SEDA Feed

Everything about working and living in Korea.

From EPS-TOPIK strategy to everyday life in Korea — guides for every stage.

Exam tips

5 Synonym and Antonym Traps in EPS-TOPIK Reading: How Not to Get Fooled by Words That Look the Same

Five recurring synonym and antonym traps in the EPS-TOPIK reading 'Vocabulary and Grammar' item, analyzed against the official exam standards and the revised standard textbook, with context-based rules for picking the right answer.

2026.08.1411 min
Life in Korea

Your First Korean Funeral 😔 A Guide So Your Hands Don't Shake at the Envelope Table

A Korean's honest guide for foreign coworkers heading to their first funeral in Korea: envelope amounts, how to bow, what to say, and why the beef soup matters.

2026.08.069 min
Getting to Korea

E-9 Visa Workplace Change 3-Limit Rule: When and How to Use It Without Losing Out

E-9 workplace changes are capped at 3 over the initial 3-year period, and since September 2023 you can only move within your assigned region. Learn the no-count exceptions, the regional and sector limits, the 3-month job-search trap, and the re-entry perk for staying 1+ year.

2026.08.0411 min
Exam tips

EPS-TOPIK Listening Dialogue Traps: 5 Patterns Where the First Speaker Isn't the Answer

5 EPS-TOPIK listening traps where the first line isn't the answer — plus a 3-step protocol for test day.

2026.07.2710 min
Life in Korea

Why Does Korean Get Harder the More You Learn It? 😳

The same sentence can mean the exact opposite, a negative can leave the meaning unchanged, and spacing swings between extremes. A look at the real reasons Korean feels so uniquely hard.

2026.07.236 min
Life in Korea

A New Red Day Appeared on the Calendar: What Is Jeheonjeol? 🇰🇷

Flipped to July and noticed the 17th is suddenly red? Here's what Jeheonjeol (Constitution Day) is, why it's back as a holiday after 18 years, and whether you actually get the day off.

2026.07.155 min
Country info

Indonesia EPS-TOPIK 2026: From BP2MI Registration to the UBT Exam

A source-checked guide to SISKOP2MI signup, BNI payment, the 50-minute UBT, and the steps after passing EPS-TOPIK.

2026.07.109 min
Life in Korea

How Far Have You Been in Korea? Gimhae: A Good City for a Slow Day Next to Busan

Gimhae is a quiet city next to Busan. This guide introduces an easy one-day route through Gaya history, Bongnidan-gil, dwaetgogi pork, eel, and Global Food Town.

2026.07.096 min
Exam tips

EPS-TOPIK Listening Traps: 5 Number and Time Patterns That Cost You Points

Numbers and time expressions in EPS-TOPIK listening must be processed in 1–2 seconds. Here are 5 patterns that trip up test-takers most often.

2026.07.087 min
Life in Korea

Why Do Koreans Still Talk About 2002? ⚽

Why your Korean coworkers still bring up that World Cup semifinal run from over 20 years ago, and what actually happened in Korea that summer.

2026.07.067 min
Getting to Korea

From EPS-TOPIK Pass to Korea Arrival: A Complete Guide to the Waiting Period and Step-by-Step Timeline

A step-by-step breakdown of what happens between passing EPS-TOPIK and landing in Korea — jobseeker roster, employer matching, E-9 visa, and average wait times, based on official sources.

2026.07.0210 min
Life in Korea

Why Does Korea's Jangma Last So Long? A Survival Guide to Your First Monsoon ☔

From late June through July, why does rain continue almost every single day in Korea? From the real reason jangma happens to laundry that won't dry, mold, and flood safety — here's how to survive your first monsoon.

2026.07.029 min
Life in Korea

E-9 Worker Year-End Tax Settlement Guide: Process, Documents, and How to Get Your Refund (2026)

An NTS-sourced guide to year-end tax settlement for E-9 visa workers in Korea: filing duty, the 19% flat-rate option, required documents, and refund collection.

2026.06.2912 min
Life in Korea

A "ㅇㅇ" Doesn't Mean They're Mad — How to Read the Temperature of a Korean Friend's KakaoTalk

You sent a long, thoughtful message and got back two letters: 'ㅇㅇ'. Sulking, or just busy? Friends, crushes, group chats, even the boss — let's read the 'temperature' running through Korean texting today.

2026.06.298 min
Country info

Indonesia EPS-TOPIK 2026: A Complete Guide to Registration, Quotas, and Score Trends

What Indonesian EPS-TOPIK 2026 candidates need to know — BP2MI registration, CBT testing, the 2026 quota and point system, and post-exam steps, based on official sources.

2026.06.2611 min
Life in Korea

A Coworker Invited You to Their Wedding. Do You Go? How Much Cash Goes in the Envelope? A Full Guide to Korean Wedding Gift Money

A coworker you barely know just handed you a wedding invite. Do you go? How much do you give? How do you fill out the envelope? Here's Korea's chukuigeum culture, decoded — with 2025 figures.

2026.06.2611 min
Life in Korea

"I-geo jom," "Geo-si-gi," "Jeo-gi it-jan-a" — 3 Korean Workplace Words You'll Hear Daily But Won't Find in Any Dictionary

Textbooks skip them. Korean worksites use them twenty times a day. Here's why these words aren't in your dictionary — and how to actually catch them.

2026.06.247 min
Life in Korea

Going to the Doctor in Korea: Where It Actually Trips You Up 🏥

Local clinic first, or a big hospital? Which department? Here's the real order of seeing a doctor in Korea — plus the one phrase you'll need at each step.

2026.06.228 min
Life in Korea

Opening a Korean Bank Account as an E-9 Worker: Required Documents and a Remittance Fee Comparison

A practical guide for E-9 visa holders on opening a Korean bank account, the documents you need, and how major banks compare on overseas remittance fees.

2026.06.2212 min
Life in Korea

Why the Mood Went Cold When I Called Him 'Hyeong' — The Invisible Rules of Korean Titles

In Korea, you don't just call any older man 'hyeong.' Here's why the same person gets called different things depending on who's watching.

2026.06.177 min
Getting to Korea

EPS Employment Permit System Eligibility: Age, Education, and Health Requirements Checklist

Passing the EPS-TOPIK is not enough — candidates who skip the eligibility check are being disqualified at the dispatch stage. This covers the official criteria across five areas (age, education, health, criminal record, and exit history) with a self-check list to run before you register.

2026.06.1511 min
Exam tips

EPS-TOPIK Reading Time Management: A Strategy for 25 Questions in 40 Minutes

Running out of time on the EPS-TOPIK reading section? Here's a 96-second-per-question framework with order-of-attack and marking strategy.

2026.06.096 min
Life in Korea

From 60,000 to 3 Million: What exactly happened in the alleys of Seongsu-dong?

A story beyond the 'Brooklyn of Seoul' through the eyes of the SEDA team

2026.06.084 min