FAQs

Question

Will COVID cause travel restrictions?

Answer

Everyone should be able to make it through smoothly with no worries of quarantine. I will post a small guide on things to do BEFORE going. You will all need a K-ETA tourist visa that is fairly simple to get. However we are unsure of mask mandates being lifted so please bring masks to Korea.

Question

Where should we stay?

Answer

I advise everyone to find a place to stay in Gangnam-Gu (Origin of Gangnam Style). It's a good central area with very good access to the subway. It will be a lot more difficult to group everyone if you go to different areas.

Question

Is the food going to make me sick?

Answer

Korea is a first world country and you shouldn't have any issues with the food. However I advise NOT drinking tap water just in case and just drinking bottled water. I also HIGHLY advise you eat at least one American esque meal every day, as Korean food has a lot more spices than most are used to so your stomach may not agree with it.

Question

Do people speak English?

Answer

Most Koreans understand basic English but I would not rely on them for emergency situations. Simple questions like "Where is the bathroom?" should be fine though.

Question

General Tips

Answer

There are things culturally different between Koreans and Americans that I think are very important for you guys to know so I will list some of the ones I find a lot more different. 1. Koreans do not hold doors for people. You are not expected to or should think you have to hold doors for anyone. 2. Bless you does not exist here. Sneezing in public is considered rude so just try to sneeze into your sleeve or tissue. 3. Try not to give up your seat on the subway for women or kids, for all my gentlemen. That is reserved strictly for pregnant women and grandmothers, but they also have areas reserved for them to sit. If you really want to go for it though. 4. Do NOT talk loudly on public transportation. It's considered rude to be loud on the subway or bus. Let's try to make America look good by acting polite in public areas. 5. Korean grandmothers will push you out of the way with a ferocity you will not expect if you are slow. Please don't take it the wrong way. 6. Bring good walking sneakers. You will be doing a LOT of walking and Korea is quite hilly so be prepared for almost a workout with the amount of walking you will be doing. 7. Korean spicy and American spicy are NOT the same. Only order spicy if you understand that it's the equivalent of extremely spicy by American standards. 8. I believe I don't need to say this, but PLEASE do not try to sneak any types of recreational drugs into Korea. It's very dangerous here and you will get into a LOT of trouble if caught. Please ask me if you have any other questions or concerns.