All Guides

Every guide on this site, grouped by what you are trying to do. Each one is checked against an official Korean source and carries the date it was verified, because most of these numbers change and most English pages do not keep up.

Entry, visas and customs

• Jeju's 30-Day Visa-Free Entry Is a Different System From Korea's. And It Doesn't Get You to Seoul. — two separate visa-free schemes land at the same airport, and only one of them lets you go to the mainland.
• K-ETA Exempt? You Still Have to File the Arrival Card — the exemption covers one form, not both.
• Korea Customs Limits: The Official English Page Is Wrong — the duty-free allowance in English does not match the Korean rule.
• The 10 Million Won Fine for Meat in Your Bag Is a Third-Offense Ceiling, Not a Rate — the number every guide quotes applies to almost nobody.
• Korea Moved the Medication Permit Online in 2024. Its English Page Still Says Fax. — how to actually get prescription medication approved.

Getting around

• Seoul Subway Fare 2026: Why Guides Still Say ₩1,400 — the base fare moved and the English internet did not.
• Which Korea Transit Pass Actually Saves You Money — the break-even point for each pass, worked out.
• Seoul's Climate Card Ends October 1, Not August. And Not the Pass You'd Buy. — only the 30-day version is being retired.
• T-money Refunds: What the Official Guide Actually Says — where you can reclaim a balance, and the fee nobody mentions.
• Seoul Taxi Fares, and the Scam the City Is Cracking Down On — current meter rates and the refusal problem.
• Renting a Car in Korea: The Permit Rule That Stops You — which international permits Korea accepts, and which it does not.

Maps and phones

• Google Maps Still Doesn't Give Directions in Korea — why, and what it can still do.
• Naver Map vs Kakao Map: Which One in English — a direct comparison of the English versions.
• The Korean Phone Number Wall, and How to Get Around It — the services that will not work without a local number.

Money, shopping and etiquette

• Korea Tax Refund Minimum Is ₩15,000, Not ₩30,000 — the threshold changed and the refund desks did not update their signs.
• You Don't Tip in Korea, and There's a Rule Behind It — the price display law that explains the whole custom.

Practical Seoul

• Where to Actually Leave Your Luggage in Seoul — stations, lockers and sizes, with prices.
• Seoul Has Exactly One 24-Hour Pharmacy — and what to do the rest of the night.

K-pop

• Korea's Ticket Resale Law Changes on 28 August 2026. Every English K-pop Guide Still Describes the Old One. — what becomes illegal, and what stays legal.
• Does Your K-pop Album Purchase Count on the Hanteo Chart? The Store Matters, Not Your Country — the retailer decides, not your shipping address.

How these are checked

Every figure is traced to a primary source — a ministry notice, a city FAQ, a published law — and each guide lists those sources at the end with the date the check was done. Where a fact could not be confirmed, the guide says so instead of rounding it off. See About for the method.