Foreign students and scholars at Konkuk University are encouraged to live on-campus. Please note that the following information on off-campus housing is for reference only. KU does not endorse any specific service providers.
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While foreigners may purchase real estate in Korea, rentals are highly recommended for foreign students and scholars staying at KU for a semester or two. In general, there are two types of rentals in Korea.
Securing housing without being present in Korea is not only complicated, but also risky. If you are located overseas and do not have family or friends in Korea, an online search is a good starting point. You might want to visit the following websites to have general idea in terms of location and cost.
Website | Language |
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http://seoul.craigslist.co.kr/search/hhh http://nicerent.com/ http://acerealty.co.kr/ http://p-pan.com/shop/ https://www.zigbang.com/ http://www.dabangapp.com/ |
English English English Korean Korean Korean |
Prior to arriving in Korea, you should reserve temporary accommodation, such as a hotel or guesthouse, as finding a suitable place to live will take some time. Once you arrive in Korea, it is best to visit the neighborhood you intend to live in with a Korean and find a real estate agent (gongin jungaeso or budongsan). You can ask the real estate agent to show you as many places as possible, and you can try multiple real estate agents as they have different listings. Signing a rental agreement directly with the landlord is uncommon in Korea.
Because English-speaking agents are difficult to find, the local Gwangjin-gu government launched a real estate search service called the "Global Network Center" in May 2013. Through the center, Chinese-, English-, and Japanese-speaking volunteers help foreigners find housing and provide translation services. To make a reservation or obtain further information, please contact the Land Registration Division at (02) 450-7755. The following real estate agents in the area also provide services in foreign languages.
Language | Name | Address | Phone | |
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English | SOBAEK | 248-1 Junggok-dong | khchoi50@hanmail.net | 432-8949 |
HANA | #105 Hyundai Apt. Retail Bldg. 567 Gwangjang-dong |
mancoder@nate.com | 444-4949 | |
CHEONJIIN | #101, Hyundai Plaza 565 Gwangjang-dong |
mate-machine@hanmail.net | 458-5151 | |
KANGSAN | 200-1 Guui-dong | tehshikyoo@hanmail.net | 446-0092 | |
FIRST | 2-48 Hwayang-dong | hhkim10@hotmail.com | 498-7100 | |
English & Japanese | JANGWON | 257-76 Guui-dong | justain53@daum.net | 444-8066 |
Japanese | DUSAN | 164-3 Junggok-dong | janghm25@naver.com | 467-9103 |
DURI | 12-34 Hwayang-dong | duli0620@naver.com | 498-9024 | |
Chinese | NEW WORLD | 848-1 Jayang-dong | isyu693869@naver.com | 468-8080 |
HYESEONG | 845-4 Jayang-dong | china2cn@hanmail.net | 464-4666 | |
HEEMANG | 285-14 Gwangjang-dong | suniynot@hotmail.com | 3437-0401 |
When visiting different places with real estate agents, there are a few things to consider.
If you decide to rent a place, ask the real estate agent for a copy of the property registration called deunggibudeungbon. This official document shows the legal owner and whether the property was used as collateral for loans. This is an important process as you would be paying a large lump-sum deposit in addition to monthly rent. The real estate agent should require copies of IDs from both the tenant and landlord. And you should verify whether the landlord's ID matches with the property registration.
Transferring the deposit and monthly rent from your bank account to the landlord's is the safest. If you pay in cash, always obtain receipts. Your bank may also have a limit in terms of ATM withdrawal, so plan ahead.
You will pay real estate commissions after you sign the rental agreement. By law, real estate commissions are set according to the type of housing and rent: http://klis.seoul.go.kr/sis/userService/html/html.do?url=/info/realestate/realestate_fee (in Korean)