compared to the cost of living. Without help of family, not easy to survive. It is not just about in Korea.

Just watched the “Why are foreigners leaving Japan” with Takashii a few days ago.

Would you be able to interview Gyopos on this same topic or about their experiences moving back to Korea? Understandably, may be difficult to spot them in the street. But I believe it would provide a significantly more nuanced perspective on why they may leave the country their roots are from or why they decided to go back to the country their parents left.

It’s unfortunate they are going back home but definitely understandable, hopefully the new visas the South Korean Government is implementing in attempts to boost tourism and employment will allow non-Koreans to work and thrive in this beautiful culture. I wish them all well. Great post.

I’m leaving in less than two weeks, can’t wait. Done with university, it’s been great, i can visit in the future but for now, I want out. It’s a beautiful country, great for visit, but not long term.

Very interesting to learn of the new visas coming

I wanted to come to S. Korea but decided against it because of the work culture and limited amount of days off. Working like a dog and not being able to actually take in the sights of the country just seemed pointless. Hopefully, I will get the chance to just visit for a period of time.

Very valuable information that the new Korean visa remote home worker, keep up the useful information coming.😊

한국사람이 외국 나가도 똑같이 세탁소나 마켓 캐셔 정도 밖에 못하는 것처럼 외국 사람도 여기 와서 잘 해봐야 영어선생님이나 그 외 통역사 이 정도 뿐이니까 그렇지.. 어느 나라사람이나 결국 남의 나라에서 일하는 건 다 힘들다.

As much as I want to live in a new country and leave the military, one thing that keeps me from getting out is the time off. This seems to be a thing for every country. Hearing about how little time my father gets makes me sad. I can't imagine not being able to take 1-2 weeks off 3-4 times in a year. Work wise, I think I have it good but I want to try new things. I'm just not sure what opportunities will be available to me if I were to move to Korea as a civilian and not due to the military but, at some point, I do want to give it a shot (hopefully while I'm still in my 20's)

I was in Korea for 5 years, I left the middle of 2020. I left because it was becoming really difficult to obtain the F-2-7 visa since they changed the rules on how to get it, my spouse wasn't able to have any dependents under his visa (though mine did, which was weird since his visa was like a "higher status" visa than mine, he was E-3 and I was E-2), I was at the highest level of income for the job I was doing, there were rumors that my school district was gonna get rid of all the foreign teachers (they had already gotten rid of a lot but kept them at the rural schools for kids that didn't go to hagwans with foreign teachers), during the pandemic society in general was becoming a bit more hostile to foreigners, and my lungs couldn't handle the fine dust and yellow dust anymore. I actually really liked my life and my job there, though I wish I could've been able to change to something else, my visa limited what I could do so much. And me and my husband were thinking of having kids and for us personally we didn't feel comfortable having kids when we were working so much and we had no family around us.

Yo, this is a great topic! I've been in Korea for 13 years. I love living here. Also, may I use part of your video for my video?

great interview. you ask great questions.

Great interviews

Teaching career seems to be the main reason for many people who decided to leave. Foreigners in Korea can get "real" steady jobs as long as they can speak Korean and have skills :)..

love your videos, now since i'm in Korea i'm shocked I haven't ran into yet? Also you fly asf bro.

omg that remote work visa sounds amazing. i hope they allow it!!!!!!!

Waouu Mind opening. Thank you for sharing 🙋🏾‍♀️🇨🇩

My son is half Korean and learning Korean. Of course everyone tells hime when he grows up he should go to teach English there. He says there's no way he'll go there to earn little and have no free time. Smart boy

Cool video👌Do you have a video on how life is for Latin/Arab/Turkish (like slightly brown people) in Korea?

Been here since 2010. Taught english for 10 years in the public school system...good and bad experiences but mostly good. Spent a lot of time fooling around on youtube and realizing there are unlimited things you can try but eventually you need to start making some money or find a career lol. I'm still in Korea, but don't know how much longer I can last. Teaching and kids is great, but as you get older, it's different, you ain't that young guy anymore and ppl treat you differently once you get "older" and they just look for the next young fresh faced innocent wide eyed naive foreigner to take advantage of :)

I actually know people who went to Korea for work and start a life but got smacked hard with reality due to them not doing their due diligence. Folks please watch this video before deciding to move to South Korea.

They're in for a RUDE awakening coming back to America. Economy is horrible, the workload is double, nobody getting time off. And people are rude af over here. Forget being appreciated. Teachers are getting assaulted in class by students. For some reason I'm seeing " grass is greener back hm" but really it's terrible everywhere.

There are jobs here in Korea but you have to actually speak Korean and understand the system. You can make good or at least average money here if you have the relevant degrees and language ability. It takes a lot more energy and dedication than people think when they first get here. But that’s any country, not just Korea. Working as teacher was awful for me but that was all I could do until I became fluent and get my residency. There’s a lot of opportunities for foreigners here but you need to speak the language fluently and roll with the ups and downs of living here. It’s not a perfect country but there are other fields you can go into as a foreigner and make money. But you have to really want it, like anything in life. It’s not the place for everyone and I understand wanting to escape if you don’t have any real incentives to stay. Best of luck to those leaving and those looking into coming in the future! ❤

I was in Korea from 2011 to 2018 (ESL Teaching). It was a fun ride, but everything has a hop off point!

0:14 that guy from Tiktok OMG I LOVE HIM i just can’t forget the reaction he made about that video Korean guy ghosting his wife and kids for 5 months and came back 😂😂😂😂 since then I am obsessed with his TikTok videos

I hope the people in the video are happy. You teach English in Korea. but when a Korean in the same condition goes to the U.S., they have to wash dishes in a restaurant. (because it's not easy to get Korean teaching jobs). Korean university students get all kinds of certifications and foreign language skills. Crucially, you don't even speak Korean.... Why should we hire you over those Korean students?

Im at work minimum 9 hours a day, the cost of living is SOOOO high

Thanks man , can't thank you enough for your cool vids. I understand that it might be hard to make a living in Korea as an English teacher when they don't pay you well for this . And a teacher job can be very excruciating

I believe it is common in many countries that foreigners have trouble advancing their careers.

I got both 1 positive thing and 1 nagetive thing to say about non-Koreans living in Korea from a Korean perspective. to start with a negative thing, I wanted to ask them a question about how fluent are you in Korean. As a Korea living in Canada who started learning English at the age of 22 (I am 26, not bragging about how fast I learned), I still speak broken English and I've submitted over 300 resumes to Canadian companies since 2021 right away I went to college when I first came to Canada. I got nothing. I thought it was because of my English. I've been putting efforts on improving my English. I got my first Canadian part-time job at college I went to in 2022 but at the same time I had to work as a server to make more money to pay extremly expensive rent in downtown Toronto. Even though I am still struggling with getting a job after graduating (not like a server or a cook that everyone can do easily), I feel like I get more interviews this year than last year I think it's because my career with canadian company proves my English skills. The point of me saying this is that I have seen the fact a lot of English teachers in Korea don't speak Korean fluently. (I am not expecting them to speak Korean like a native Korean). I will finish with a positive thing. I've read a lot of comments on this video and how you feel about Korea is sooo correct. I don't want to blame them and I don't want to blame anything on them. I just want to say that you've been doing a good job. It's never easy to live abroad for a long time especially without anyone you know and talk to. I know that for sure cuz I am in that situation. I respect all the expats trying to figure things out and going to Korea to live a life you wanted. wish y'all the best and good luck to everyone living in Korea or planning on moving to Korea.

At 0:04, that place with the burnt out teacher looks like myeongdong

I worked in korea for 3 years for a chaebol back in the day where seeing a foreigner was a novelty. I think about going back to visit korea every so often since I last been there in 2014 but I think I was done with living in Korea after my time there, even though I loved my experience.

I just have to say you have an IMPECCABLE STYLE! It suits you so well.

I am very interested in the Workaction visa and am waiting for the details. I hope I will have the chance to do that.

sound like they living in Seoul, a mega city and that's understandably pressuring try Busan, Daegu, Ulsan

Korea is difficult for finding work as there is a lot of competition. It's also a small congested country that can't handle a lot of immigrants like larger ones. You would also need to be the type of person who has an internationalist perspective of cultures and flexible to different environments to feel at home like this guy.

Korea culture expects you sacrifice for work. But also, I noticed that most of the non-Koreans living in Korea are not that competitive in their own countries. Most of them work as an English teacher or 'model' because they do not have other specific skills or expertise. I have met many non-Koreans in Korea who are nice but didn't go to good school in their countries and their majors are not considered to get a good jobs.

Heyyy another Jamaican/American. I get the burn out. I can't leave and I made a home here but I do have to move away from teaching and pursuing my own thing.

I just discovered this video randomly. Seems I see the same type of people with English teaching jobs like I do in Japan where I live. English teaching jobs arent meant to be real careers for foreigners. It's a cultural exchange and a racket for the English teaching companies. I think it's better having that mindset where people go for the experience as a expat rather than a serious career with long term stay because it's definitely not designed that way. I see it in Japan too. They all seem to be under 30yrs old so they have time to figure things out. Good luck to them.

A woman who said, "foreigners do not have many opportunities in Korea," it mean, she lived in Korea, never learned Korean well, no other skills or degrees, and, do not have working visa. In reality, there are plenty opportunities. Are Koreans competitive for jobs? Yes.

4:50 God bless you and your Familie may you and your Life be happy

One thing is for sure, Korea is a very good country for those who do sightseeing or have a decent job. But it doesn't seem like a good country to stay in unless you have a precarious job and no money. Any country would be the same.

@8:15 Girl been in Korea half her life and never learned Korean? I'm so confused lmao

Just go there if you are interested

I guess some places in regards to foreigners are just for a certain period of time but not forever. I actually never had the desire to leave my homecountry but I wanted always to see Japan but with time also Korea. Visiting I guess will we be dope. As a kid I imagined myself to live in Japan, due to anime xD but as I have grown older I guess and in my own opinion the East Asian and European way of life dont really go hand in hand. We in Europe kind of try to figure out to work less but not to lose the productivity and work to improve our work life balance and when it comes to work life balance Korea and Japan for sure aint for me. I do believe though that sometimes you have to try certain things. Maybe if I had the balls I would try to live in other places like for a year or so. Idk....but what I have heard so far Korea and even Japan dont really seem to be the best places for foreigners in regards of work. So, is it really that bad?

I am looking forward to that new visa about work from home kinda thing

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I never really experienced the burnout from working in Korea. I feel so blessed to not have to rely on my job for a Visa. It's too bad that people's experience in a country is linked to their employment.

The struggle is real, however most of them work in Seoul, is the same case for people who work in rural places or smaller cities?

I've visited Korea (Seoul) multiple times now, I even stayed 5 weeks last year, and I love it. But I actually looked into and know more about Korea over the years than just the kpop/k-entertainment stuff everyone romanticizes and focuses on, and after research and being there and knowing people who live there, it just doesnt seem like a good place to live in terms of the work culture, and if you're a foreigner I hear its really hard and frustrating to get visas and like people discussed in this video, opportunities in general are very limited. Unless you're almost completely fluent in korean and have adapted to korean work culture and such, businesses there would rather hire a Korean lol. Even if you met those criteria there might be barriers. Seoul is like a 2nd home and I love visiting, but to live there, doesnt seem good for my mental, physical, financial health unfortunately.

I hope they allow immigrants to work regular jobs and become less corrupt with all of the visibility they are gaining do to media

Living in Korea is tough.. Even we Koreans call my country as "hell Chosen" and dream of escaping . .And our president Yoon is trying to have people work 69 hours per week..

It's such a Catch 22, I've been in Asia..(Taiwan..Japan...Korea) for 5 years. Really enjoyed it.. but I've been taking a paycut as well.... not worth it anymore

Getting the book for my daughter❤

Takashii from Japan🇯🇵just did a vid on why foreigners are leaving Tokyo, Japan 🏮⛩️🗼(˶˃ᆺ˂˶)

It definitely helps if you know the language.

Just watched takashi do the same video about Japan lol

More than 1,000 native English teachers come to Korea to work in public or private schools during the year. Most of them return to their countries within two years, but some are in Korea for a long time. Korea's minimum hourly wage has risen sharply in recent years, but the salaries of native teachers have not risen much and the value of the minimum won has fallen, but the biggest reason is that their jobs have no future. It is difficult for them to get other jobs unless they are naturalized in Korea. So if you want to be a native English teacher in Korea, it is good for your future to do it within two years. On the other hand, foreigners who work for large companies such as Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Shipbuilding are highly satisfied with their lives in Korea. The company offers at least three bedroom apartments and their annual salary is at least $50,000 or more.

I’m looking for that comment “As a South African” comment 😂😂💀💀💀

Seems like a lot a foreigners move there with no stable career plan/path.

so most of it is work related. foreigners never have that problem in the US..makes me appreciate where i live alot more. also sara is a babe!

I was very surprised to hear that one lady say that she spent half her life in Korea, but she's only now interested in learning language...

Escaped Korea 14 years ago. Korea is a good place to visit every once in a while to have fun and eat, but not a place to live in. Too stressful.

Everyone have their own reasons, What will be your that's matters

I feel the same, working in a high school teaching young adults it's not for me anymore, I rather do other things, plus the pay is horrible for teachers we should get payed double, even lyft drivers get paid more than teachers.

The first 2 people are popular on TikTok

ㅎㅎㅎ try living in Korea for 7 years in the 80’s. Korea was a different world back then in a myriad of ways. Every time that you went out of your house you met people who had never seen a foreigner in real life face to face. You might as well have been an alien back then. I was in their world and they owed me nothing. Korea is waaaay more accepting of foreigners nowadays and living in Korea has never been easier. IYKYK. 😎👍

Most of them are just basically tired of teaching English in Korea. I don't know why they couldn't just admit it. People like their jobs when it's still challenging and they are learning something, but often people become restless, unsatisfied or bored when they have mastered their work and don't feel challenged anymore. It's normal.

Ok, so I have a few things to say here. Most of them are fact-based and a couple of them are just my opinions. 1. Saying that depending on the visa you're on it can be restrictive is accurate, but that's the case in every country. You're only allowed to do the type of work that your visa/contract allows because you're basically filling in for a job that a citizen is either incapable of doing or there just aren't enough citizens in demand to do. The only exceptions to this are those who hold green card or some other sort of long-term visas that don't require employment sponsorship. In Korea, that means having an F2 (residence), F4 (overseas Korean), F5 (permanent residence), and F6 (foreign spouse married to a Korean). All four of these visas allow you to have multiple sources of income without needing permission from immigration. 2. The amount of vacation days sucks compared to some European and Latin American countries, but at least they have a legal amount of guaranteed holidays (11 with your first year and it increases from there to a maximum of 26 per year) whereas in the US we have none because t's given at the discretion of your employer. While the average amount of PTO is 2 weeks in the US, the maximum legal amount that employers are required to give in SK is 26 days per year, but you can potentially have more. Also, employers in SK are required by law to give you an additional two weeks or something for your honeymoon if you're married. If you're a woman, you're allowed an additional 11-12 days off per year due to your menstrual cycle (one day per month). I'm not going to deny that the work-life balance in SK sucks but at the same time, I think a lot of people aren't aware of the things I just mentioned 3. The majority of native English speakers here seek language teaching jobs because they're the easiest jobs to find. E-2 visas only lets native speakers teach their native language (and ONLY conversation-based lessons.) But these are not the only ones available--especially if you can speak Korean and/or decide to go back to university here. The F2-7 visa is point-based and if you take the government language program it helps you gain points even if you don't finish it all the way through. Graduating from university here (and not just graduating from one of the top 200 universities worldwide) helps you gain extra points. I say this because once you have it or any of the F visas I mentioned earlier you can do literally any job that a citizen can do except specific government jobs. Most jobs here require you to have at least intermediate level Korean but I notice that most NETS aren't all that interested in learning the local language beyond beginner level. If a company has to sponsor you AND you can't communicate with your coworkers efficiently the likelihood of them going out of their way to sponsor you is low because they have to prove to immigration that a capable citizen isn't available to be hired. Again, this is not unique to South Korea. It happens in a lot of places. 4. Wages here are noticeably lower compared to what they would be overseas, but unless you have outstanding student loans or some other financial responsibilities in your home country to deal with, you should still be able to save 700-1000 USD a month depending on your lifestyle and salary/benefits. In the case of ESL teaching wages have been stagnant for 20 years, unfortunately. So that is something that needs to change. But it'll only change if enough people raise awareness about it and work to change it.

I have been in Korea for 10 years and I'm never leaving :D

It's ridiculous to complain that it's hard to find a job when you don't have language skills and qualifications. If you want to get a job in Korea, it's simple : 1) speak Korean damn well, 2) have a good resume. If you can't get a good job in your own country, you can't get a good job anywhere else in the world.

Kdramas and kpop force people to go and live in Korea but realty is far different than dramas

Leaving in June after 9 years. Too obsessed with money, looks and work. Can’t really so what Id want to in Korea regarding my career. You fall into those typical jobs for foreigners. Whole life is a competition and I wanna live. Not to mention if you are not from an English speaking countries getting a nice job where you can advance your career is extremely hard

I want foreigner to know before coming here. If you got a visa sponsor by your company then I’m sorry to announce you that your freedom is gone you won’t have vacation, you know the 14days vacation? Dream you will have at most 6 days and not chosen by you. You want a job ? You have two choices has a foreigner number 1 English teacher number 2 entertainment. Be aware that Korea inflation is ridiculous than even Korean themselves struggle. If you are aware about all of the thing come.

2 weeks off for the whole year. That’s crazy! I get 5 1/2. They working yall to death.

Moved away from the Netherlands to Korea and don't see myself ever going back again.