Packing Tips And Advice For Teachers

Cash - You will need to bring enough currency to keep you going until your first pay day.  Gone2Korea strongly advises all teachers to bring $700USD minimum to get started, but closer to $1000USD is best if you can manage it. You will not be recieving any payment from your hiring school until roughly 4-6 weeks after you arrive so having a cash float is mandatory.

Banking Details – If you plan on sending money home then you will need to bring all of your bank details with you.  Please visit our banking in Korea page for more information.

Gift for your Employer – Bringing a small gift for your new Korean employer is recommended, not required.  First impressions are always important and offering a small gift from your hometown is a nice gesture and way to show your appreciation.  Nothing expensive is needed, although it should be something symbolic of where you are from.  Tourist books, a nice bottle of local wine, a souvenir of sorts that’s specific to your state or province, etc. will work well.

Formal Outfit - Bring 1-2 formal outfits with you.  A nice dress or formal outfit for girls and a suit or a nice pair of slacks with a shirt and tie for males, may be required at some point in time.  Many westerners end up at a few formal events each year and having the appropriate attire is advised.

Stickers, Pencils & Erasers – We suggest loading up on stickers, pencils and erasers that have logos and symbols of things specific to your country and/or home town. These items make great prizes for your students and you can give them away after tests, quizzes, games, etc.  You can purchase hundreds of small items from most dollar stores in the west.  Stock up on items that have your favorite sports team logo on it, your countries flag, your university emblem, etc….the kids will love them.

Vitamins – Bringing some multi-vitamins with you is advised.  It will likely take your body a month or two to adjust and taking a multi-vitamin daily will help.

Power Converters & Adaptors – There’s a difference between an adaptor and a converter.  Adaptors are a small prong like object that you place on the end or your electric device is order to make it fit into the foreign electrical socket.  The adaptor does not alter and change the wattage going into your devices.  If you plan on brining small objects that don’t require specific power amounts than using an adaptor will suffice. If you plan on bring larger electronic devices that will need specific wattages (i.e. laptops and gaming systems) then you will need to invest in a power converter.  Failing to use a converter for larger devices may permanently damage your electronics. You can find adaptors and converters at most major electronic stores in Korea and the if needed.  Adaptors are quite cheap, only $1 – 5$ USD and converters are substantially more.  How much the converter will cost usually depends on the size.  The more compact the converter is the more expensive they become.

Clothing For Big And Tall – If you are a large or tall person then you may have some problems finding suitable clothing in Korea.  Korean’s are noticeably smaller than westerners therefore many of their stores don’t carry larger sizes.  You can usually find clothes in Korea that fit, although it can take a while to locate stores that sell the kind of clothes you like in sizes that will fit. Make sure to consider these factors before arriving

Shoes And Shoe Sizes In Korea – If you have larger than average feet them make sure to bring enough shoes with you.  On average Koreans tend to have smaller feet and their shoe stores will have limited selections of oversize shoes and boots available. Anything larger than a US size 11 for males and US size 8 for females will be hard to find in Korea

Deodorant In Korea – You can find deodorant in Korea but the selection will be limited.  If you have a preference for a specific brand then you will need to stock up before arriving.

Toothpaste In Korea Myth – Korean toothpaste is perfectly fine.  There seems to be this myth that Koreans don’t put fluoride in their toothpaste which is not true.  Finding toothpaste in Korea with fluoride is rather easy, additionally many stores also sell American brands such as Crest and Colgate.

Cosmetics In Korea Myth – Most of the major cosmetic companies have stores and boutiques in Korea.  Finding brands such as Cover Girl, Avon, Clinique, Sephora, Chanel, Estee Lauder, etc. is quite easy.

Most international flights allow passengers to bring 24 kilos of luggage on the plane, some allow slightly more and some slightly less.  If you’re luggage exceeds the weight restriction then you will need to pay extra money (by the kilo or pound) when you check your bags at the airport.  Please Note:  The airlines can only accommodate so much extra weight and if you check in late then the airline may deny your additional luggage and ask you to reduce the weight of your bags to the maximum amount.  If you arrive early then this shouldn’t be a problem so make sure to weigh your bags in advance and arrive at the airport early if needed.