Lesson Transcript

Welcome to Korean Culture Class by KoreanClass101.com.
Do you know how much it costs to have a night out at the movies in South Korea? You’re about to find out.
여러분, 안녕하세요. 케이진입니다.
Hi everyone! I’m K-Jin.
In this lesson, you’ll learn all about living costs in South Korea.
And by living costs, we mean rent, food, entertainment, and transportation expenses.
In this video you'll learn...
1) Housing, Food, Entertainment, and Transportation costs
2) How to reduce your expenses for each one
And 3) Must-know Korean vocabulary along the way
Let’s start with the cost of renting an apartment or a house in Korea.
Keep in mind that 1 US Dollar is about 1000 Korean Won, and currently is 1100 Korean Won.
For some people, such as English teachers, this might not be a worry. Your company will cover everything. For everyone else, there are some important things to know.
First, the rent.
Your rent depends on where you live. Places like Gangnam, Hongdae, and other main districts in Seoul are very expensive. If you’re willing to live outside of the main districts, it will be cheaper.
Second, finding an apartment.
Koreans usually use a real estate agent. This is the safest and easiest way. A real estate agent will speak to the landlord and help you with the contract. They can help you in other ways, too.
For example, sometimes, you can reduce your rent if you pay a higher deposit. If you pay an extra 10,000,000 Korean Won, you might get a rent reduction of 50,000 Korean Won.
Some rents include the water utility fee, too. These are examples of things that your real estate agent can negotiate with your landlord.
Of course, real estate agents will need to be paid for their help! You will need to pay them about 10% of your rent fee.
If this sounds too much, there is the option of using apps and not dealing with real estate agents at all. Popular rental apps include:
다방 (dabangapp),
직방 (Zigbang),
피터팬의 좋은방 구하기 (peterpanz).
Here are some important words when renting in Korea.
월세 (wolse) -
"monthly rent"
[SLOW] 월세
[NORMAL] 월세
관리비 (gwallibi) -
"maintenance fee"
[SLOW] 관리비
[NORMAL] 관리비
수도요금 (sudoyogeum) -
"water bill"
[SLOW] 수도요금
[NORMAL] 수도요금
전기요금 (jeongiyogeum) -
"electricity bill"
[SLOW] 전기요금
[NORMAL] 전기요금
계약서 (gyeyakseo) -
"contract"
[SLOW] 계약서
[NORMAL] 계약서
Next is the cost of food in Korea. Let’s talk about the cost of grocery shopping first.
Food is cheap in South Korea. In a supermarket, a carton of milk costs around 2,500 Korean Won. The price of snacks and sweets usually starts at 1,000 Korean Won. Many supermarkets have special deals and coupon events, too, so you can shop even cheaper. Some major supermarkets, such as Emart or Home Plus, offer free home delivery. You have to spend above a certain amount of money, but it’s easier than carrying your milk home!
But what about eating out in South Korea? That’s reasonably priced, too! At cheap restaurants, meals usually start from around 7,000 Korean Won. McDonald’s is about 6,000 Korean Won, and beers cost from about 3,000 Korean Won. If you’re still not confident in your Korean, don’t worry. Wait staff in the main districts can usually speak English. If you’re outside of those areas, you’ll need to order in Korean though. Try to learn a few phrases, especially honorific ones. The Korean people around you will be very appreciative of your efforts!
Here are a few food and drink items you can use when ordering.
닭 가슴살 (dak gaseumsal) -
"chicken breast"
[SLOW] 닭 가슴살
[NORMAL] 닭 가슴살
사과 (sagwa) -
"apple"
[SLOW] 사과
[NORMAL] 사과
바나나 (banana) -
"banana"
[SLOW] 바나나
[NORMAL] 바나나
감자 (gamja) -
"potato"
[SLOW] 감자
[NORMAL] 감자
소주 (sojoo) -
This is a Korean alcoholic drink typically made from rice or sweet potatoes.
[SLOW] 소주
[NORMAL] 소주
Next is the cost of entertainment in Korea. There are many entertainment options in Korea. So, let’s concentrate on the cost of going to the cinema.
Cinema tickets usually cost around 12,000 Korean Won. That’s just for a ticket to a regular screening. Things like 3D or IMAX will cost more. 12,000 Korean Won might seem a little expensive but don’t worry, we have some tips to reduce that cost!
Tip 1 - buy online! If you buy online, you can usually get the tickets for 7,500 Korean Won. If you sign up for mailing lists or become a member, you can get more discounts. Sometimes 10% to 30% off.
Tip 2 - check social media! Many South Korean companies offer free movie tickets or drinks if you share their content on your SNS.
Tip 3 - look for cinema discounts! You can get cheaper tickets by going on certain days, or at certain times.
Here are some important words for buying cinema tickets.
영화 (yeonghwa) -
"movie"
[SLOW] 영화
[NORMAL] 영화
티켓 (tikes) -
"ticket(s)"
[SLOW] 티켓
[NORMAL] 티켓
The next few words relate to cinema discounts.
조조할인 (jojohal-in) -
These are discount tickets offered to customers who come to the cinema early in the morning.
[SLOW] 조조할인
[NORMAL] 조조할인
무비데이 (mubidei) -
Every Wednesday is called "movie day." You can get a discount on the ticket price.
[SLOW] 무비데이
[NORMAL] 무비데이
심야할인 (sim-ya-hal-in) -
These are discount tickets offered to customers who come to the cinema late at night.
[SLOW] 심야할인
[NORMAL] 심야할인
Finally is the cost of transportation in Korea. Public transport is very convenient and cheap.
The first thing you’ll need to do is buy a T-Money card. There are many types and the cheapest T-Money card can be purchased for 2,500 Korean Won. You can use this card to pay for your fares. You charge it up with money before you ride and it is really easy to use. You can buy it at the ticket machines in the subway.
Trips on the subway usually cost 1,250 Korean Won for an adult and 720 Korean Won for a child with this card. Bus fares can vary, depending on the company and the time of day. They can be from 1,200 Korean Won to 2,500 Korean Won.
You can get discounts on these fares if you have a credit card. Some credit cards will give you discounts, so ask your bank if you are interested.
If you need to catch a taxi, 일반 (Ilban), what we call "regular taxis," start from 3,000 Korean Won. 모범 (mobeom), the "deluxe taxis" start from 5,000 Korean Won. You’ll spot the deluxe taxis easily, as they are black with a yellow top. If you catch a taxi late at night, then there is an extra charge.
Here are some words to help you with public transportation in Korea.
대중교통 (daejung-gyotong) -
"public transport"
[SLOW] 대중교통
[NORMAL] 대중교통
버스 (beoseu) -
"bus(es)"
[SLOW] 버스
[NORMAL] 버스
지하철 (jihacheol) -
"subway(s)"
[SLOW] 지하철
[NORMAL] 지하철
택시 (taegsi) -
"taxi(s)"
[SLOW] 택시
[NORMAL] 택시
In this lesson you learned about the cost of living in Korea, and some handy tips on how to reduce it.
And, if you want to learn how read and write in Korean and master Hangul FAST, then get our FREE Hangul worksheet. You can print it out, practice on it, and master all of the characters.
Just click the link in the lesson description
and sign up for a free lifetime account to get it.
That’s it for today!
Until next time! 다음에 또 봐요!

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