Apartment

Features: The most common housing type in Korea, with multiple households living in high-rise buildings. Apartments come with good security systems and often include amenities such as convenience stores, gyms, and playgrounds.
‍Why it’s recommended: Offers a convenient living environment and a stable management system. Foreigner communities are common, making adaptation easier for new arrivals.

Officetel

Features: A versatile housing option that can be used for both living and office space. Typically, these units are studios or small 1-2 room apartments, often located in urban areas.
‍Why it’s recommended: Ideal for those working in the city due to their proximity to workplaces. They usually come furnished with basic furniture and appliances, allowing for immediate move-in.

Villa

Features: Low-rise residential buildings, usually around 4-5 stories. Villas are smaller in scale compared to apartments and have lower maintenance fees.
‍Why it’s recommended: Provides independent living spaces at affordable prices, perfect for those preferring a quieter residential environment.

Goshiwon

Features: Very small rooms catering mainly to students or short-term residents. Shared facilities include common bathrooms and kitchens.
‍Why it’s recommended: Extremely cost-effective option for living in the city, ideal for short-term stays or those on a budget.

Jeonse (전세)

Features
‍Large Deposit, No Monthly Rent: Jeonse requires a significant lump-sum deposit, often 50% to 80% of the property's value, with no monthly rent. This deposit is returned in full at the end of the lease.
Long-term Lease: Contracts are usually for two years.
Low Monthly Costs: Since there's no rent, tenants only pay for utilities and maintenance fees.
Why it's recommended: If you can afford the large deposit, it can act like a savings account since you get the full amount back. And also lower living expenses because Without monthly rent, ongoing costs are much lower.

Wolse (월세)

Features
Monthly Rent: Wolse involves a smaller initial deposit along with monthly rent payments.
‍Flexible Contracts: Rental agreements typically last one to two years but can vary.
‍More Availability: Wolse properties are more readily available, especially in cities.
Why it’s recommended: Wolse properties are more readily available, especially in cities

Banjeonse (반전세)

Features
‍Medium Deposit, Reduced Monthly Rent: Banjeonse is a hybrid between jeonse and wolse, requiring a larger deposit than wolse but smaller than jeonse. Monthly rent is also lower than typical wolse.
‍Balanced Costs: Balances the benefits of both jeonse and wolse by reducing both the initial deposit and monthly rent.
‍Why it’s recommended: Requires a medium-sized deposit, making it a compromise between high-deposit jeonse and low-deposit wolse. And also the monthly rent is less than typical wolse, easing financial pressure.

As an Hagwon teacher, you have the option to decide whether to take the provided housing or use the stipend to find a place that suits your preferences.So what if choose Option 1 (Housing Provided by Hagwon) you don't have to pay rent fee. So could think it's free.

Housing expenses consist of maintenance fee and utility fee. Total housing expences generally fall in the 100,000 KRW – 200,000 KRW($70-$140) per month range.

Maintenance fee(관리비)
The maintenance fee is a monthly fee that covers specific utilities and services of the building. It is difficult to give an accurate definition, because sometimes it includes water and electricity costs, and sometimes only the use of building services, such as general management costs, cleaning costs, disinfection costs, elevator maintenance costs, heating costs, hot water costs, etc. Sometimes there is no maintenance fee at all, so this should be written on the lease to make it clear for the tenant. If the utility fee is included in the maintenance fee, it should be written as gwanlibipohamnaeyeog”(Management/ maintenance fee included). For example, if you see water and internet next to “gwanlibipohamnaeyeog”, this means that you don’t have to pay for them separately, but you still need to pay for other utilities, such as gas and electricity.

Utility fee‍
Utility fees will depend on your housing type, and is usually measured per ”pyeong” or Pyeong(equivalent to 3.3 meters). Officetels has the highest utility bills because the building has more activity, since the rooms are used for commercial purposes, it uses more electricity than the other buildings.Building services (such as cleaning services, elevator use, public toilets, etc.), and maintenance fees for Officetels is also higher. The cheapest maintenance costs are villas and studio apartments, because the scope of services is much smaller (no security, sometimes without elevators, etc.).

In South Korea, homes and apartments are measured in pyeong, where 1 pyeong is roughly equivalent to 35 square feet or 4 square meters. Foreign teachers are usually provided with a single studio apartment that is about 9 pyeong, or 300 square feet. However, the size of apartments can vary depending on the location. Cities like Seoul, Busan, and Incheon typically have smaller apartments, whereas less populated areas usually offer slightly larger living spaces.
‍Important Points for Foreign Teachers:
‍Measurement System: Apartments are measured in pyeong.
‍Average Size: Approximately 9 pyeong (300 square feet).
‍Location Differences: Apartments in major cities are generally smaller; less populated areas may have larger apartments.

While specifics can vary between schools, most apartments for foreign teachers in Korea come equipped with essential furnishings:
- Bed
- Television
- Table & Chairs
- Wardrobe or Equivalent
- Refrigerator
- Clothing Rack
- Cooking Range
- Washing Machine
‍These basics ensure that foreign teachers have everything needed to settle in comfortably in their new Korean apartments.