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S.H. Kim

I'm a software developer in the IT division of a Korean financial company. I was born and raised in Korea and live in the Seoul metro area with my wife and our seven-year-old daughter, commuting from Gyeonggi-do to Gangnam every weekday. I write about the parts of Korean life I actually deal with: work, money, parenting, food, and the paperwork in between.

Korea’s Kiosk Law Passed in 2026 — Why Did My Mother-in-Law Still Struggle?

August 2, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Black-and-white photo of an older man in a cap leaning close to a self-service ticket machine

Korea mandated accessible kiosks in Jan 2026, but six months later most seniors still can’t use one alone — here’s why the law falls short.

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Why Foreign Parents Can’t Register Their Kids for Korean Daycare Online

August 2, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Adult typing at a keyboard while a child colours at the other end of a shared wooden desk

How Korea’s Aisarang daycare portal and its 3-tier priority system work, and why foreign-national kids can’t register online at all.

Categories Parenting in Korea Leave a comment

Why Do Foreign Workers in Korea Pay Only 19% Income Tax?

August 2, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Pocket calculator, blank sheet of paper, pen, and paper clips on a white desk

Some foreign employees in Korea can elect a flat 19% tax (20.9% with local tax) instead of progressive rates to 45%—Seoul is now reviewing a hike.

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Why Is Tteokbokki Suddenly an Official English Word?

August 1, 2026 by S.H. Kim
A pan of tteokbokki (Korean spicy rice cakes) simmering in bright red gochujang sauce

Tteokbokki joined the Oxford English Dictionary in December 2024. A Seoul dad on its 1953 Sindang-dong origin and the jump from coins to a ₩6,500 combo.

Categories Food & Drink Leave a comment

What Is a Jjimjilbang? Inside Korea’s 24-Hour Bathhouse Ritual

August 1, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Bar chart of jjimjilbang entry fees: ₩10,000–15,000 standard, ₩15,000–25,000 mid-range, ₩30,000–50,000+ luxury

What is a jjimjilbang? A first-hand guide to Korea’s 24-hour bathhouse-sauna complex — zones, prices, 1429 sauna roots, and etiquette foreigners miss.

Categories Daily Life Leave a comment

Why Doesn’t My Apartment Elevator Have a Number 4?

August 1, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Graphic of an elevator panel where the fourth floor is labelled F instead of 4

Why do Korean elevators skip the number 4? The homophone with death (death = sa) behind tetraphobia, F-floor buttons, and gift-money etiquette.

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What Is Nunchi? The Unspoken Skill Running Every Korean Office

August 1, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Woman presenting at a flip chart while colleagues watch from a white meeting table

Nunchi is the Korean skill of reading a room’s mood without being told. Here’s what it means, how it runs Korean offices, and why Gen Z is pushing back.

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Why Doesn’t My Korean Apartment Have a Front Door Key?

August 1, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Close-up of a silver numeric keypad mounted on a scratched metal panel, used to enter a passcode instead of a physical key

Almost no Korean apartment uses a metal front-door key anymore. Here’s how common digital door locks are, and the anxiety over who has the code.

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Korea’s New 1-Week Parental Leave (Aug 20, 2026): Who Qualifies, What You’re Paid

July 28, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Young child with a cooling fever patch on the forehead resting on a parent's arm

From August 20, 2026, Korea lets working parents take a paid 1- or 2-week parental leave for daycare closures or a sick kid — who qualifies, what it pays.

Categories Parenting in Korea Leave a comment

Will You Get Your Korean Pension Money Back When You Leave?

July 26, 2026 by S.H. Kim
Bar chart: about 24 countries with a bilateral agreement and 25 with reciprocity qualify for Korea's pension refund

Korea’s pension lump-sum refund isn’t automatic for foreigners. Your visa (E-8/E-9/H-2) or passport — not years paid in — decides if you get it back.

Categories Money & Life Leave a comment
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