When I had to move to Korea, it was pretty simple, I cleared my interview, got my visa, packed my bags and within 2 months I was in Seoul. I did not have to think much about relocation as I was single when I moved to Korea. I just had to convince my parents that I would be safe in Korea.

But then I get many a queries from expats who are married with a working spouse and sometimes kids that go to school. When they ask me whether they should accept the job in Korea, I normally say yes to them, keeping my experience in mind. But then I have realized that I am not the right person to give advice to married couples about moving to Korea for work. I find it very difficult when they ask me queries like -

• Should I bring my wife (and or) kids to Korea?
• Will my wife be able to find a job in Korea if she cannot speak Korean?
• Are the schools expensive? Are the subjects taught in English?
• If I am coming to Korea as a student, then can my husband join me in Korea? Will he be able to work in Korea?
• Is it easy for Indians to survive in Korea?

Well so I thought instead of answering these questions myself I would ask these queries to the members of Indian Ladies in Korea group on Facebook. Well its a very close-ended group (only for females) so I had to route my questions through Ranjitha Jeurkar who is a member of that group.

Here are the queries that I had posted.

1. How difficult it is to survive in Korea as a housewife if you are not able to find a job?
2. What are the job options available for an Indian housewife in Korea
3. How do you keep yourself busy if you do not have a job
4. What education options are available for kids? What are some of the good schools in Korea
5. Is it advisable to bring your kids to Korea
6. How do you overcome homesickness in Korea
7. Are you happy with your decision about moving to Korea? Would you like to stay here in the future?
8. What are the good things about Korea
9. Any bad things
10. Are there any gatherings or socializing events among the members of Indian Ladies in Korea? How do yo celebrate Indian Festivals?

Here are the few responses that I received.

Devi was a part time teacher at a school in Bangalore. She moved to Korea because her husband got a good offer in Seoul. She moved here, along with her husband and two kids, at the end of April 2012. She maintains a blog about her life in Korea -  http://meowwsmusings.blogspot.com/ This is what she has to share:

JOB: I did not try for a job here. Wanted to help with the transition of the family. Kids have been in long holidays from May as the school starts only in Aug mid here. It has been quite a tough task to keep the kids and myself engaged with the hubby spending long hours at the office. But we have been exploring Seoul, finding new places to eat out, working the gadgets overtime and blogging.

SCHOOL:
According to what i see and hear, it is very hard to get English preschools in Seoul. But i think i heard someone in Suwon put their kids in a Korean preschool and now changing into an international school for I grade.

My eldest son will start 9th now. So, we were a bit concerned with our move, but we thought it would be a good exposure and new experience for both our kids. And the international school, though expensive, is the best place to be in this situation, especially since the company pays for it  The school has promised good things, still have to see it working out, though.

Our move was finalized only after we made a thorough research of the international schools and got admission for both kids in YISS. We applied for the SFS (because of the popularity with the foreigners and still considered the best Intl school in Seoul) and YISS (location, cost, more homely and comparatively smaller than any other intl schools) Though my kids got through the admission tests in both, we chose YISS due to its location. It is much closer to our home and place of work. (Best international schools acc to my research: SFS, KIS, SIS, YISS)

FAMILY:
Since we are connected well, we video chat with our family members (almost everyday), FB, Skype. Or, i simply havent started getting homesick yet! Enticing people to stop by in Seoul on their way to US! But we have no family in Korea. Nearest is in Singapore.

FRIENDS:
I did a lot of homework before coming to Korea. Talked to friends of friends, kept a close eye on the FB groups before we made the decision. We went to a trip with some Indians in Korea. So, we were able to make friends with them and get some valuable tips from all of them.

GROCERY:
Worst thing about Seoul is the carrying back the grocery for a family of 4. It is quite time consuming and hard work. Miss the delivery service back home. I do get the Indian grocery delivered home, though. Me and my husband are vegetarians, so far we have been able to eat out well too; Even found a good Korean pizza place which delivers also. Italian restaurants do very well for us, we were able to find meatless menu on Burger places also. We have been able to coax the cooks in some Mexican and Thai places too for veggie food. My husband has Korean food for lunch and is loving it. My kids are just having a ball eating out in Korea as their options are endless.

KOREA:
The move to Korea is not too bad, until now. It has been quite an easy transition. Except for the language barrier. But we are able to read Korean and my husband is being tutored by a Korean teacher (by his company) and is progressing quite well in communicating with the Koreans.

The subway and bus routes connect the places so well and is always on time, that we feel quite comfy moving around. And lots of places yet to see and explore. So, it keeps us occupied.

People and polite and respectful and even helpful most of the times. They do understand a bit of English and with our broken Korean, we are able to exchange info in desperate situations.

Spring and Summer we can manage. Still worried about the Autumn with the typhoons and rain and the freezing Winters.

I do feel bored when the hubby is away on Saturdays also, but trying to keep myself busy with blogs and books.

I miss the chats, snacks, easy snack options in Bangalore and US. It has not been easy/cheap to get snack-food that we like in Seoul. The Korean snacks are not very appetizing, yet!

It does take a bit of adapting to situation and adjustments to our routines, but so far, it has been going on smoothly, for all of us. Korea is expensive compared to India. But i think by judiciously saving on public transports, cooking at home, enjoying free shows and places, we have been able to splurge in some places too 

Ranjitha Jeurkar is a freelance journalist/writer based in Bangalore. She considers her ‘extended vacation’ in Seoul a year well spent. When she’s not working, you can find her working on her photography skills, listening to music, or reading a book. The sights of Seoul gave her ample opportunity to hone her photography skills. She says:

Good things about Korea: The people definitely. The infrastructure, the fact that you can go out alone and not have to depend on a local or anyone else when you have figured out how the subway works. Also, it’s a rare chance to get an insight into another culture. The people are very sweet & trusting, and can be very helpful once you get to know them. Knowing that you can survive in a country where English is not spoken by the majority (not very well at least) teaches you a lot, and gives you a lot of confidence. Also foreigners have many facilities like free transport and other tourism offers which they can use to see the places around.

Bad things: Non availability of foods we eat — there are Indian stores but then there are some things you can’t get, or can’t get fresh, because they’re shipped from somewhere else. The weather is a huge problem, especially if you’re not used to the cold.

My decision to move to Korea: when my husband was offered a chance to move there, I was against it because of the usual reasons – food, not knowing people, weather and language problems. After we moved there and after the initial adjustment period, I fell in love with the place and its people. I do hope I get an opportunity to visit it again, or live there in the future.

Shristee says:

It is not that interesting to stay at home in Korea for the spouse as this is a country with a language barrier so socializing with Koreans becomes challenging.

As far as job options is concerned it is limited, infact sort of minimal as they demand proficiency in Korean for most of the jobs. English teaching part time can be done if they employ as they prefer native speakers.

Well to keep one busy, it depends on the spouse to a great extent, I mean she can join gym, library(library is free) and also if she resides in a place where Indians stay then its quite good.

Education of children is a concern, of-course if you compare with Indian schools. International school standards are not up to the mark and they are pretty expensive.

Good thing is it is very safe,very clean and Koreans are very nice people.