Moving to South Korea

My name is Alexander, and I live in South Korea. Perhaps you've been thinking more about moving to another country lately - this is facilitated by both globalization and the current political situation in the world. My experience might not be for everyone, as I had certain advantages in the immigration process, but the difficulties I faced initially await most expats.

Driven by curiosity, in 2013, immediately after graduating from university, I moved to South Korea. I grew up in a small village in Russia, my father is a pensioner, and money was barely enough to live on. So, moving abroad to work was my only opportunity to see the world. Fortunately, I belong to the group of ethnic Koreans who have the opportunity to obtain a visa to South Korea with the possibility of working and living almost without restrictions. So, gathering money for a ticket bit by bit, I went to my new place of residence.

The move would have been incredibly difficult without the help of distant relatives and acquaintances in the first few months. They helped me find a job and handle the paperwork. It should be noted that ten years ago there were very few immigrants from the CIS countries in Korea, and it was hard to find information in Russian. I lived alone in a small old hotel in a working district, and I remember how scared I was to enter the cafeteria, not knowing how to order food. However, over time I managed to meet many people who helped me.

Lack of language knowledge seriously hampers finding decent work and establishing good relationships. I once prided myself on my ability to "speak like a white person," and felt a little pride in obtaining a higher education diploma. But all these feelings evaporated the day after I started work. Despite some internships and part-time jobs, this was my first full-time job. Being a simple guy from a village without life experience and knowledge of the local culture and language, I faced difficulties every day. I remember how at work, they yelled at me, a lot, every day, again and again for a year. I understand that I should have better prepared for the move, but back then there was much less information - neither YouTubers nor social media groups. All I could find was a small forum and a blog of a programmer describing his stay in Korea.

A year of such life made me hate everything: myself, my life, colleagues, the country, its inhabitants. However, I also realized that only I am responsible for what happened, and I need to get out of this situation myself. I also understood that working in "black" labor, one should expect corresponding treatment due to a certain contingent of people who usually work there. Seeing two paths in front of me: return home or try to achieve something more in Korea, I chose the second - the more difficult and non-obvious path. I realized that language proficiency is a basic skill that I need to master. Unfortunately, language courses cost a lot. And here it's not just about the fee for education but also about living expenses for a year.