- Potential to save money. Living in Korea as a foreign teacher can be extremely lucrative. Between the cost of living, ticket reimbursements, free housing, pension, renewal bonuses, and severance, you can make a lot of money here. More if you stay longer. Also, if you find your own housing and pay for the deposit money, it's almost like a savings account that gives you a house.
- An easy job at a good salary. Only speaking for public school teachers here, we make good money. If you want to figure in your rent free apartment, your salary goes up. For the money we get here, we have a pretty easy job. This year I have 20 classes per week plus two online classes that I chose to sign up for. This leaves me ample time to plan and I am rarely stressed about my work load.
- Travel opportunities. Korea is pretty close to a lot of countries. That paired with school vacation time and a good salary makes for great travel opportunities. Since coming to Korea I have traveled to eight different countries. A month from now I'll be on summer vacation in the Philippines. Once the travel bug bites you, it's hard to stop traveling.
- Korean fried chicken. Korea has some of the best fried chicken I have ever eaten. It's even better when it's delivered to your door. Just trust me on this. This is a perfectly valid reason.
- Healthcare. The healthcare system in Korea is great. In the past two years I've spent two weeks in the hospital. One for an appendectomy and one for pneumonia. Both weeks were very affordable. My surgery, morphine, week long hospital stay, and medicine, all together, were under a thousand dollars. Before a month long trip to Southeast Asia, I decided to get some malaria medicine. The hospital said it wasn't covered by my insurance and that it would be expensive. A 6 week supply cost me about $25. Good healthcare doesn't have to be expensive.
- I like the feeling of being an expat. There is just something about living in a foreign country. It gives you a different perspective. It teaches you to become more independent and adventurous. It makes you able to feel that anywhere can be home.
- The opportunity to learn a foreign language. I know a lot of people who would like to learn a foreign language. I like living in a country where I can practice what I learn. I'm nowhere near advanced, but I'm proud of the level at which I can speak Korean.
- Incheon International Airport. Hands down the best airport I've ever been to. It's so convenient and efficient. At ICN you can take a shower and a soak at the (very nice) public baths, use free wifi, go ice skating, go to the movies, and even take a free bus to a casino. On top of that, ICN is just very clean and pleasant to be in. Of course, I associate the airport with traveling, so I'm predisposed to liking it.
- Meeting people from around the world. Through living and working in Korea, I have made friends with people from all around the world. From traveling, I have met even more people. It's kind of cool to know so many different kinds of people.
- Korean convenience. Korea is the most convenient place I have ever lived. You can make internet purchases and have them billed to your cell phone. Almost every deliver I've received has come in about 2-3 days. If you're not home, you can have the package delivered to a convenience store and just pick it up later. So far, I've been amazed at how convenient my life is here, and I love it.
So there they are. 10 reasons why I'm happy to be staying in Korea. These past 4 years have been great and I'm looking forward to the adventures and experiences that await me here in the future.
