Leading up to my much anticipated departure to Korea, I was wondering what I should pack. The more I read or watched, the more I found that I wasn’t sure what items would be in Korea and what wouldn’t.
Now I’ve been here for over a year and I’ve realized that some “must brings” really weren’t necessary at all. I’ve found that there are some things I REALLY wish I had packed.
There are some things to consider when packing for Korea. First, your location has a lot to do with how readily available many items will be. I live in Busan, Korea’s second largest city, so it’s not difficult to get nearly any item you will need. There are several large department store chains like E-Mart and HomePlus which carry just about any item you could imagine. There is also a Costco here which has some of the hard-to-find western products that you may not find in the Korean department stores. If you are placed in a smaller city or very rural area, finding these types of stores and many products will be more difficult. Second, when packing you really need to be mindful of the weight of your suitcases. You are allowed two suitcases (large and medium) and a carry on in most cases. Each of the two suitcases will have weight limits as well, set by the airline you fly with. Packing unnecessary items will just add needless weight to your baggage and also take away from the available space for truly important items.
If I had it to do all over again, I would definitely pack differently. Many have asked me about this so I decided to do a brief vlog on the topic, describing the items I would bring and leave behind if I were to do it again. I talk about deodorant, shampoo, sheets, drugs and a few others. Happy packing!