Money & practical

A busy shopping street in Myeongdong, Seoul, lined with cosmetics shopfronts under bright neon signs at night

Updated 22 October 2026

Korea Tax Refund for Tourists: What You Actually Get Back

How Korea's tourist VAT refund works: what qualifies, the store counter versus the airport kiosk, and why the net refund is nearer 5 to 8% than 10%.

The wooden interior of a dry sauna room with benches and wall lights, South Korea

Updated 16 October 2026

The Jjimjilbang: How to Use a Korean Bathhouse Without Panicking

Naked bathing by gender, shared heated rooms in issued pyjamas, a snack bar, a reading room and permission to sleep there. Here is the order of operations.

A customer paying by contactless card at a shop counter in South Korea

Updated 15 October 2026

Cash or Card in Korea: Payments, ATMs and Why Not to Tip

Where a foreign card works in Korea, where it does not, which cash machines accept it, and why leaving a tip causes more confusion than gratitude.

The interior concourse of Incheon International Airport in South Korea

Updated 15 October 2026

South Korea Visa, K-ETA and Entry Rules by Passport

How entering South Korea works: who needs a visa, what K-ETA is and who is exempt, passport validity, and the official sources to check before you fly.

Crowded stalls and diners in a covered food market in Seoul, South Korea

Updated 14 October 2026

South Korea on a Budget: What Things Cost

What a trip to South Korea actually costs: where the money goes on beds, food and transport, the free half of Seoul, and how to travel well on less.

A hand holding a phone displaying a street map, South Korea

Updated 16 August 2026

SIM Cards, eSIMs and Mobile Data in South Korea

Some of the fastest and cheapest mobile data anywhere, plus the fifteen minutes of setup before you fly that decides whether your phone works on landing.

A pavilion on a small island reflected in its pond at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea

Updated 29 July 2026

Emergency Numbers in South Korea: The Practical Safety Guide

The numbers to save before landing in Korea: 112, 119 and the 1330 tourist helpline, plus how pharmacies work and what to do about a lost passport.

Granite crags and pine trees on a mountainside in Seoraksan National Park, South Korea

Updated 29 July 2026

Travel Insurance for South Korea: What Actually Matters

Why insurance matters where hospitals are excellent but visitors get no free care: medical limits to look for, hiking and ski clauses, and how claims work.