Welcome to Slow Travel S.Korea
Hi, I’m JK.
I was born and raised in South Korea and spent most of my life there. I grew up riding the Seoul subway, ordering at cafe kiosks before they were everywhere, and learning which alley restaurants are worth the wait.
Living between two cities taught me something useful: the things Koreans never think twice about are often exactly what trips up first-time visitors. Google Maps that barely works. Apps that ask for a Korean phone number. A receipt with the Wi-Fi password printed at the bottom. Small things, but they can turn a relaxed day into a stressful one.
This blog is where I explain those things, from a local’s side and a visitor’s side at the same time.
Why “Slow Travel”?
Korea moves fast. Delivery arrives in minutes, trends change every season, and Seoul rarely sleeps. But the Korea I miss most is slower: a long morning in a neighborhood cafe, a walk through a hanok alley before the crowds arrive, a simple meal at a place with no English menu.
Slow travel, to me, isn’t about doing less. It’s about understanding enough that you can relax and actually enjoy where you are.
What You’ll Find Here
- Practical how-to guides: Using Korean apps, kiosks, transit cards and payments as a foreigner, step by step.
- Money and planning: Foreign cards, exchange, tax refunds, eSIMs, travel insurance, and getting from New York to Seoul without overpaying.
- Food and cafe culture: What to order, how to order it, and the unwritten rules locals follow.
- Culture, explained: Etiquette and everyday habits, often compared with life in the U.S., so the “why” makes sense too.
- Neighborhoods and slow days: Quieter corners of Seoul, Busan and smaller towns worth taking your time in.
How I Write
I don’t live in Korea anymore, so I want to be clear about where my information comes from. Most of it comes from growing up and living there, and I still go back every year or two to see family, eat my favorite foods and catch up on what’s changed. In between visits, I check Korean-language sources directly for anything that changes often, like prices, app features and entry rules: official government and transit sites, Korean news, and the apps themselves. That’s something many English-language guides can’t do.
Each post shows when it was last updated. If you’re in Korea and notice something has changed, please let me know and I’ll fix it. Some posts contain affiliate links; you can read more in my Disclosure.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope this makes your time in Korea a little easier, and a little slower.
— JK