Find out if you need a visa to enter Korea (official website): https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ca-vancouver-en/brd/m_4542/view.do?seq=738221&page=1 If your country is on the list of visa-free countries, you can stay up to 30 days (or more) without a visa in Korea. But you will still need to apply for K-ETA here: https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/newapply/index.do?locale=EN If your country is not on the list, please consult this website: https://www.visa.go.kr/?LANG_TYPE=EN
We recommend booking a hotel/accommodation in one of the places near Gangnam or Seoul Station. Both areas are well connected to the airport and other major districts in Seoul. Gangnam is a popular district featured in the famous song "Gangnam Style", and is also the area where our wedding takes place. Seoul Station is close to many tourist attractions, and is the largest train station in Korea, so it will be convenient if you plan to visit other cities in Korea. It takes around 35-45 minutes from Seoul Station to Eliena Hotel, the wedding venue. Alternatively, you might want to stay in other districts such as Jongno district and Yongsan district. Jongno is a touristy area slightly Northbound from the Seoul Station, where you can easily access the Royal Palace and have more traditional experiences. Yongsan is the district that includes Itaewon, the most multicultural and artistic area in Seoul. The Yongsan Station is also a large train station connected to other major cities including Busan.
Yes, we recommend that firstly because roaming services from American or European providers would be much more expensive than the Korean SIM card service. Secondly, there may be some incidents in which you will need a Korean number for a restaurant booking or other online services in Korea. Having a Korean number is therefore always useful. It is also cheaper when you pre-purchase your SIM and collect it at the airport. Please consult this website: https://krsim.net/?srsltid=AfmBOootbiX8X3zYmThZnPeT5mSP486vsUbK602_jSSfH5ViGNX5fAZH
There is a very comfortable limousine bus service from ICN to many different districts in Seoul. The price is around KRW 16,000-17,000 (USD 13-14) and it takes about 1-1.5 hours to Seoul Station or the Gangnam district. You can visit this website to check the lines and timetables: - to Seoul Station (#6001): https://www.airportlimousine.co.kr/en/sub/sub01.php?cat_no=4 - to Gangnam District (#6020): https://www.seoulairportbus.com/6020yeoksambanpo You can purchase the ticket at the airport and ask the staff to confirm whether the bus passes your destination. You can also take the airport train/subway, which is connected to Hongik Univ. Station and Seoul Station. The price is around KRW 5000-10000 (USD 3-8) depending on the destination. Taxis will be priced about KRW 50,000-70,000 (USD 50-ish)
Google Map does not work efficiently in Korea. We don't know exactly why, but we recommend using one of the local apps. Naver Map and Kakao Map provide good service in English, and you will also get full information for public transport. Smarter Subway is also an app that provides up-to-date subway timetables (but Naver or Kakao maps are usually fine). There is also a useful taxi app (Kakao T), which works like an Uber or Freenow, but you will need a Korean mobile number to use this service. Alternatively, there is a taxi app made for international visitors (K-Ride). Taxi service is usually much cheaper than the equivalent Uber in the US/UK. You can just catch a taxi on the streets, but we recommend using apps because they can track your routes and thereby prevent drivers from cheating.
Public transportation is mostly efficient and high-quality in Seoul, so we recommend taking subways/buses. You can purchase a T-Money card (about KRW 4000 = USD 3) at every convenience store, subway station, and the airport. You can get some discounts by using a T-Money card, and then the price per trip is about KRW 1,500 (USD 1.2-1.5). If you are staying about a week, you can perhaps pre-pay KRW 20,000-30,000 when purchasing the card. When taking buses or subways, you must tap your card when getting on & off, so always twice per trip. If you forget to tap when getting off, you will not get a discount when transferring to another bus or subway line. Always ring a bell and get prepared 2 minutes before getting off from the bus, because the drivers are usually not so considerate and passing the next stop very fast!
Card payment is available anywhere in Seoul and other cities in Korea (though you still need to purchase the T-money card for public transport). Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere, but American Express may not always be accepted. In case you need cash, there are ATMs everywhere, but some fees will be charged if you use international credit/debit cards.
It is a very hard question because Seoul changes really fast. More people will speak English of course at tourist places and in Gangnam, and there will be plenty of English signposts. In Itaewon, almost everyone is fluent in English. However, if you speak English to a random "young" person on a random street (don't pick older ones), they might try to answer with some inefficient English. Some people might just walk away, but don't get them wrong. They are not trying to be unkind or racist, but they are likely just scared of English. Outside Seoul, there are fewer English signposts, and the chance of people speaking English may be slightly less but not too different from that in Seoul. At our wedding, most of our families and parents' guests are unlikely to speak English, but most of our Korean friends (in their 20s and 30s) can.