Alright, so here’s a big topic of conversation amongst travelers: quarantine. As promised in my last post, I’m going to give you a bit more insight into quarantine lodging and the experience itself. With this in mind, let me first cover quarantine lodging in this post. The situation for housing is not quite as simple as it may seem. Your options vary according to visa, length of stay, and so forth.
For those staying in Korea shorter-term (under 90 days) [1], or if you are a Korean resident (either Korean or foreign nationals) whose residence is not suitable for quarantine accommodation, you are required to quarantine at a designated quarantine facility (often times a hotel), run by the government [2]. Note: this accommodation, while required, is not provided by the government for free; rather, you can expect to pay somewhere between approximately $100 to $150 per night, depending on the facility [3]. If this is the case, the officials at the facility will assist you in getting your COVID testing, if it is not already taken care directly upon landing at the airport.
This governmental accommodation includes food. From what I have heard about many places where food is provided, meals seem to be provided around 8am, 12pm, and 5pm, although I have alternatively seen “care packages” delivered by the government, which include items such as minute rice, seaweed, soup concentrates, water, and so forth. If you are made to utilize this sort of quarantine facility, there is slightly less stress as you will not have to deal with some of the challenges and logistical hurdles presented by quarantining on your own. However, I highly advise you to bring many snacks with you, as you may find the provided meals either not to your liking or insufficient.
If you have family in Korea, specifically spouses or blood relations (eg. parents, children, or grandparents), you may quarantine at their home provided the proper paperwork is prepared and presented (such as proof of relation) [4]. Additionally, if you yourself have a Korean residence, you may be permitted to stay there. Note: approval may not always be given for residential quarantining, and permission is granted on a case-by-case basis. If at all possible, I would advise contacting a Korean government official before entering Korea in order to confirm that the housing you plan to stay at is, in fact, permissible to avoid stress upon arrival.
Students are in a totally separate boat. Given you are staying in Korea under a D-2 visa, it is most likely that you will be taking one of two routes: staying at a university-run quarantine facility, or quarantining independently at an residential facility (eg. Airbnbs). Many universities offer quarantining at the university itself. Some universities, such as Korea University, may encourage incoming students to quarantine at the university’s quarantine housing for ease; if you have never been to Korea/have only been here briefly, or if you have little to no Korean-language knowledge, I would recommend capitalizing on University quarantine housing, if offered! This will cost you less than government quarantine, though will most likely cost a bit more than an Airbnb. This leads to the next option: an Airbnb, which is the category I can speak to most accurately (and do below), because this is what I personally did. So for foreign nationals like myself, there are two primary options: you can either stay at university-provided quarantine housing (if this is offered), or you can find your own accommodations (predominately Airbnbs).
If you quarantine at the university, similarly to the situation with the government lodging, university quarantine facilities typically provide meals, assist with testing, and help with any issues that may arise. This can be vital for inexperienced travelers, those unfamiliar with the Korean language (which can pose issues when commuting or arranging for testing), as well as those who merely feel unconfident in their ability to navigate the COVID procedures alone (and no worries, it’s undeniably daunting!). Another major factor in making this accommodation slightly more ideal: there are government buses from the airport to many of these university facilities, which means you will not have to arrange and pay for a taxi on your own (keep in mind, you cannot use public transportation until you are out of quarantine.)
Now, speaking to the potential future Korea University students, keep in mind that you are not guaranteed a space in the quarantine housing simply because that is what works best for you. Unfortunately, the system is a little strange, requiring you to pay 700,000KRW (which will be about $600) upfront before even being given a spot. According to some of my classmates who opted to quarantine through KU, you may then be notified that you did not receive a spot in the quarantine housing, and even in this case, you will NOT receive a refund (be aware that this was their understanding and may not be 100% accurate). Getting a slot here occurs at a first-come-first-serve basis, meaning the sooner you submit your flight ticket purchase confirmation as well as your payment, the higher the likelihood of you getting a room. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the announcement of whether you’ve received a spot or not is given fairly late, so if at all possible, I would advise trying to find a backup accommodation with a flexible cancellation policy (such as free cancellation up until a few days before move-in) in case you don’t get into the university housing. While this is a large gamble, many students felt that it was well worth it, and given the significantly reduced number of exchange students this semester, it seems that most, if not all, who applied also got accepted.
The last option for students is independent quarantine (most likely in an Airbnb), which is probably the cheapest option, especially if you book early! This option is not for the faint-hearted as you will be solely responsible for figuring out transportation and COVID-testing on your own, as well as how to secure food/groceries (as you will not be allowed to leave even to shop). This was the route I took, and while I will go into some of the difficulties I faced due to this decision, I overall felt that it was the right one for me. From what I can tell, students are not allowed to utilize hotels as quarantine facilities (in fact, during my correspondence with KU, they specifically told me that I would not be permitted to do so), and in my personal opinion, Airbnbs are the superior option regardless especially given their lower price point.
First of all, if you opt to stay in an Airbnb, BEGIN SEARCHING IMMEDIATELY. Do not wait until the last minute to find an Airbnb for several reasons. For one, as many students utilize this option, the “best” ones go quickly, possibly leaving you with some less than pleasant options (depending on your budget). Secondly, if price is important to you, the cheaper options get booked rather rapidly, so unless you want to pay $68 a night instead of $18, speed is key. Third, and this is quite important, many of the cheapest options are not apartments or homes, but rather are goshiwons/goshitels (one room accommodations, often times which feature common kitchens or bathrooms—neither of which are permitted under quarantine rules) or potentially, shared homes. While these options seem great at first, unless you have an entirely private room with a private bathroom and some form of a private kitchen, you will not be permitted to stay there. Fourth, make sure that your accommodation has a kitchen of some sort, unless you are willing to order meals everyday, possibly twice a day. Doing so is nice occasionally, but does add up rather quickly and most of the time, requires you to speak Korean to the delivery person and a Korean phone number to place the order. Your accommodation must have a PRIVATE bathroom and kitchen, not a communal one; make sure the kitchen has a refrigerator, a stovetop, and a sink for basic cooking. Most places with such a set up provide pots, pans, dishes, and utensils, but of course, it is wise to verify this before booking. Lastly, YOU MUST GET PERMISSION FROM THE HOST in order to quarantine at a facility. While most listings indicate if it is not available for quarantining, you need to contact the host to make sure. This is best done before booking an accommodation, which is simple to do as Airbnb allows you to contact a host before requesting to book. I emphasize this, as it is something I personally never considered, and eventually ran into trouble with. When my initial accommodation, booked months in advance of my departure, fell through, I had to hunt for new lodging. As I communicated with various hosts, I received several rejections given my intentions to quarantine at their facility.
As I previously mentioned, quarantining at an independent facility is not always a breeze. One thing to keep in mind is transportation. It is important to consider that you will not be permitted to use public transportation (including buses and metros), however taxis are allowed. I highly recommend downloading KakaoTaxi before you leave your home country. I knew given my last trip to Korea that a taxi ride from Incheon Airport to the middle of Seoul might be around 75,000KRW; luckily, I had prepared for the cost of the extra distance I would be traveling this time and made sure to have more than enough cash on me (the fee ended up being about 84,000KRW this time). This is an important element to consider, as you will have to pay for taxi fare both to your Airbnb as well as to your final destination. I would recommend having cash (I went with 200,000KRW) on hand for this, as while most taxis here do take credit card, it is always a good idea to have cash in case of card malfunction or other emergencies.
Another challenge presented by independently quarantining is the food situation. Unlike government or university-run facilities, Airbnbs or other such accommodations do not provide food, leaving you to fend for yourself. During quarantine, aside from getting tested for COVID, you are not permitted to leave your quarantine residence, not even for grocery runs, meaning delivery is the only way to go. Something I was unaware of was that almost all Korean food delivery apps (I will list some below), both the grocery and meal delivery type, require a Korean phone number. As such, myself and fellow exchange students in the same situation, were in a tricky situation, as none of us had opted to get a SIM card at the airport. I was in luck, as my Airbnb host was incredibly gracious and attentive, offering to do the meal/grocery ordering for me (requesting that I just pay her back in cash at the end of my stay). I am deeply grateful to her for this, as she ensured I had enough sustenance for my two weeks there despite dealing with her own busy schedule. While I lucked out with my Airbnb and its host, you may find yourself staying at one with a host who is perhaps too busy or simply unwilling to assist with this. Therefore, I would recommend pursing one of three options below, if you decide to quarantine in an Airbnb.
Option one, you can contact your host ahead of time and discuss this situation, explaining that without a Korean SIM card you will not be able to get groceries, and inquiring whether they will be willing to order the groceries for you. If they are willing to, also inquire how you should repay them, as I know some hosts requested electronic payment before the order was placed, whereas mine was comfortable allowing me to pay after quarantine was completed. Make sure that you communicate this well, as if they wish for an electronic payment, you will also have to coordinate how that can be accomplished (various instant payment apps commonly used in the U.S. are not utilized here). Option two is to have a friend or contact in Korea with a Korean phone number do this for you, rather than your facility’s host. Do note that having some knowledge of Korean is rather important for this process, as most if not all of the information on the apps is solely in Korean, and often times the delivery person will call to announce their arrival (you may have to give them a passcode to enter an apartment) or merely to inform you that the delivery has arrived. This option is virtually identical to Option one, so note the same steps. Option three is simply buying a Korean SIM card. This will allow you to order groceries or meals on your own, without a host or friend doing so for you. However, like previously mentioned, this can be challenging if you have little to no knowledge of Korean, so I would recommend this only if you feel prepared to take on that challenge.
While these challenges I have posed likely paint the independent quarantine option as less than ideal, so long as you are ok with a few hurdles here and there, it is overall a lovely option. For me, I felt that the independence was rather exhilarating and allowed me to feel more “grown-up,” making the experience feel more exciting rather than stressful. Additionally, I appreciated the fact that it was a different setting to the one that I would be moving into, thus reducing my resentment for dorm life; unlike some of my friends who quarantined in dorms only to move into different ones, or even stay in the same one for the semester, I got a change of scenery, which was a plus in my opinion. Additionally, as with my Airbnb, an ideal quarantine facility provides you with an entire apartment, Wifi, and possibly even TV(s) and cable, so you don’t feel so confined; if you can find a space with these amenities, I recommend selecting that over one without.
I know this is a lot of information to take in, but I hope that it will help better guide you on the quarantine housing process. If there is anything I failed to mention, or something you have further questions on, please feel free to reach out!
Helpful Hints:
-Request Korean Won from your bank before leaving!!! While it is usually possible to attain KRW at the airport, there are several reasons I recommend getting this squared away beforehand. First, the entry process when you land is long and guided and overwhelming and you will have little chance to wander looking for currency exchange. Another reason is that due to COVID, many services at the airport are limited if at all available, meaning that there is a possibility you will be unable to utilize the Currency Exchange kiosk as usual. Furthermore, going through the airport, wrangling luggage, and keeping track of various entry documents is stressful as it is, and having to remember to get cash at the end of the entry process is an unnecessary additional stressor. Another important reason is that often times currency exchange kiosks or stores charge higher exchange fees than your bank would; while it is likely not an astronomical difference, it is always nice to save money.
-If you are coming to Korean for language acquisition, try to find accommodation with a TV. While this is not vital, it is a good way to hear the language in various levels of formality (variety shows, infomercials, news, and so forth). Even if language learning is not the primary goal, having live television can help to make you feel more connected to the world, less isolated, and can help make your arrival in Korea feel more of a reality. Remember 14 days in seclusion can be daunting, and streaming through your services like Amazon and Disney+ may not have the same content as it does in your country; so having a TV can be a lifesaver!
-Consider how much space you need to be comfortable. While you may find a goshiwon with a private bathroom and mini-kitchen, these often have very little space. Many of the cheapest Airbnbs and other independent quarantine facilities are quite tiny, which may be fine for some, but may drive others crazy. Two weeks alone in a single space of any size can be a bit maddening, so assess what amount of space you will need to be comfortable.
-Note that a goshiwon/goshitel may be an option for quarantine, provided your room itself has a private bathroom and perhaps some form of a kitchen (perhaps just a water boiler, stove, sink, and/or microwave). If you find such an accommodation, feel free to pursue it; I merely place less emphasis on it given the more traditionally communal nature of goshiwon/goshitels.
Helpful Korean Apps to download before you leave:
(Groceries):
-Coupang (쿠팡)
-Emart Mall (이마트몰)
(Meal Delivery)
-Yogiyo (배달요기요)
-배달의 신
-배달의민족
(Navigation and Transport)
-Seoul Metro
-KakaoBus
-KakaoMap
-KakaoT (Taxi)
-Naver Map
(Translation)
-Papago
(Communication)
-KakaoTalk
-Line
(Government/COVID-19)
-자가격리자 안전보호*
*(This is the app they will require you to download and set up at the airport; downloading it ahead of time is advisable, but do not attempt to set it up until you are instructed to do so.)
Citations:
[2] https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/sg-en/brd/m_2444/view.do?seq=761451
On the left you can see one of my quarantine lunches! If you quarantine independently, you will be responsible for keeping yourself well-fed--which I admittedly struggled with at first.
(All photos and content on this page are my own work and property. Do not repost or use any content from this blog without permission. Thank you.)