https://expatwon.com/ How money works in Korea, for foreigners: banking, loans, cars, tax, insurance. en Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:02:43 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/k-pass-transport-refunds-for-foreign-residents/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/k-pass-transport-refunds-for-foreign-residents/ A government refund on what you spend commuting. Nationality is not the barrier — registration and residence verification are, and both are doable. Cost of Living Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/t-money-buying-topping-up-and-refunds/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/t-money-buying-topping-up-and-refunds/ The card price is not a deposit, the top-up rules differ by product, and the refund channel depends on how much is left. Sorted before you land. Cost of Living Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/reporting-your-employer-as-a-foreign-worker/ https://expatwon.com/employment/reporting-your-employer-as-a-foreign-worker/ The fear is not the procedure. It is what happens to your status while you use it — and one protection changed in November 2025. Employment Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/unpaid-wages-and-unfair-dismissal-korea/ https://expatwon.com/employment/unpaid-wages-and-unfair-dismissal-korea/ They go to different bodies on different clocks. Working the wage claim first is how people lose the dismissal remedy without ever being told. Employment Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/when-your-old-employer-will-not-release-you/ https://expatwon.com/employment/when-your-old-employer-will-not-release-you/ A release letter is evidence that a job ended, not a veto over your next one. What to do when the previous company simply refuses to sign. Employment Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/changing-employers-on-a-korean-work-visa/ https://expatwon.com/employment/changing-employers-on-a-korean-work-visa/ The date that causes trouble is not your last day. It is your first day at the new place, and whether immigration had already said yes. Employment Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/e-7-4-from-e-9-to-long-term-status/ https://expatwon.com/employment/e-7-4-from-e-9-to-long-term-status/ The one path out of the four-year-ten-month cycle. It is rationed at 33,000 a year, scored on points, and it is not a promotion. Employment Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/e-9-vs-e-7-korean-work-visas-compared/ https://expatwon.com/employment/e-9-vs-e-7-korean-work-visas-compared/ Not wages, and not skill level. The real difference is who controls the employment relationship, and how quickly losing a job becomes a visa problem. Employment Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/losing-your-job-on-a-korean-work-visa/ https://expatwon.com/employment/losing-your-job-on-a-korean-work-visa/ The 15 days everyone cites is your employer’s reporting duty, not your grace period. And D-10 is a status you qualify for, not one you fall back to. Employment Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/unemployment-benefit-for-foreign-workers-korea/ https://expatwon.com/employment/unemployment-benefit-for-foreign-workers-korea/ Paying the 0.9% does not mean you were covered. On most work statuses coverage starts the day after you apply — and nothing is backdated. Employment Sun, 11 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/which-korean-social-insurances-you-are-in/ https://expatwon.com/employment/which-korean-social-insurances-you-are-in/ Four schemes, four different tests for a foreign employee. Which is why your deductions can differ from a colleague’s and both payslips be right. Employment Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/four-social-insurances-from-the-employee-side/ https://expatwon.com/employment/four-social-insurances-from-the-employee-side/ Around 9.7% of pay, across four schemes that do not share a calculation base — and one of them never costs you a won. Employment Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/overtime-night-and-holiday-pay-korea/ https://expatwon.com/employment/overtime-night-and-holiday-pay-korea/ Extended work at night is 200%, not 150%. Holiday work has two tiers of its own. And a comprehensive wage clause removes none of it. Employment Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cars/register-car-in-korea-as-a-foreigner/ https://expatwon.com/cars/register-car-in-korea-as-a-foreigner/ A buyer has 15 days to put a used car in their name, and a fine up to 500,000 won if they miss it. Foreign applicants need a Korean bank account first. Cars Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/visas/how-to-register-as-a-foreign-resident-in-korea/ https://expatwon.com/visas/how-to-register-as-a-foreign-resident-in-korea/ Booking a HiKorea slot is not filing your application, and two changes need no booking at all. What Form 34 and the accommodation form actually ask for. Visas Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/buying-vs-renting-the-real-break-even/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/buying-vs-renting-the-real-break-even/ Loan principal is not a cost and a jeonse deposit is not free. Price both sides the same way and the question becomes how long you will stay. Cost of Living Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/what-owning-a-korean-home-costs-every-year/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/what-owning-a-korean-home-costs-every-year/ Closing costs are the part everyone budgets for. The annual side — property tax, holding tax, owner-side repairs — is what compounds over a decade. Cost of Living Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/insurance/nhis-dependants-the-income-and-property-tests/ https://expatwon.com/insurance/nhis-dependants-the-income-and-property-tests/ Being family is where it starts, not where it ends. Four conditions decide it, and the property one is measured on a base most people never look up. Insurance Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/what-korean-banks-ask-about-money-from-abroad/ https://expatwon.com/banking/what-korean-banks-ask-about-money-from-abroad/ There is no general USD 10,000 reporting rule for receiving money in Korea. There is a threshold, it is a different one, and it binds the bank. Banking Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/visas/korea-business-visa-c-3-4-or-c-4/ https://expatwon.com/visas/korea-business-visa-c-3-4-or-c-4/ Talking about the installation is a business visit. Doing the installation is work — even when your salary is paid abroad. Where Korea draws the line. Visas Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/visas/korea-c-3-9-tourist-visa/ https://expatwon.com/visas/korea-c-3-9-tourist-visa/ The tourism route when visa-free entry is not open to you — and the five-page form, including the clause that stops you changing status later. Visas Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/working-hours-and-the-52-hour-week-korea/ https://expatwon.com/employment/working-hours-and-the-52-hour-week-korea/ Paying the overtime premium does not purchase extra hours. The cap and the pay duty are separate regulations, and only one of them is criminal. Employment Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/annual-leave-use-promotion-korea/ https://expatwon.com/employment/annual-leave-use-promotion-korea/ Korea’s use-promotion procedure removes an employer’s duty to pay for unused leave — if every step is done. Most of the time not every step is done. Employment Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/visas/how-to-apply-for-k-eta-step-by-step/ https://expatwon.com/visas/how-to-apply-for-k-eta-step-by-step/ A run through the official application — the Gmail warning, the ban on AI photo editing, and a nationality check that runs only after you upload. Visas Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/visas/how-to-fill-out-korea-e-arrival-card/ https://expatwon.com/visas/how-to-fill-out-korea-e-arrival-card/ Every field on the official form in order, with the exact dropdown options — and the exemption that puts you on the filing list rather than off it. Visas Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/annual-leave-in-korea-how-it-accrues/ https://expatwon.com/employment/annual-leave-in-korea-how-it-accrues/ Two gates before any entitlement exists, eleven first-year days that all expire on the same date, and a payout that is not always eight hours a day. Employment Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/departure-guarantee-insurance-for-eps-workers/ https://expatwon.com/employment/departure-guarantee-insurance-for-eps-workers/ It is not severance and it is not a pension. It accrues on a different wage base, which is why the payout is often smaller than what you are owed. Employment Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/severance-pay-and-retirement-pensions-korea/ https://expatwon.com/employment/severance-pay-and-retirement-pensions-korea/ Not one month per year. The divisor is calendar days, the floor is ordinary wage, and on a DC plan the last three months barely matter at all. Employment Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/minimum-wage-and-weekly-holiday-pay-korea/ https://expatwon.com/employment/minimum-wage-and-weekly-holiday-pay-korea/ The hourly rate is ₩10,320. The lawful monthly minimum is ₩2,156,880 — and the gap between those two numbers is a paid holiday you never work. Employment Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/your-korean-employment-contract-what-to-check/ https://expatwon.com/employment/your-korean-employment-contract-what-to-check/ Signed is not delivered, probation is not capped at three months, and two years does not always mean permanent. The clauses that decide your money. Employment Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/sending-money-from-korea-to-the-us/ https://expatwon.com/banking/sending-money-from-korea-to-the-us/ Wire or ACH changes the route and the fees; the tax result is set by whose money it is. Routing numbers, intermediary charges, FBAR and Form 3520. Banking Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/korean-withholding-tax-receipt-explained/ https://expatwon.com/business/korean-withholding-tax-receipt-explained/ Five numbers and one minus sign decide whether you are owed a refund. And the item numbers every guide online tells you to look at have changed. Business Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/leaving-korea-tax-pension-and-refunds/ https://expatwon.com/business/leaving-korea-tax-pension-and-refunds/ Your departure date is not the end of this. Some of it is due the day before you fly, and some of it lands months after you have gone. Business Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/sending-money-from-korea-to-china/ https://expatwon.com/banking/sending-money-from-korea-to-china/ The payout rail decides this corridor — bank account, UnionPay or wallet — and China's USD 50,000 is a purchase quota, not a cap on what you can receive. Banking Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/reading-your-korean-payslip/ https://expatwon.com/employment/reading-your-korean-payslip/ Two colleagues on the same salary can have different deductions, legally. The reason is in the visa column, not the payroll system. Employment Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/year-end-settlement-for-foreign-employees/ https://expatwon.com/business/year-end-settlement-for-foreign-employees/ There is no foreign deduction table. Residence decides most of it — and the old rule that foreigners cannot claim housing stopped being true in 2021. Business Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/the-19-percent-flat-rate-when-it-wins/ https://expatwon.com/business/the-19-percent-flat-rate-when-it-wins/ The crossover is nowhere near where it is usually quoted. Modelled on a single filer it sits around ₩135m — and every deduction pushes it higher. Business Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/income-tax-for-foreigners-resident-or-not/ https://expatwon.com/business/income-tax-for-foreigners-resident-or-not/ Your visa does not decide this and neither does your passport. Residence for tax is a question about your life, and it sets what Korea taxes at all. Business Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/atms-in-korea-for-foreign-cards/ https://expatwon.com/banking/atms-in-korea-for-foreign-cards/ Not every machine takes an overseas card, and the ones that do charge in three separate places. Where to look and what a withdrawal really costs. Banking Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/paying-in-korea-with-a-foreign-card/ https://expatwon.com/banking/paying-in-korea-with-a-foreign-card/ Korea runs on cards and still refuses foreign ones in specific, predictable places. Which places, why, and what to carry instead. Banking Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/buying-a-korean-sim-airport-online-or-in-town/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/buying-a-korean-sim-airport-online-or-in-town/ The three routes barely differ when everything works. Compare them on what happens when it does not, and on who you can hand the phone to. Cost of Living Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/what-breaks-without-a-korean-phone-number/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/what-breaks-without-a-korean-phone-number/ Not a legal ID, and not a total shutdown either. It is the gateway the online route runs through, and it fails the same way everywhere. Cost of Living Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/esim-usim-or-prepaid-sim-in-korea/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/esim-usim-or-prepaid-sim-in-korea/ Having a Korean number and passing Korean phone identity verification are different things. One tourist eSIM gives you the first and says so. Cost of Living Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/korean-phone-number-before-your-arc/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/korean-phone-number-before-your-arc/ A passport opens a real 010 line in minutes. What it does not open is verification — and the number you keep may not be the number you started with. Cost of Living Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/study/after-the-language-programme-d2-d10-e7/ https://expatwon.com/study/after-the-language-programme-d2-d10-e7/ Finishing the course does not end your stay, and no single follow-on visa exists. Each route starts at a different point, months apart. Study Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/study/topik-levels-and-what-they-open/ https://expatwon.com/study/topik-levels-and-what-they-open/ Treat TOPIK as administrative currency, not a language badge. Level 2 changes your working hours; level 3 starts a degree conversation. Study Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/study/dorm-goshiwon-or-one-room-for-students/ https://expatwon.com/study/dorm-goshiwon-or-one-room-for-students/ The three options differ on one axis before any other: whether they take a deposit. That decides which are possible for you at all. Study Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/study/korean-language-study-budget-3-6-12-months/ https://expatwon.com/study/korean-language-study-budget-3-6-12-months/ Split the money three ways — spent, locked up, and merely proven. Add the total and you have the cash you need before you fly, not after. Study Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/study/choosing-a-korean-language-institute-and-city/ https://expatwon.com/study/choosing-a-korean-language-institute-and-city/ Picking an institute is picking how long you may stay. Picking a city is designing a year of cash flow. Neither is really a school decision. Study Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/study/seoul-vs-regional-korea-language-study-cost/ https://expatwon.com/study/seoul-vs-regional-korea-language-study-cost/ Tuition barely moves between cities. Housing does, and the deposit moves most of all — which is what decides the cash you need on day one. Study Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/study/alien-registration-for-language-students/ https://expatwon.com/study/alien-registration-for-language-students/ The visa gets you in. What decides your next extension is attendance, a reported address, and never working before the permit arrives. Study Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/study/d-4-visa-korean-language-study/ https://expatwon.com/study/d-4-visa-korean-language-study/ Not every Korean school can sponsor a visa, and the money moves before the visa is granted. What actually decides a D-4 application. Study Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/korean-check-card-vs-credit-card-for-foreigners/ https://expatwon.com/banking/korean-check-card-vs-credit-card-for-foreigners/ A check card needs an account; a credit card is a small loan review. Post-paid transit is a credit function too — and it gets assessed on its own. Banking Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/postpaid-transportation-cards-for-foreigners/ https://expatwon.com/banking/postpaid-transportation-cards-for-foreigners/ Transit is a credit function, so a check card can be approved and the transport function refused. What that changes, and what it does not. Banking Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/korean-vat-for-small-business-owners/ https://expatwon.com/business/korean-vat-for-small-business-owners/ The ₩104M simplified threshold, why the lower rate can cost more than it saves, and the ₩48M line that exempts the payment but never the filing. Business Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/registering-a-business-card-on-hometax/ https://expatwon.com/business/registering-a-business-card-on-hometax/ It collects data, it does not create deductions. The 50-card limit, what it will not accept, and why the tax office’s pre-classification is not the answer. Business Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/closing-costs-when-buying-property-in-korea/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/closing-costs-when-buying-property-in-korea/ Acquisition tax, agent fee, housing bond discount, stamp duty, scrivener. On a ₩500M apartment that is around ₩9.5M in cash no mortgage will lend against. Cost of Living Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/loans/korean-mortgage-for-foreigners/ https://expatwon.com/loans/korean-mortgage-for-foreigners/ LTV and the hard won caps, why recognised income binds first, Seoul's permit zone and two-year residence rule, and the 60-day report that does not apply. Loans Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/best-korean-banks-for-foreigners-compared/ https://expatwon.com/banking/best-korean-banks-for-foreigners-compared/ Hana EZ, SOL Global, KB Quick Send and Woori WON Global compared — what each of the four major banks actually does better for a foreign resident. Banking Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/foreign-currency-accounts-in-korea/ https://expatwon.com/banking/foreign-currency-accounts-in-korea/ Keeping dollars in Korea is not the same as sending them out. Demand vs time deposits, what an FX preference really discounts, and the 15.4% on interest. Banking Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/apartment-management-offices-explained/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/apartment-management-offices-explained/ One phrase, two legal systems. Which act your building runs on decides your parking, your vote, and where a dispute goes when the office cannot help. Cost of Living Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/utilities-and-maintenance-fees-korea/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/utilities-and-maintenance-fees-korea/ Meter photos on move-in, the electricity tier cliff, what your maintenance fee is actually made of — and the one line on it the landlord owes you back. Cost of Living Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/hiring-your-first-employee-in-korea/ https://expatwon.com/employment/hiring-your-first-employee-in-korea/ Contract, four social insurances, the 2026 minimum wage and what changes at five staff — what a ₩3,000,000 salary actually costs an employer here. Employment Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/employment/registering-employees-for-four-insurances/ https://expatwon.com/employment/registering-employees-for-four-insurances/ Four insurances, four laws, two deadlines: health insurance within 14 days, the other three by the 15th of the next month. What a new employer files. Employment Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/sole-proprietor-vs-corporation-korea/ https://expatwon.com/business/sole-proprietor-vs-corporation-korea/ Korea raised corporate tax rates in 2026. Which structure is cheaper depends less on the rate than on how much profit you take out — and on your visa. Business Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cars/car-ownership-taxes-and-costs-korea/ https://expatwon.com/cars/car-ownership-taxes-and-costs-korea/ A cheap car with a big engine is taxed more than an expensive one with a small engine. Acquisition tax, bonds, inspections and the ₩600,000 penalty. Cars Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cars/selling-or-exporting-your-car-when-leaving-korea/ https://expatwon.com/cars/selling-or-exporting-your-car-when-leaving-korea/ Handing over the keys does not transfer ownership, and the fines stay yours. The 30-day countdown, liens, export deregistration and the refunds. Cars Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cars/getting-a-korean-drivers-license-license-exchange/ https://expatwon.com/cars/getting-a-korean-drivers-license-license-exchange/ Converting a home-country licence into a Korean one: recognised vs non-recognised countries, the apostille myth, and the visa-based written-test exemption. Cars Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cars/car-installment-financing-halbu-korea/ https://expatwon.com/cars/car-installment-financing-halbu-korea/ Can foreigners get a car loan in Korea? How 할부 works, what lenders screen, what your Residence Card does and does not decide, down payments and leasing. Cars Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/loans/savings-banks-and-capital-companies-korea/ https://expatwon.com/loans/savings-banks-and-capital-companies-korea/ Second-tier lending in Korea priced honestly: total cost of borrowing, the 2025 prepayment-fee reform, what it does to your credit file, and the exit plan. Loans Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/kakaobank-toss-bank-kbank-for-foreigners/ https://expatwon.com/banking/kakaobank-toss-bank-kbank-for-foreigners/ Only one Korean internet bank opens accounts for foreigners today: Toss Bank's ARC KYC, KakaoBank and K bank launch timelines, and the FX-account trap. Banking Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/loans/personal-credit-loan-requirements-korea/ https://expatwon.com/loans/personal-credit-loan-requirements-korea/ Unsecured credit loans for foreigners in Korea are real — even for E-9 and D-2. Actual product terms, income recognition, and the DSR cost of borrowing. Loans Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/loans/jeonse-loan-for-foreigners-explained/ https://expatwon.com/loans/jeonse-loan-for-foreigners-explained/ How foreigners get a jeonse deposit loan in Korea: SGI-backed bank products, visa eligibility myths, the four-cap limit math, and landlord cooperation. Loans Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cars/buying-a-used-car-in-korea-as-a-foreigner/ https://expatwon.com/cars/buying-a-used-car-in-korea-as-a-foreigner/ Registration in your own name, the real all-in cost, reading the inspection sheet beyond 무사고, CarHistory limits, and how financing is actually judged. Cars Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/loans/can-foreigners-get-a-loan-in-korea/ https://expatwon.com/loans/can-foreigners-get-a-loan-in-korea/ How Korean lenders actually underwrite foreign borrowers: visa and stay stability, verifiable domestic income, DSR/LTV rules, and rejection patterns. Loans Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cars/car-lease-in-korea-for-foreigners-real-cost/ https://expatwon.com/cars/car-lease-in-korea-for-foreigners-real-cost/ Korea’s most repeated leasing claim is wrong: ₩8M a year on depreciation, ₩15M without a driving log — and what really decides approval. Cars Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/visas/d-8-investor-visa-korea-requirements/ https://expatwon.com/visas/d-8-investor-visa-korea-requirements/ The ₩100M is a starting point, not the visa: FDI notification, who sends the funds, the 60-day registration, spending the capital, and renewal myths. Visas Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/loans/dsr-ltv-korea-lending-rules-explained/ https://expatwon.com/loans/dsr-ltv-korea-lending-rules-explained/ Your real limit is the smallest of three numbers. LTV rules and price caps, the 40%/50% DSR math, stress-rate mechanics, and the 2026 regional split. Loans Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/freelancing-in-korea-legally/ https://expatwon.com/business/freelancing-in-korea-legally/ The 3.3% withholding is a tax prepayment, not a work permit. Visa-by-visa freelance rules, May filing math, expense rules, and when to register. Business Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/how-to-open-a-bank-account-in-korea-as-a-foreigner/ https://expatwon.com/banking/how-to-open-a-bank-account-in-korea-as-a-foreigner/ What actually matters when opening a Korean bank account as a foreigner: ID, proof of purpose, and the daily-limit account rules that catch people out. Banking Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/how-to-send-money-from-korea-abroad/ https://expatwon.com/banking/how-to-send-money-from-korea-abroad/ What a transfer out of Korea needs from you — beneficiary details, SWIFT, the purpose question — and why the exchange rate costs more than the fee does. Banking Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/jeonse-vs-wolse-korean-rental-system/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/jeonse-vs-wolse-korean-rental-system/ Jeonse is credit you extend to your landlord. The conversion-rate math, deposit recovery risk, 대항력 and 확정일자, and which guarantees accept foreigners. Cost of Living Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/insurance/korean-car-insurance-for-expats-explained/ https://expatwon.com/insurance/korean-car-insurance-for-expats-explained/ Why first-year premiums run high, how to get overseas insurance history recognized, license exchange, driver-scope design, and coverage that matters. Insurance Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/loans/korean-credit-score-for-foreigners-nice-kcb/ https://expatwon.com/loans/korean-credit-score-for-foreigners-nice-kcb/ NICE and KCB explained for thin-file foreigners: what the models weigh, identifier consistency, myths about utilization and inquiries, and the build order. Loans Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/banking/korean-limited-accounts-hando-gyejwa-explained/ https://expatwon.com/banking/korean-limited-accounts-hando-gyejwa-explained/ Limited accounts (한도제한계좌) unlock on evidence, not time: the legal basis, current caps, proof that works per situation, and foreigner ID-matching traps. Banking Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/korean-phone-plans-for-foreigners/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/korean-phone-plans-for-foreigners/ Your phone number is financial infrastructure: identity verification, the ARC sequence, real MVNO math with promo traps, and when the big three earn it. Cost of Living Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cars/long-term-car-rental-janggi-rent-korea/ https://expatwon.com/cars/long-term-car-rental-janggi-rent-korea/ The monthly payment is the least useful number: a TCO framework across 장기렌트, lease, and installment — with the tax-cap and DSR myths corrected. Cars Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/managing-money-in-korea-fx-remittance-cards/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/managing-money-in-korea-fx-remittance-cards/ Where expat budgets actually leak: currency-switch points, DCC, real remittance cost, the $50,000 myth, Korean credit cards, and the card tax deduction. Cost of Living Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/insurance/nhis-korean-health-insurance-for-foreigners/ https://expatwon.com/insurance/nhis-korean-health-insurance-for-foreigners/ How Korean health insurance really charges foreigners: the ₩158,630 average-premium floor, who escapes it, arrears vs your visa, and dependents. Insurance Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/loans/p2p-lending-in-korea-explained/ https://expatwon.com/loans/p2p-lending-in-korea-explained/ Korean P2P (online investment-linked) finance explained: the legal structure, borrower use cases, investor limits, and how to read platform risk. Loans Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/insurance/private-health-insurance-silbi-korea/ https://expatwon.com/insurance/private-health-insurance-silbi-korea/ Yes — with caveats: identity matching, NHIS interplay, the 4th-gen surcharge table, the new 5th generation (May 2026), and what underwriting really checks. Insurance Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/business/registering-a-business-in-korea-as-a-foreigner/ https://expatwon.com/business/registering-a-business-in-korea-as-a-foreigner/ Visa permission comes before tax registration: D-8/D-9 investment thresholds, sole proprietor vs corporation, bank AML hurdles, and business credit. Business Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/rental-deposit-protection-korea/ https://expatwon.com/cost-of-living/rental-deposit-protection-korea/ Registry analysis, opposing power and fixed dates for foreigners, the next-day trap, the 126% rule decoded, and HUG guarantees — in the right order. Cost of Living Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT