Residence for Foreign Student

    This article introduces various types of residences that international students can use. I'm going to briefly explain the terms "dorm", "gosiwon," "share house," and "rented room."

 

    Hello, it's OIA from Silla University's Office of International Affairs!  Recently, as Korean culture such as K-pop, movies, dramas, Korean food, and IT technology has become famous, interest in Korea is increasing around the world. More and more students are going to study in Korea to experience and learn the Korean language and culture in person from around the world. If you decide to study abroad in Korea, you will think of the problem of food, clothing, and shelter among many questions. I will introduce you to the types of residences where international students can spend their time studying abroad.

1. Dormitory

    The first form of housing that comes to mind is the university dormitory. The big advantage of it is convenient and relatively inexpensive to commute to school because it is close to the university. In addition, it has the characteristic of community life, but there are strict rules of life for the protection of privacy. Another characteristic of the dormitory is that the rooms are divided into single, double, and quadruple rooms by the number of people. If you use a multi-person room, you will be able to live with not only Korean students but also international students from various countries, giving you a good opportunity to learn each other's culture and exchange languages. In addition, the dormitory is equipped with various amenities such as a lounge, a reading room, a computer room, a laundry room, a fitness room, and a restaurant, providing convenience to students. In order to move into a dormitory with these characteristics, you can generally prepare and apply according to the items introduced below.

(Application procedures, papers, etc. vary from school to school -> refer to each university's website)

① Time of application : February/1st semester, August 2nd semester

② Application documents : Application Form for Foreigner's Dormitory (a fixed form), etc.

③ Dormitory type : One room per person (one room per person, one room for three people, and one room for four)

④ Dormitory fee : 490,000 won to 1,800,000 won per semester

⑤ The residence period : 4-6 months (application is required every semester)

⑥ Points to note : Compliance with the guidelines for each school

    As such, most Korean universities have dormitories with the above characteristics. Among them, I would like to briefly show Silla University's dormitory located in the city of Busan among many universities in Korea.

Dormitory of Silla University

Silla Universities

(1) Baekyang Living Center

    The Baekyang Living Center aims to foster leaders who contribute to the development of the country and society through a communal life in harmony with autonomy and discipline, providing convenience for the study of local students.

• Number of floors : 7th floor of Building A (room 78), 10th floor of Building B (room 88)

• Capacity: 506 people in total

• Building A - 2nd to 4th floor (male students), 5th to 7th floor (female students) / double room

• Building B - 3rd to 5th floors (male students), 6th to 10th floors (female students) / 4 people's rooms

 

(2) Global Town Building A / Building B

    In addition to the residential purpose of local students, Global Town aims to foster global talent through joint living with foreign students in line with the study of foreign students and the global era.

• Number of floors : 7th floor of Building A (room 78), 10th floor of Building B (room 88)

• Capacity : Total 522 people

• Building A - 1st to 7th floors (male students), 1st to 7th floors (female students)

 

(3) Global Town Building C

    In addition to the residential purpose of local students, Global Town aims to foster global talent through joint living with foreign students in line with the study of foreign students and the global era.

• Number of floors : 7th floor of Building A (room 78), 10th floor of Building B (room 88)

• Capacity : 212 people in Global Town Building C

• Room for two : 103 rooms • Room for three: 2 rooms

• Dormitory of Silla University

https://dorm.silla.ac.kr/loadPage.do?jspPage=/PORTAL/STUD/A/A/SSAA010&menuId=00087

• Office of International Exchange of Silla University

http://global.silla.ac.kr/global/

2. Gosiwon

    The second place to introduce is Gosiwon; facilities where people preparing for bar examinations or civil service examinations stay and study. If you consider accommodation mainly for sleeping, Gosiwon can be one of the good ways. It has a desk, a bed, and an air conditioner in a small room. The washing machine can be used mainly for public use, and there is a common kitchen and kitchen, so you can also eat. However, a side dish is often prepared yourself. When choosing one of the various Gosiwon, it is important to choose a place with good safety facilities for fires as the top priority in terms of selection.  In Korea, it can be seen anywhere around the university, and there is many Gosiwon in Sillim-dong and Noryangjin in Seoul. It's cheaper than other places. Of course, depending on the facility and whether you can eat or not, the price varies widely, and sometimes it exceeds 300,000 won to 550,000 won at least per month.

3. Share House

    The third one is a share house. The share house is called a "new type of housing" that uses residential spaces such as rooms, living rooms, kitchens, and toilets with tenants.  It has the advantage of being economical in terms of cost to share housing costs with several people. Also, you can share and enjoy culture with others because it is a large space and convenience facilities that are shared by multiple people. If the characteristics of the share house match your tendency, living in the share house can be a good choice. It would be better to refer to the below checklist before moving into the share house.

✓ Contract Terms and Conditions

(1) Are there any additional expenses other than contract period, cost, and monthly rent?

(2) Use of common goods    

(3) The contract and the contents of the contract showing the contents such as when the contract period is not met.

✓ Continuous Management

(1) Frequency of public space management and cleaning

(2) Feedback rating for discomfort

(3) Administrator's frequency of visits

✓ Convenience Facilities

(1) Location of transportation, convenience stores, banks, marts, cafes, etc.

✓ Roommate

(1) Grip the atmosphere and lifestyle of the share house

4. Rented Room

The fourth type of residence to introduce is a rented room. You can choose a variety of rooms.  Generally, a studio apartment near the school is picked in Korea. If you decide to live alone, you have to look around and make careful decisions to find a room. These days, real estate apps are used a lot because it has the advantage of saving time by easily obtaining information about rooms without looking around various places such as room types.

 

Please refer to the following information on how to find a room, the type of room, and the rent!

 

Point to note

✓ What options are available? (Air-conditioner, refrigerator, washing machine, desk, bed, etc.)

✓ How much are the maintenance fee and utility bill (heating, electricity, water bill, etc.) per month?

✓ Is the Internet available?

✓ Check security issues such as installation of crime prevention devices and CCTV around them.

✓ Is it a room with good natural light?

✓ How is the water pressure in the bathroom and sink?

 

How to Find a Rented Room	Real estate agencies, in-school Internet communities, Real estate website, real estate application (APP)
Types of Rooms	Ⓐ One-room	-The larger the floor area, the closer the subway station and school, the higher the price. - Full options include furniture such as desks, closets, and beds, and home appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners.
	Ⓑ General Housing	- Detached house - Most people rent a single floor when it is a multi-story building.
	Ⓒ Villa	(Villa: a term used to refer to multi-family houses or row houses.) (Apartment: It is a residential type in which buildings with five or more floors are constantly divided into several houses on each floor so that each independent household can live.) - Mainly, there are two rooms, a living room, a veranda, and a bathhouse. (*Luxury villas have more facilities.)
	Ⓓ Apartment
	※In the case of renting a house in Korea, furniture, home appliances, etc. are not usually prepared except for a studio apartment, and tenants must prepare them.
Type of Rent	Ⓐ Monthly Rent	1) Pay rent on a monthly basis. - Deposit: A hybrid type that pays a certain amount of deposit and a certain amount of rent per month. (Mixed type is the main.) - No deposit: Monthly rent only. 2) Pay monthly rent on a 10-month basis (Pay monthly rent for a certain period of time, such as 10 months, and deduct one month of the monthly rent) *If you rent it as a deposit, it is often higher than the monthly rent, so foreign students tend to prefer the monthly rent to the deposit.
	Ⓑ House Rent	- Without monthly rent, the money is left to the landlord during the contract period and returned when the contract is over. - Mainly, the contract period is two years.
	Ⓒ Mixed Form	- Deposit + monthly rent. In the case of a studio apartment, much of this rent is selected. - In the case of rental and mixed types, the landlord does not bear the cost of repairing the water, sewage, and boiler from 30,000 won to 40,000 won. In addition, it is not the owner's duty to wallpaper and renews the floorboard general, but it is also possible to consult with the owner. - In the case of rental and mixed types, the basic contract period is two years, but of course, it is possible for one year according to consultation with the owner. If the contract period exceeds 1 year and 6 months out of the two-year contract period, it is recognized that the contract period has been fulfilled. - There is no need for separate preparatory documents when signing a contract, and only a rental contract is required. One of the two is owned by the owner and the other is owned by the landlord. It is desirable to sign a contract through a real estate agent.

    So far, we gave you some information on four types of housing that can solve housing if you study abroad in Korea. I hope it will help you choose the type of housing that suits you in consideration of your tendency and various conditions! Consider the dormitory if you want a cost-effective life, the Gosiwon if you want a simple life, the sharehouse if you want to meet a variety of people, and the rented room if you want a comfortable life! 😄

If you have any more questions, please visit https://global.silla.ac.kr/global/

 

 and search it or call the Silla University's Office of International Affairs phone number (051-999-5514). 

✐ Silla University's office of international affairs instragram : https://www.instagram.com/silla.oia/