That’s it. Finished. Complete. Done. I’m leaving South Korea and I already miss it…

After living in South Korea for two years, I’ve had fantastic moments (along with a few challenges). Living abroad is a wondrous challenge filled with self-growth, adventure and life-changing memories. I’m not the same girl who hesitantly touched down at Incheon Airport in 2022. Quite frankly, I like this new worldly woman a lot more. But my stint in Korea is coming to an end (T-minus one week) and with the move home comes a lot of sadness mixed with the excitement of seeing my family. Now is a great time to reflect on my experiences and think about what I’ll miss about Korea once I return home. If you’re going through a similar move, this list can help you to organise the emotions you’re feeling. Or perhaps my spiralling thoughts will help inspire you to visit Korea for the first time. 

1. The people

I’m starting off strong with the number one thing that I’ll miss: the people. There’s no denying it, I’m going to miss the friends I’ve made in Korea like crazy (if you’re wondering how I met my best friends in South Korea, check out this post). The other expats around me have been a grounding force in the confusion and loneliness of living abroad. Now that we’re all scattering to different sides of the planet there is a sense of aimlessness. Along with this, I’m going to miss the random interactions afforded by being an expat in Korea. I’ll feel lost without the questions asking where I’m from at the bus stop or the waves from small children at the train station. The people in Korea truly made me feel special. It’s one of the hardest challenges to say goodbye to them all. 

2. Independence

I had a life before Korea. However, I didn’t truly experience a taste of independence until I began living abroad by myself. From that moment onwards, it was my responsibility to sort out my life – bills, finances, groceries. And it was also my chance to truly discover the things I like and the things I wanted to try. I was no longer protected by the safety of my family or my university. It was just me and the whole of Korea to explore with no limits. Moving to Korea truly made me rip the band-aid off of my sheltered life and embrace taking responsibility. With my return home, specifically my family home, I’m aware that I might fall back into old habits and lose some of this independence. Nonetheless, living abroad has equipped me with the tools I need to be self-sufficient wherever I end up.

3. Safety 

There is no way you’d find me leaving my phone or laptop unattended at a cafe in the UK. However, I do this very thing all the time in South Korea. When walking around Seoul or Busan I don’t worry constantly about my bag. I’ve even been known to walk home alone after a night out in the early hours of the morning. This isn’t to say that bad things don’t happen in Korea. Like anywhere in the world, you should remain sensible and vigilant. But as a solo female traveller, I feel incredibly safe here. While living in Korea, I have also felt like there are people I could reach out to if I felt unsafe, such as my friends or colleagues. I’ll miss this sense of security upon my return home. Although, I will definitely enjoy sleeping in a full house again. 

4. Culture

South Korea has a beautiful, unique culture, which I will miss every single day once I leave. There’s nothing more wonderful than walking around a hanok village and seeing the bright swathes of traditional dress, a marker of Korea’s rich past. In addition to the visible culture you can see, there’s a whole world of subtle traditions and practices that make Korea a fun and interesting place to live in. The language, for instance, lays the foundation for a culture built on respect. Different levels of formality delicately nuance a speaker’s relationships with the people around them. I love my own culture, but it was exciting to become part of Korea’s traditions. Even if this was only briefly.  

5. Landscape

I love walking no more than five hundred metres from my apartment and finding myself in a rice field backdropped by steep mountains. As a peninsula, Korea has a stunning and varied landscape filled with the highest peaks and the brightest cities. And as lovely as the UK’s rolling hills are, I’ll miss the sight of the autumn leaves falling on a hiking trail up to the top of Daedunsan or the cherry blossoms lining the streets in Gyeongju. I find every drive interesting and innately different from the views in my home country. And there’s still more to see! I never managed to see the spectacular sights of Jeju-do, renowned for its turquoise waters and breathtaking waterfalls. Oh well, I suppose that means I’ll have to return to Korea soon to see it for myself. 

6. Public transport

Thankfully, the UK does have a very manageable bus and train system that connects most of the country. But for comfort and price, South Korea’s public transport can’t be beat. I can travel from one end of the country to the other in a clean, quiet train and arrive at my destination before lunch. And although I’m sick of buses after catching one to work nearly every day, I can’t deny that the ride is reasonably pleasant. Some of my buses are even fancy with charging ports. I’ve resigned myself to getting a car once I’m back home as I know the public transport system in the UK will soon become frustrating. I just wish I could ride the KTX the whole way home, instead of sitting through my fourteen-hour plane flight. 

7. Free events

Somehow I’ve wound up at a free strawberry festival, chicken and beer concert, lotus celebration and numerous historical performances while I’ve been living in Korea. These free events seem to happen anywhere at any time. I could be at the top of Namsan mountain in Seoul and I’d stumble upon a traditional combat performance. Or I might head to the museum and be treated to a beautiful dance recital. Yes, K-pop performances might be pricey, but Korea has a lot more to offer than just the idol industry. There are a lot of free events to keep you entertained. I hope I can keep my ear to the ground when I’m out of Korea and discover some costless fun back home because it’s a big part of Korea that I’ll miss.

8. Ease of travel

I know that I’ve already sung my praises about the brilliant public transport in Korea, which makes it very easy to explore. In my two years in the country, I’ve been in every direction, from coast to coast. I’ve even visited the east side of Gangwon province, which can be more challenging to reach (although not impossible with some long bus rides). Yet it is not only easy to travel within Korea, the country is also a great launching pad for travelling to other places in Southeast Asia. Due to the connectedness of Incheon Airport, I’ve managed to see Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, to name just a few. So even though it might be far away from home, it’s a great place to live to explore an unfamiliar continent in my time off. 

9. Prices

According to Numbeo, the cost of living in London is over ten per cent higher than living in Seoul, and this figure doesn’t even include rent. You might be worried about Korea’s housing prices and availability, but this is nothing in comparison to the UK’s capital city. The only saving grace is that you might be able to get some groceries cheaper in dear-old-Blighty. As a frequent traveller who doesn’t like to be stuck at home, I fear for my wallet and social life after leaving South Korea. Adding to this concern, I’ll now have to consider other expenses like rent, which has not crossed my mind as an EPIK teacher. South Korea has afforded me the opportunity to experience countless adventures while also saving some pennies. I’m certainly going to miss that extra bit of cash that I’ve been saving for a rainy day. 

10. Food!

There’s no denying it – Korea has some bloody good grub. Aside from fish and chips and a decadent afternoon tea, the UK isn’t renowned for its cuisine. My tastebuds are going to be so mad when I leave South Korea. From the moment I touched down in the country, I was treated to a whole host of new flavours from sweet honey yakgwa to savoury dishes infused with spicy gochujang paste. The eating culture delighted me too with a surplus of side dishes to be refilled at my leisure. I won’t be finding any of those sweet add-ons in the UK so I better kiss them goodbye real quick. I’ll definitely dream about Korean food (and re-reading this list) daily once I’m back home, and don’t put it past me to make a trip to a Korean restaurant in London just to get a taste of some delicious samgyeopsal again.

Annyeonghi gyeseyo (안녕히 계세요)

I leave Korea with the sincerest gratitude – to the people, to the culture and to the challenge it presented. My list of the top ten things I’ll miss after I leave the country serves two purposes. On the one hand, I did it for myself so that I could synthesise my thoughts before changing my life and heading home. But I also hope it will serve you. It might help remind you why you headed to Korea in the first place if you’re facing a lull and only seeing the negatives. Or it could inspire you to make the initial move abroad. Perhaps, it will just clear your thoughts a little and motivate you to create your own list about a country you love. After all, nothing is better than celebrating the beauty in the world around you.