Association des Francophones de Corée (AFC) http://afc-online.org/
Association des Francophones de Corée (AFC) is open to both men and women. The AFC organizes social events throughout the year for French speakers in Korea. Membership includes a free subscription to their bi-monthly cultural magazine Le Petit Echotier.
Australian & New Zealand Association of South Korea http://www.anzakorea.com
Australian and New Zealand Association of Korea (ANZA) holds its monthly Coffee Morning at 10:00 a.m. every third Tuesday at the Paris Bar and Grill, Grand Hyatt Hotel. ANZA organizes various events including the Melbourne Cup Ball.
Busan Foundation for International Activities http://www.bfia.or.kr/english/index.html
To build a well organized global city with an internationally renowned reputation for living and businesses through cultural and educational exchanges and supporting international residents while raising the global awareness of people in Busan.
Busan International Women's Association (BIWA) http://www.biwakorea.com/index.htm
The Busan International Women's Association is a charitable social and cultural organization open to women living in the Busan and Kyungsang Namdo area of South Korea. As a non-profit organization we raise money to help those in the local Korean community who are in need. At BIWA we encourage friendship, support, and cultural exchange between our international and Korean members by organizing a wide variety of social and cultural activities.
Cercle Franco – Coreen (CFC) http://www.cerclefrancocoreen.org/
Cercle Franco –Coreen (CFC) is for French speaking expatriates and Korean women willing to promote cultural exchanges between the two communities. The CFC offers monthly coffee mornings, and tours and events.
Club Italia http://www.clubitalia.or.kr
Club Italia meets at 13:00 every Sunday for lunch on the premises of the Franciscan School in Hannam-dong.
Daegu Spouses Association http://www.taeguspouses.org/
DSA is a volunteer-based spouses group that makes a difference in the community through its welfare committee and generous service, helps new spouses acclimate to the dynamic environment that IS Daegu, and provides great commradery within its membership.
Inter Culture Korea (ICK) http://www.internexus.co.kr/
This is a membership club for Korean citizens and foreigners living in Korea.
International Spouses of Koreans Association (ISKA) http://www.iskakorea.com/index.php
A support group for non-Korean women who are married to Korean men based in Seoul, Korea.
Nordic Women's Club http://www.kolumbus.fi/hannu.ruhala/nwc/about.html
Nordic Women's Club is open to those with strong links to Scandinavia by origin, marriage or overseas posting. The group meets the last Monday of the month. The club official language is English. The Nordic Women's Club Seoul (NWC) was established in 1969. Nordic Women's Club is open to all who have a link to one of the five countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Seoul International Women's Association http://www.siwapage.com
Seoul International Women's association (SIWA) was created in 1962 as a group of women from different nationalities including Koreans in order to enhance the expatriate life in Korea as well as to support those in need in this country. Very rapidly this initial small group of women grew in popularity and over the years membership rose continuously to a peak of 1 000 women from 80 different countries.
Swedish Women's Educational Association http://www.chapters-swea.org/seoul/
Swedish Women's Educational Association is open to Swedish women in Seoul.
Korea 4 Expats http://www.korea4expats.com
A one-stop source of information on living and working in Korea, Korea4Expats helps you out before you come to Korea and while you are working/living in country. Over and above practical daily information, the site includes the most comprehension list of current events and acitivites, a directory of expat-recommended businesses and services, as well as a Forum where you can ask questions and share information. The people who created Korea4Expats.com and who continue to run it are expats living in Korea.
Korean Government for Foreigners http://www.g4f.go.kr/
G4F Portal provides comprehensive information regarding investment, immigration, policies, labor issues and daily living in Korea.
Korea Infogate http://www.koreainfogate.com
The name "KoreaInfogate" means that this site is the gateway to information on Korea. The site is designed to provide useful and practical information to people around the world interested in Korea or who wishes to do business in Korea.
Seoul Help Center for Foreigners http://shc.seoul.go.kr/
To support expatriates in Seoul, the center offers a wide range of advice on topics such as traffic, education, housing and health care, through Seoul Hot Line, a speedy means of troubleshooting for foreigners.
These tips were kindly provided by volunteer Expat Women Mentors in 2007. ExpatWomen.com shares these tips in an effort to help but takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information.
Provided by Catherine H, American, Seoul, Korea
1.
Read as much as you can about Seoul and Korea. There's a lot of great information online in the form of blogs by long-time expats and those who've accepted short-term English Teaching Assignments. It's good to get a diverse perspective, if possible. Remember to take everything with a grain of salt, however. Try to learn at least a good overview of Korean History too. I checked out a few from the library before moving and bought a few from the bookstore.
2.
Learn at least some basic words and phrases in Korean. It's very easy to get by here if you speak English, but things will be much easier if you at least attempt to speak the native language when you can. The Korean alphabet is very easy to learn (it took me a day and a half), and it will help immensely with sign reading and finding your way around.
3.
Be willing to ask for help. If you are moving here as a corporate relocation, you will probably have the services of a dedicated relocation agency. They can help you get settled, negotiate apartment leases, help with shopping, school registration for children, etc. If you don't have this assistance, try seeking help from a Korean acquaintance or co-worker. You will find in many situations that Koreans do business in a "relationship" basis rather than a "stick strictly to written contract/regulations" basis. Plus, many Koreans are nervous when dealing with people who don't speak the language. It helps to have a native speaker to navigate some situations, i.e. finding an apartment, negotiating terms, signing up for cell phone service, cable, Internet, etc. In general, Koreans are very friendly and want to help you. But, it helps if they feel that you are friendly and respectful too.
4.
Check into resources for expat women. There are many different groups of expat women here who meet regularly socially and have set up systems. One good example is the Seoul International Women's Association, (http://www.siwapage.com) a group of female expats from all over the world. There are also smaller groups of women from particular countries. Particularly of you are in Seoul, it is very easy to meet other expat women from all over. If you are outside Seoul, it is a little hard, but still possible. And Korea is a rather small country with excellent transportation systems, so it is easy to meet up at least every once in a while with people who may live in another part of the peninsula.
5.
Try to remain open and flexible. Particularly if you are from a Western Culture, you'll probably experience a good bit of culture shock. There are a lot of customs that will seem very different. You can't possibly be prepared for everything no matter how much you read or who you speak to beforehand. Try to give yourself a break, and don't take any cultural misunderstandings too seriously. Korean people understand that you don't know everything and they don't expect it. But be prepared to acknowledge and respect (even if you don't agree with or adhere to) certain cultural traditions.
