{"id":50407,"date":"2021-06-12T08:33:40","date_gmt":"2021-06-12T07:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/?p=50407"},"modified":"2025-02-27T15:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T06:04:13","slug":"perks-of-living-in-seoul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/perks-of-living-in-seoul\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 6 perks of living in Seoul, South Korea\u2019s capital"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people who decide to study Korean in Korea choose to live in Seoul. The reason is simple: Seoul is not only the capital of South Korea, but it is also a growing metropolitan city that has a lot to offer, both in terms of the quality of schools and entertainment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, you\u2019ll find out some of the perks of living in Seoul and what it is like living and studying there.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What are some perks of living in Seoul?<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Convenient transportation<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seoul is a large and ever-expanding metropolitan city with an excellent transportation network, which allows you to reach anywhere inside and outside the city. We are talking about rapid public transportation systems like subway, buses (intercity and express), <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/how-to-take-a-ktx-train-in-korea\/\">KTX<\/a> (high-speed rail system) and if you may, taxis are readily available too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Be it traveling to touristy spots or gem spots a little further from the city, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/koreas-public-transportation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/koreas-public-transportation\/\">public transportation in Seoul<\/a> makes it easily accessible. Transportation apps launched by <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/top-5-kakao-apps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kakao<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/top-5-naver-apps-in-korea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Naver<\/a> are so convenient and easy to navigate as well. To develop a sustainable green environment, did you know that Korea has launched a new public transportation card also known as the Korean Climate Card? Click <a href=\"https:\/\/english.seoul.go.kr\/policy\/transportation\/climate-card\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on this link<\/a> to find out how it can benefit commuters, adding to the <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">perks of living in Seoul!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-88754\" src=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Living-in-Seoul-3.png\" alt=\"Top 6 perks of living in Seoul, South Korea\u2019s capital\" width=\"798\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Living-in-Seoul-3.png 798w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Living-in-Seoul-3-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Living-in-Seoul-3-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>2. Awesome geographical location<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although it is an urban center, there are many green areas, which is one of the best perks of living in Seoul if you love city life but also love being close to nature. No matter where you are in Seoul, you can see stunning mountains and go to beautiful parks where you can relax and take a break from the hectic city life. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mountains may not be that tall, but they are great places to immerse yourself in nature without having to stray too far from the city, where you can have a breathtaking view once you reach the top of the mountain. Since the <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/winter-in-korea\/\">winters in Korea<\/a> are very cold and the <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/5-ways-to-cool-off-in-summer-in-korea\/\">summers<\/a> very hot, trekking is popular mainly in <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/cherry-blossoms-in-korea\/\">spring<\/a> and especially in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/autumn-in-korea-when-trees-are-on-fire\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">autumn<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 during which the leaves of the trees turn bright red.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, the city is cut in two by the Han River, along which you can find cycle routes and parks suited for picnic areas. One of the best perks of living in Seoul is that the bridges that connect the two areas of Seoul also offer spectacular views, especially in the evening.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>3. Cultural immersion<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seoul is also a very traditional Korean city. There are many ancient buildings, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/gyeongbokgung-%EA%B2%BD%EB%B3%B5%EA%B6%81-a-palace-of-history\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gyeongbok-gung<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (the palace), and Buddhist temples, including Jogye-sa, and Bongeun-sa, which are in the district of Gangnam. If you&#8217;re interested in immersing yourself in more cultural learning, here we put together a list of <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/the-top-4-popular-temple-stay-in-korea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">temple stays<\/a> in Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Another aspect of Korea to explore is its museums, which offer visitors a deeper understanding of the country\u2019s history, culture, and stories. Many museums in Seoul offer free admission, so be sure to take advantage of one of the most awesome <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">perks of living in Seoul <\/span>and check them out.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is also a small area where you can find traditional Korean houses, called the Hanok village &#8211; hanok means traditional Korean houses. In this area, still inhabited mainly by rich families, there are many tourists who wander around in <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/hanbok-the-traditional-korean-dress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hanbok<\/a>, the traditional Korean dress, to take pictures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-88762\" src=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Living-in-Seoul-Noraebang.png\" alt=\"Living in Seoul - Noraebang\" width=\"798\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Living-in-Seoul-Noraebang.png 798w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Living-in-Seoul-Noraebang-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Living-in-Seoul-Noraebang-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>4. Plenty of activities to do in Seoul<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the greatest perks of living in Seoul is that there is no shortage of activities to do and there is something for everyone. There are many places to go shopping, ranging from malls scattered throughout the city to the famous Myeong-dong district which is especially known for shopping.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the evening, as well as normal activities, in Korea you can go to <em>noraebang<\/em> (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ub178\ub798\ubc29<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ub178\ub798<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = song and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ubc29<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = room). This is <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/ultimate-guide-to-noraebang-in-korea\/\">Korean karaoke<\/a> and is different from Western karaoke. For a very affordable price, you book a private room where you can sing along with your friends without having to worry about doing it in front of strangers. That sounds like the perks of living in Seoul for sure!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>5. Big on cafe and nightlife culture<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are also a variety of coffee shops, from normal chains such as Starbucks to more unique places, where you can find tasty desserts and special lattes. In addition to drinking coffee and enjoying a piece of cake, you will also find many people studying or working on their computers. So if you&#8217;re also studying in Seoul, why not add this to the perks of living in Seoul? Enjoying a cup of coffee while studying a new chapter!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, let\u2019s talk about the most famous districts for <strong>nightlife<\/strong>. First, there is Hongdae, frequented mainly by university students. In addition to pubs, clubs, and cheap restaurants, you can always find street artists who are dancing, singing, or playing the most popular K-pop songs. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other two most famous neighborhoods for nightlife are Itaewon, frequented mainly by foreigners since it is located near the former U.S. military base, and Gangnam, considered the most &#8220;in&#8221; area of Seoul.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-20663\" src=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Cosa-fare-a-Seoul-SM-Town-1024x536.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"798\" height=\"418\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: revert; color: initial; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">6. Meeting new friends from around the world<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">One of the biggest perks of living in Seoul is that you will live in a metropolis where you can find everything from the useful to the superfluous \u2013 it is impossible to get bored. As well as studying Korean at school, you will be able to practice the language all the time. And since you can find people from all over the world in Seoul, you can make friends from all over the world.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to meet other foreigners and make new friends, there are lots of <a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/find-korean-language-exchange-in-seoul\/\">events organized periodically<\/a>, where you can meet new people, including Koreans eager to practice English or learn about a culture different from their own.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seoul is also within easy reach of South Korea&#8217;s major cities, making it a good base for exploring the rest of the country. Living in Seoul is advantageous in many ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>We hope that through this article, you can find out some perks of living in Seoul <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and what it is like living and studying there. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/#form\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact us<\/a>\u00a0about living and studying in Korea and remember to follow the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Go! Go! Hanguk blog<\/a>\u00a0for more content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most people who decide to study Korean in Korea choose to live in Seoul. The reason is simple: Seoul is not only the capital of South Korea, but it is also a growing metropolitan city that has a lot to offer, both in terms of the quality of schools and entertainment.\u00a0 In this article, you\u2019ll [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":49193,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1220],"tags":[1287,1310,1315],"class_list":["post-50407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-in-korea","tag-costs","tag-seoul","tag-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50407"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90099,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50407\/revisions\/90099"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogohanguk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}