Korea can be exciting to explore—and surprisingly difficult to navigate. Korea Compass turns healthcare, transportation and everyday systems into clear, practical guidance for international visitors and residents.
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Healthcare in Korea
Understand how Korean hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and prescriptions work before you need them.
Travel in Korea
Plan transportation, payments, food and everyday logistics without wasting time after you arrive.
Living & Practical Tips
Learn how to use local apps, shops and services—and avoid the small problems that can make life in Korea frustrating.
Latest Guides
New and updated guides to healthcare, travel and everyday life in Korea.
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Why Korea Celebrates Its Origins and Its Alphabet: October Holidays Explained
October brings two Korean holidays with very different stories: a legendary beginning and an alphabet created to help people write. Here’s what they mean, plus the dates to know for 2026.
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Korea eSIM for Tourists: A Simple Beginner’s Guide
A plain-English guide to choosing and using a Korea eSIM, including phone compatibility, setup, local numbers, and the limits of identity verification.
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Toothache While Traveling in Korea? A Tourist’s Guide to Seeing a Dentist
Imagine this: it is your second evening in Seoul, and a crown comes off during dinner. You still have several days of sightseeing planned, but now you need a dentist in Korea—and you are unsure how to book, what it might cost, or whether your insurance will help. A clinic’s website may tell you about…
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Primary Care Doctor in Korea: Why There Is No U.S.-Style PCP
Looking for a primary care doctor in Korea? Korea has neighborhood clinics, but most patients are not assigned to one PCP. Learn how referrals, specialist access and care coordination work differently.
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Korean Medical Records in English: Why Translation Is Not Enough
A literal English translation can preserve every word in a Korean medical record and still miss the clinical story an overseas doctor or insurer needs.
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Korea Is So Clean—So Where Are All the Trash Cans?
Korea’s streets look remarkably clean even when public trash cans are hard to find. Here is why—and what travelers should do with cups, wrappers and food waste.
Guidance Built from Real Experience
Korea Compass is edited by Michael Han, a Korea-based international healthcare professional with more than 15 years of experience supporting foreign patients and working with Korean medical providers.
Our guides combine firsthand knowledge of Korean systems with current public information and clearly identified sources. The goal is simple: to explain what international visitors and residents actually need to know before making a decision.