By law, if you’re in Korea for more than 90 days you are required to register and get a foreign registration card (외국인 등록증). This card is also required to do things like get a phone, open a bank account, register on most Korean websites, etc. Because of how important it is, I would highly suggest making getting it a first priority when you get to Korea. I went to the Office of International Affairs (OIA) and asked where I could go to get my card and they told me the correct subway station to get off of. I’ll forward that info and a little more to anyone that might want it. Here’s a complete map of how to get there by subway from the SNU station and by foot from the last subway station (Ohmokgyo).
I felt very confident going on the subway by myself to immigration. It’s extremely easy to make sure you’re going the right direction. There’s subway maps everywhere, your T-money card is charged up so you don’t have to buy a ticket specifically for your journey, and if you have a iPhone/iPod Touch then you’ve got the whole subway system in your hands (assuming you installed one of the Seoul subway map programs). All I had to bring to register myself was my passport, a passport photo and a copy of my official admission. You just take a number, fill out the general form with the needed information and wait for your number to be called. After you give the paperwork to a worker you have to run downstairs, pay 10,000원 to a person to get a stamp that says 10,000원 and return and give it to the immigration worker. He’ll give you a receipt with the date to return and pick up your registration card and send you on your way (without your passport which you’ll pick up with the card). It’s as easy as that! Well, you have to get by the mobs of people selling calling cards to China outside the immigration office first … but at least they give you a free pen (which I used for the form since I don’t like to use the community pens when I don’t have to).
After going back to Ohmokgyo station I saw that I had a little bit of time left before going to the new student party and decided to walk around a little bit. I had heard about Hi-Mart from a lot of people and saw one there so I decided to go in. It was pretty neat, there were four floors each with its own theme. There was a cellphone floor, a home appliance floor, a exercise machine (and maybe other stuff) floor, and a computer/TV floor.
UPDATE: It looks like you now need to have a verification of attendance to get your ARC. I guess I was one of the last who didn’t need it.
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