Comments on: Planning my flight and vacation before school http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/11/27/planning-my-flight-and-vacation-before-school/ Going to Korea, one step at a time Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:41:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mstrum http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/11/27/planning-my-flight-and-vacation-before-school/comment-page-1/#comment-6462 mstrum Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:46:27 +0000 http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/?p=2997#comment-6462 <a href="#comment-6458" rel="nofollow">@qklilx </a> lol @qklilx
lol

]]> By: qklilx http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/11/27/planning-my-flight-and-vacation-before-school/comment-page-1/#comment-6458 qklilx Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:04:55 +0000 http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/?p=2997#comment-6458 In my experience the schools are prompt in getting bank accounts set up. I got mine before school started both times. We didn't get our ID cards until 2-4 weeks after school started though. They like to do them all at the same time so everyone has to turn in their passport, and then the bank has to get all the work done. Until you get your card you can bring a copy of your passport to the bank to do bank stuff. A way around this is to buy a bank card. I don't know about 농협 but 신한 has a yellow form you can fill out. After you pay a measly 2000 won fee they make the card on the spot and ask you to make the PIN. If you're lucky like I was then an attractive woman will be your teller and she'll like you because you're a foreign guy and give you the card for free and help you set it up step-by-step like you're a child. Except she'll do it while showing absolutely no interest in you because that would be a violation of company policy and probably Korean work ethics in general. *ahem* In my experience the schools are prompt in getting bank accounts set up. I got mine before school started both times. We didn’t get our ID cards until 2-4 weeks after school started though. They like to do them all at the same time so everyone has to turn in their passport, and then the bank has to get all the work done. Until you get your card you can bring a copy of your passport to the bank to do bank stuff.

A way around this is to buy a bank card. I don’t know about 농협 but 신한 has a yellow form you can fill out. After you pay a measly 2000 won fee they make the card on the spot and ask you to make the PIN. If you’re lucky like I was then an attractive woman will be your teller and she’ll like you because you’re a foreign guy and give you the card for free and help you set it up step-by-step like you’re a child. Except she’ll do it while showing absolutely no interest in you because that would be a violation of company policy and probably Korean work ethics in general.

*ahem*

]]> By: mstrum http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/11/27/planning-my-flight-and-vacation-before-school/comment-page-1/#comment-6361 mstrum Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:13:12 +0000 http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/?p=2997#comment-6361 <a href="#comment-6355" rel="nofollow">@qklilx </a> Hopefully I don't have to wait until school starts to get my bank account ... @qklilx
Hopefully I don’t have to wait until school starts to get my bank account …

]]> By: qklilx http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/11/27/planning-my-flight-and-vacation-before-school/comment-page-1/#comment-6355 qklilx Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:01:48 +0000 http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/?p=2997#comment-6355 How common is 농협 in Seoul? It's my first time hearing of it, personally. I just asked my friend and she said it's a common bank. Interesting. I've got an account with Daegu Bank but I don't know if it's still active since it's been dormant with 5000 won for over 2 years now. lol Otherwise my main bank is Woori Bank. I still have ~500K sitting in there, and I'll probably keep using that bank when I go back so I don't have to bother with the hassles of making yet another Korean bank account. Woori Bank is fairly common. In fact it had ATM machines at KNU where ever there was a Daegu Bank ATM. But yeah I'd go with the campus affiliate. Hopefully they'll be speedier than KNU and SCH though... schools like to get all the bank cards ready at the same time so students often have to wait up to a month to get their cards. It's ridiculous. How common is 농협 in Seoul? It’s my first time hearing of it, personally. I just asked my friend and she said it’s a common bank. Interesting.

I’ve got an account with Daegu Bank but I don’t know if it’s still active since it’s been dormant with 5000 won for over 2 years now. lol

Otherwise my main bank is Woori Bank. I still have ~500K sitting in there, and I’ll probably keep using that bank when I go back so I don’t have to bother with the hassles of making yet another Korean bank account. Woori Bank is fairly common. In fact it had ATM machines at KNU where ever there was a Daegu Bank ATM.

But yeah I’d go with the campus affiliate. Hopefully they’ll be speedier than KNU and SCH though… schools like to get all the bank cards ready at the same time so students often have to wait up to a month to get their cards. It’s ridiculous.

]]> By: Sean Brown http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/11/27/planning-my-flight-and-vacation-before-school/comment-page-1/#comment-6256 Sean Brown Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:11:57 +0000 http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/?p=2997#comment-6256 Yes, you've been well-informed - 농협 has a special deal with SNU where your 농협 account can be directly linked to the RFID implanted in all student-ID cards. Therefore, the majority (?) of SNU students have 농협 accounts. Also, thinking back to 2007, where free Wifi spots were very hard to find, free Wifi (rather than paid Nespot) is becoming more and more common at coffee shops here. Still, to be safe it's probably a good idea to make a Nespot account, if only as a backup to avoid wasting a bunch of time looking for a free Wifi spot... Yeah, sounds like a good plan...I think there is at least one sort of comprehensive guide to 여관, I think you should to be able to find those pretty quickly through Naver... Yes, you’ve been well-informed – 농협 has a special deal with SNU where your 농협 account can be directly linked to the RFID implanted in all student-ID cards. Therefore, the majority (?) of SNU students have 농협 accounts.

Also, thinking back to 2007, where free Wifi spots were very hard to find, free Wifi (rather than paid Nespot) is becoming more and more common at coffee shops here. Still, to be safe it’s probably a good idea to make a Nespot account, if only as a backup to avoid wasting a bunch of time looking for a free Wifi spot…

Yeah, sounds like a good plan…I think there is at least one sort of comprehensive guide to 여관, I think you should to be able to find those pretty quickly through Naver…

]]> By: mstrum http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/11/27/planning-my-flight-and-vacation-before-school/comment-page-1/#comment-6249 mstrum Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:42:49 +0000 http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/?p=2997#comment-6249 <a href="#comment-6246" rel="nofollow">@Sean Brown </a> Interesting, I would have thought it would be the opposite. A friend told me to open an account at 농합 since it's on-campus, do you use them or know if they're any good? 25,000 per night is a little high for me. I think I'd be willing to sacrifice comfort for price. I've saved up for this trip, but the more I think about it the tighter I realize my budget will have to be ... Probably what I would do is go to a motel every once in a while if I really need a comfortable place for a night. I have heard they're really good though for the price. I don't think you could find a place like that here for that cheap. @Sean Brown
Interesting, I would have thought it would be the opposite. A friend told me to open an account at 농합 since it’s on-campus, do you use them or know if they’re any good?

25,000 per night is a little high for me. I think I’d be willing to sacrifice comfort for price. I’ve saved up for this trip, but the more I think about it the tighter I realize my budget will have to be … Probably what I would do is go to a motel every once in a while if I really need a comfortable place for a night. I have heard they’re really good though for the price. I don’t think you could find a place like that here for that cheap.

]]> By: Sean Brown http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/2009/11/27/planning-my-flight-and-vacation-before-school/comment-page-1/#comment-6246 Sean Brown Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:17:51 +0000 http://www.mstrum.com/onmywaytokorea/?p=2997#comment-6246 When I did this during the summer, I stayed in decent-looking love motels. Very comfortable, good locations, cost of 25-45,000 won/night. In terms of finding an Internet connection, when you come here and open a Korean bank acocunt, I would recommend signing up for a Nespot Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi spots here are actually harder to find than in the States, in my experience. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NESPOT BTW there are also 여관 (I guess this is what you were talking about when referring to guesthouses?) but in my opinion they are pretty uncomfortable and usually in inconvenient locations. When I did this during the summer, I stayed in decent-looking love motels. Very comfortable, good locations, cost of 25-45,000 won/night. In terms of finding an Internet connection, when you come here and open a Korean bank acocunt, I would recommend signing up for a Nespot Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi spots here are actually harder to find than in the States, in my experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NESPOT

BTW there are also 여관 (I guess this is what you were talking about when referring to guesthouses?) but in my opinion they are pretty uncomfortable and usually in inconvenient locations.

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