Top 5 tips to live in South Korea

All right, I'll take a stab at it:

1. Learn Korean. Begin doing this now. Sure you will likely never approach fluency, but every little bit you learn will help you get by in a place that values personal connections. Sure there are TONS of Koreans that can speak English with you, but many won't and it's easier to make friends when you can converse in Korean.

2. Don't go to foreigner bars. Sure they are fun and provide some well needed release from the stresses of life, but you are making connections with people who are transient and are not really likely to enrich your life in the long run. You didn't come all the way out here to hang out with the same people you did back home did you?

3. Travel the country. It's not just an impressive talking point when I say that I've been to every provence in Korea, or that I've climbed the 3 tallest mountains in the ROK. Rather I'm seeing people who are different to those in the city I reside, and I'm experiencing some of the great things this country has to offer (and there are MANY great thigns here). You may find some of them in your neighborhood, but there is not a local around that doesn't appreciate that I took the time to see Korea in a more intimate way.

4. Don't get insular. Korea is a place where people don't really associate outside of their social groups. However, as an expat you don't have to conform to this norm. Take advantage of it. As long as you are polite and wear a smile, you'd be surprised with the people you can come to meet. From sharing makgeolli with random old folks, to introducing my landlord to homebrewed beer, the more you spend time and interact with people the better your experience will be.

5. Keep positive. Korea these days has a lot of negativity from a lot of people, stemming from political issues, to social ones, to whatever. Many expats get bitter and resentful from the way certain individuals treat them without considering others' intentions, or the general attitude toward expats in Korea and the history behind it. With this in mind a better understanding and appreciation of life in Korea can be had.

I moved from Korea to Japan last month... and in writing this I really began to miss my old haunts and adventures. Here's hoping that other expats will have similarly fantastic experiences.