Life Abroad in East Asia

Based on my experience living in South Korea and friends input on Japan, Taiwan, and China.

If you missed it, this month I’m doing a little series on a very basic look at life in different regions in the world. I’m writing based on my personal experience and do need to be clear that I’m generalizing a lot. There’s loads of diversity and the change from a big city to small town will be huge but I’m having to overlook to give you the wider picture.

The goal here is to either A) help you narrow down where in the world might be a good fit for you or B) help get your mindset right if you’re already planning a move to one of these places.

I’ve already written about Southeast Asia and Latin America. Today I’ll focus in on East Asia and next week I’ll wrap up with Europe.

Let’s get to it.

That photobooth from Japan was still one of the best things I've ever done

The General Vibe

East Asia is often considered:

• China

• Japan

• South Korea

• Taiwan

• Hong Kong

• Mongolia

• North Korea

Personally, I lived in South Korea for 1 year. I’ve visited Japan and Hong Kong but to speak about more than just South Korea, I’ll be relying on friends who have lived in each of the above countries, with the exception of Mongolia and North Korea.

Generally speaking, I’d consider life in these countries to be colorful, cute, and safe.

The colors stem from a simple walk through any city. Lights, textures, and a painted vibrancy shout back at you. The region doesn’t have the stoicism much of Europe has or the simplicity of Latin America; it’s eye catching, with each shop or restaurant fighting for your attention.

I consider it cute because, well, most things are cute in East Asia. They rely heavily on anime, cartoons, or big dancing stuffed animals for advertising. Even the police notices on the subway in South Korea were drawn and adorable, looking more like a picture you’d give to your 6-year old than a warning against pickpocketing.

You’ll quickly learn multiple ways to make hearts with your hands and, before you know it, you’ll be tossing them out in every picture you take. This alone has come to symbolize my time in South Korea so much that I have a finger heart tattooed on my arm.

The sense of safety cannot be understated here, especially compared with other parts of the world. I forgot to mention this in last week’s edition on Latin America but that’s not a word I would use to describe that region. But it is something I’d confidentially say about East Asia.

There are, unfortunately, bad people everywhere but in East Asia you don’t have to worry so much about getting your phone slipped out of your back pocket or walking around with a bookbag that obviously carries a laptop.

One night in Seoul, a friend of ours drunkenly left his phone at an all-you-can-eat-bbq around 1 in the morning. The next day, he woke up and realized what he did. He assumed his phone would be long gone by then so didn’t stress about rushing to the place, he instead went to work and swung by around 6pm after finishing his day. When he arrived, his phone was still sitting on the table where he left it. Diners had come and gone and staff had cleaned the table multiple times, always setting the phone back to where they found it, waiting for its owner to return.

While I’m sure this is an extreme case, there’s very few places in the world where there’s even a chance of this happening and East Asia is one of them.

The General Job Market/Visa Options/Internet Access

The job market here is really strong for foreigners compared to other regions of the world, especially if you’re interested in teaching English.

The only caveat is that they have strict requirements for teachers and not much wiggle room to bypass them. I’ve heard of a few exceptions but you can assume the rules to be:

• Must have a passport from a native-English speaking country

• Have a TEFL certificate

• Have a Bachelor’s degree in any subject

• Show a clean background check from country of residency

• Have a clean bill of health (you’ll have to do a health check once you arrive for your visa)

If you have these qualifications, there are plenty of teaching jobs out there for you. For more specifics on each country, I suggest you check out:

• Teaching in South Korea

• Teaching in Taiwan

• Teaching in Japan

• Teaching in Hong Kong

• Teaching in China

If you don’t want to teach, there are still options out there but know the job market can be competitive, especially if you need an English-speaking job. The best country to move to and job hunt in-person is Taiwan. This is one of the few countries in the world that offers a visa before you get hired. You can read more about that option here.

There are now a handful of countries that offer some sort of digital nomad visa, namely Japan and South Korea. This gives remote workers the chance to live here while working online, just know that as of now, they both have strict caps on how long you can stay.

For those that work online or are interested in tech, there’s no better region in the world for you. I’ve never enjoyed faster internet or access to new technology more than during my time in East Asia. My husband is what we would all consider a huge nerd and to him, that region is heaven.

The General Job Culture

This section is one I haven’t added to the other posts but felt it was necessary to mention here. The job culture can be really tough. Personally, this was the reason we decided to move on after only a year in Seoul.

I adored the city, my friends, and the joyfully chaotic life we had there. I also loved my coworkers and my students. But I did not love the job culture.

Working in East Asia is a commitment. The region tends to pay well and a lot of time offers perks like housing and a fast visa process but the bar will be high. You’ll likely work long hours and be expected to go above and beyond. Sick days aren’t really a thing and even vacation days aren’t always a given.

Locals tend to work hard and play hard, surviving on way less sleep I learned I needed to function. While that lifestyle can be a lot of fun for the right person, it wasn’t the best personal fit.

The General Cost of Living

Generally the cost of living is higher than you’d face if you opted to move to Latin America or SE Asia instead. That said, if you work in-person, your pay and perks will be higher as well, offsetting that.

Apartments tend to be very small in big cities. Most have a lofted bed to give you more floor space but, truly, don’t expect too much space unless you have a big budget backing you up.

Luckily, street food runs supreme in these countries. To balance your budget, you’ll want to get comfortable with eating on the street. Don’t worry, your taste buds will thank you!

Anything Else to Add?

This is a very general look, based on my 1st hand experience of living in East Asia, namely South Korea. While there’s so much diversity in the food, landscape, and specific cultures here, this is a blanket look into the region.

If you’ve lived anywhere in East Asia and have something to add, drop it in the comments!