Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving to South Korea, whether to study, work, or simply live for a few months, is both exhilarating and disorienting. Between the neon lights of Seoul, the mountains of Bukhansan, the markets of Busan, or the trendy cafes of Hongdae, everything seems designed to impress newcomers. Yet, behind the initial excitement of the first few days, a much subtler feeling can settle in: homesickness.
Between 20% and 90% of people living internationally experience significant homesickness during their first year abroad.
This article offers a practical approach, informed by scientific research and very practical examples, to understand and, most importantly, cope with homesickness in South Korea, without spoiling the experience you came to find.
Understanding Homesickness: What’s Really Going On
Homesickness is not just a passing bout of the blues. Psychologists describe it as a form of separation anxiety: distress linked to being away from one’s familiar environment, loved ones, and reference points. Studies show it can take several forms, often intertwined.
First, there are emotional manifestations: sadness, irritability, diffuse anxiety, feeling of loneliness even when surrounded by people, sense of not belonging to the new environment. Some describe a form of grief for their “old life.”
Stress can manifest through various physical symptoms, including sleep disturbances, stomachaches or headaches, constant fatigue, changes in appetite (loss or compulsive snacking), and a weakened immune system. These signs appear when the brain, faced with a new situation, loses its bearings and must exert extra effort for routine tasks.
On a cognitive level, homesickness often translates into rumination: incessant thoughts focused on the home country, idealizing “home,” and fixating on the annoying or difficult aspects of South Korea. Research shows that this tendency to magnify the past and paint the present in a negative light can delay adaptation.
Although feelings of homesickness often subside after 1 to 6 weeks, they can become chronic for some expatriates. This can evolve into depression, social disengagement (withdrawal, avoidance), and a decline in professional or academic performance.
Recognizing these signs early, and above all considering them a normal reaction to a major transition, is already a first step toward feeling better.
Why South Korea Can Amplify Culture Shock
Not all expatriations are the same. Research emphasizes the concept of “cultural distance”: the more the values, norms, and practices of the host country differ from those of the home country, the more difficult psychological adjustment can be.
In South Korea, this gap manifests in everyday details that, taken together, can weigh heavily:
Adapting to life in South Korea involves understanding several cultural pillars. Social hierarchy, based on age and status, governs interactions and requires the use of honorifics. Gestures are codified: bowing to greet, giving or receiving with both hands, and avoiding direct refusal. Public space is marked by silence in subways, accepted physical proximity, and rigorous waste sorting despite the scarcity of trash cans. The language, with its Hangeul alphabet and specific kinship terms (like oppa, eonni), presents a challenge. Finally, work and study culture is intense, characterized by long hours, private institutes (hagwons), and strong social pressure to succeed.
Even practical life, though ultra‑modern, requires new reflexes: learning to use Naver Map or Kakao Map instead of Google Maps, understanding the T‑Money card system, dealing with the absence of trash cans on the street, mastering restaurant codes (call buttons for the server, self‑serve water, no tipping).
Adapting to Korean cuisine can be a challenge, as dishes like kimchi, bibimbap, or barbecue are enjoyed by some, but fermented flavors, omnipresent spice, or the absence of familiar products can be disorienting. This loss of culinary reference points is a powerful trigger for nostalgia.
Finally, the heavy urbanization and density of Seoul, twice as densely populated per square kilometer as New York, can accentuate a paradoxical feeling of loneliness in the middle of the crowd. Studies conducted in Korea indicate that approximately 77% of residents say they feel lonely, and nearly 4 out of 10 adults experience severe loneliness. Arriving in this context when already vulnerable to homesickness can intensify the feeling of isolation.
The Different Phases: From “Honeymoon” to Adjustment
Several models describe the emotional curve of expatriation. The simplest divides the process into three main stages: honeymoon, frustration, then adjustment. At the start, everything is exciting: you photograph every dish, marvel at the ultra‑fast subway and themed cafes, go from Gyeongbokgung to Myeongdong to Hongdae without pause.
After a few weeks or months abroad, a transition phase can occur. The initial exoticism gives way to irritations like linguistic misunderstandings, implicit cultural codes, direct remarks about appearance or age, and the fatigue of rush hour transport. For long‑term expatriates, homesickness is often strongest around the sixth month, with a tendency to idealize one’s home country, hometown, local supermarket, and old routines.
More detailed models, like that of Steven Rhinesmith, describe up to ten phases: initial anxiety, euphoria, culture shock, superficial adjustment, then a period of frustration‑depression before deeper acceptance of the local culture. This process resembles a roller coaster more than a straight line: you can feel perfectly at ease one day and completely lost the next.
The challenge is not to avoid these fluctuations – they are normal – but to have practical levers so they don’t turn into a depressive spiral.
Creating a “Home” in South Korea
One of the pillars for cushioning homesickness is to create a familiar cocoon in a foreign environment. Studies show that having a sense of control over one’s living space reduces the feeling of loss and strengthens adaptation.
Turning Your Residence into a Refuge
Whether you live in a tiny goshiwon near a university like Yonsei, a studio in Itaewon, or a family apartment in Pyeongtaek, it’s possible to make this place emotionally meaningful. This can be achieved through simple elements: printed photos of your loved ones, posters from your hometown, a favorite blanket packed in your suitcase, a cushion brought from home, a candle with a familiar scent.
Simple tips for personalizing your interior and combating the feeling of anonymity, based on research on homesickness.
A few pictures on the wall help create familiar visual reference points.
Two or three personal objects reinforce the sense of belonging and identity.
Investing in a small lamp helps create a calming, personal sensory atmosphere.
Mastering Daily Routine
Another powerful lever is establishing a routine. Far from boring, it provides structure in a context where everything seems new. Setting regular times to get up, eat, study or work, exercise, walk along the Han River or in a park like Olympic Park provides anchors.
Many people report that it’s when days remain vague and empty that ruminations about the home country take over. Conversely, a balanced routine leaves room for discovery without giving free rein to nostalgia.
Testimonials from expatriates
Establishing Small “Comfort” Rituals
A coffee in the morning always bought at the same GS25 on the corner, a weekly visit to a certain cafe in Hongdae, a weekly streaming TV series night, or ten minutes of journaling each evening: these micro‑rituals, repeated, become reassuring markers. Scientific literature on adaptation shows that these habits anchor the sense of belonging to the new environment.
Food and Comfort: Finding the Taste of “Home” Without Cutting Off from Korea
Food is one of the most powerful threads connecting us to our home country. Smells and flavors linked to happy memories activate areas of the brain associated with positive emotions, which explains why a simple dish can soothe a difficult day.
In South Korea, leveraging this can really help get through a bout of homesickness.
Recreating Your Favorite Dishes
Regularly preparing “home‑style meals” helps break culinary nostalgia. International supermarkets and some major chains in Seoul or Busan, not to mention specialty grocery stores, increasingly offer imported products. You can also take advantage of a trip back home to fill a suitcase with a few products unavailable locally, while respecting customs regulations, of course.
Specialists recommend planning a typical meal from your home country once a week, rather than daily. This strategy preserves a cultural anchor without slowing adaptation to Korean cuisine.
Fusing Cuisines Rather Than Opposing Them
An interesting strategy is to create “fusion” dishes: using Korean ingredients, which are very accessible, with recipes or techniques from your country. Korean rice transformed into risotto, local vegetables cooked in the style of your usual soups, or the reverse: kimchi incorporated into a Western dish. This creativity turns cultural confrontation into a culinary game.
Research indicates that an experimental attitude, without outright rejection or total fusion, is beneficial for adaptation. You don’t have to immediately adopt a new practice, like appreciating a specific dish; it’s okay to fumble and explore gradually.
Sharing a Meal to Break Out of Isolation
In Korea, food is a deeply social affair. People often order several dishes for everyone, share banchan side dishes, serve each other, toast with soju or beer. Taking advantage of this sharing culture to invite a few acquaintances over for a dinner “from your country” is doubly beneficial: you cook something that comforts you while building connections.
Conversely, accepting invitations to barbecues, a chimaek night with colleagues, or neighborhood dinners opens the door to deeper encounters than a simple “annyeonghaseyo” exchanged in a hallway.
Staying Connected to Loved Ones… Without Trapping Yourself
Current technologies make maintaining connections infinitely easier than in the past: video calls, instant messaging, social media, real‑time photo sharing. For an expatriate or exchange student, it’s a blessing—but also a trap if you’re not careful.
Organizing Communication Instead of Being at Its Mercy
Studies on homesickness show that staying in touch with loved ones is a protective factor, but only when it’s controlled. Spending hours every day scrolling through Instagram and watching the stories of friends “back home” can instead fuel a feeling of exclusion and FOMO.
For healthier communication despite the time difference, it’s advisable to schedule regular exchanges, like a weekly family call or fixed check‑ins with a close friend. Prioritize sending voice messages to share occasional updates, rather than constant back‑and‑forth contact. This organization avoids untimely calls at inconvenient hours and reduces the frustration of missed calls.
It’s also useful to vary the formats: sometimes a long email or detailed message, sometimes just a few photos in a shared KakaoTalk group with your siblings or cousins.
Show, Don’t Just Tell
Many feel that their loved ones “don’t understand” what they’re experiencing. One way to bridge this gap is to help them visualize your daily life: photos of your neighborhood, your office or campus, a short video of the Seoul subway, the view from your window, a typical dish tried at Mangwon Market.
Research on expatriate adjustment indicates that a more accurate representation of the reality of the host country by the family helps reduce projections of fears or judgments. This consequently lessens the pressure felt by the expatriate.
Don’t Feel Guilty If Others Write Less
Another important point highlighted by mobility specialists: the responsibility for maintaining the connection often falls mainly on the person who left, quite simply because they are the one undergoing a massive change. It’s common for friends or family to write less, not due to disinterest, but because their daily lives haven’t changed much.
Learning not to interpret this lower level of outreach as rejection, but as a normal imbalance, avoids adding a narcissistic wound to homesickness.
Building a Network in South Korea: A Major Antidote to Loneliness
All studies agree: the quality of the social network in the host country is one of the main determinants of expatriate well‑being. In short, to last long‑term, you need people on the ground to talk to, go out with, complain to, laugh with.
Relying on Expatriate Communities
South Korea has a very dense mosaic of international groups and communities. Major platforms like InterNations stand out, organizing in‑person and online events in cities like Seoul or Busan, but also a multitude of Facebook and Discord groups targeting specific profiles: “Every Expat in Korea”, “Seoul Expats”, groups for expatriate women, for English teachers, for hiking enthusiasts, for board game lovers, or for families with children.
Informal online exchange groups are valuable for practical questions, finding housing or a doctor, and meeting peers. However, for sensitive information regarding visas or taxes, it is essential to verify it with official sources, as reminded by foreigner support associations.
Exploring Bridges to Korean Society
Staying solely among foreigners can provide short‑term relief but sometimes fosters a long‑term feeling of living in a bubble cut off from the country. Research emphasizes the protective role of connections forged with locals: they provide direct access to implicit codes, increase the feeling of being “included” and not just a long‑term tourist.
Discover different ways to meet locals and immerse yourself in Korean culture through various social and community activities.
Participate in 언어모임 (language exchange meetings) in popular cafes in Sinchon, Hongdae, or Itaewon neighborhoods to practice the language.
Join university clubs (for students) or sports and artistic associations to build connections.
Discover local culture through Korean cooking, dance, or traditional music classes.
Get involved with NGOs like the Korean Animal Welfare Association or Habitat for Humanity to contribute to society.
Some Pointers on Social Life in Korea
To better project yourself, it can be useful to visualize certain concrete elements. The following table illustrates some frequent contrasts between “Western” social habits and Korean practices, which can be surprising and sometimes fuel the sensation of homesickness if not understood.
| Aspect of Social Life | Frequently Observed Practices in South Korea |
|---|---|
| Greetings | Bowing at the waist, using both hands to give/receive |
| Public Spaces | Quiet subways, high physical proximity, few trash cans |
| Dining Out | Sharing dishes, self‑serve water, no tipping |
| Leisure Hours | Late‑night noraebang, cafes open late, after‑work outings |
| Digital Communication | Massive use of KakaoTalk, importance of not “leaving on read” |
Understanding these codes makes them feel less like an attack and allows you to gradually integrate them into your own behavioral repertoire.
Opening Up to the Culture… While Taking It Easy
Many studies on expatriates show that embracing – at least partially – the culture of the host country reduces the duration and intensity of culture shock. In South Korea, this immersion can come through simple gestures: learning a few Korean phrases, joining a hanbok club and visiting Bukchon Hanok Village, taking a kimchi‑making class, attending a lantern festival or a KBO baseball game.
To fully enjoy your stay, seek a balance between discovery and rest. Avoid imposing a frantic pace of visits just to “get your money’s worth” out of the trip, as this can be as exhausting as never leaving home. The key is finding a tempo that combines exploration and relaxation.
Varying Activities to Nurture a Sense of Belonging
The country offers a multitude of options that can, besides providing distraction, help create new positive memories associated with Korea. Hiking at Bukhansan or Seoraksan to physically feel the country, afternoons in book cafes or board game cafes, karaoke (noraebang) nights, days in parks like Haneul Park or Hangang Park, weekend getaways to Busan or Jeju Island.
Research in Korea emphasizes that group leisure activities, like sports, hiking, movies, or gaming in PC bang, are important tools for combating loneliness and isolation, both for the local population and foreigners.
Allowing Yourself Rest and “Home Country Bubbles”
Conversely, it’s healthy to plan more familiar breaks: an evening watching shows from home on Netflix, a stop at Starbucks to find a universally recognized taste, a pizza or fast‑food night. These “neutral” islands sometimes act as an emotional recharge.
Psychologists recommend embracing these moments without guilt, especially in the first few weeks or during low points. The important thing is that they don’t become the sole refuge to the point of blocking openness to the local culture.
Managing Social Media to Avoid Feeding Longing
With an internet penetration rate exceeding 95% and massive use of social media, South Korea can quickly become a hyperconnected environment. However, studies on homesickness show that constant exposure to the “idealized” lives of others—whether they are back home or elsewhere—often accentuates the feeling of being out of sync.
To preserve your well‑being, it’s advisable to limit time spent looking at others’ perfect posts and to also share realistic moments from your daily life, like learning difficulties or modest successes. This helps reduce social comparison and reinforces relationship authenticity.
When Homesickness Overflows: Asking for Help
In most cases, homesickness is transitory and eventually dissipates as you build your daily life in Korea. But research also highlights that intense, prolonged homesickness can slide into a depressive episode or a more serious anxiety disorder.
Recognizing Warning Signs
Certain signs merit particular attention: near‑permanent sadness, loss of interest in hobbies, avoidance of previously enjoyed social situations, marked sleep disturbances, recurring thoughts of rushing back home, even suicidal thoughts. In Korea, the high figures for loneliness and suicide remind us these topics are not theoretical.
Studies on the Korean population reveal close links between isolation, depression, suicidal thoughts, and physical health problems. Young adults, subject to intense academic and professional pressure, are a particularly vulnerable population.
Using Available Resources in South Korea
Contrary to the sometimes‑perpetuated image of a country not very open to mental health, South Korea has invested heavily in this area in recent years. There are about 950 community mental health centers, a structured healthcare system with several tiers (general practitioners, specialized clinics, hospitals), and 24/7 emergency hotlines.
For foreigners, several structures offer support in English or other languages: private centers like Seoul Counseling Center or Adaptable Human Solutions, clinics with English‑speaking psychiatrists, non‑profit organizations offering helplines. Major cities like Seoul and Busan concentrate most of these resources, but services also exist in other regions, including in Pyeongtaek where many military personnel and their families live.
The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) can cover a significant portion of costs for long‑term residents, although cost can remain a barrier. Online therapy platforms offer complementary solutions.
Demystifying the Step of Seeking Consultation
Validated therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive‑behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, or interpersonal‑centered approaches, have shown effectiveness in reducing homesickness when accompanied by anxiety or depression. Consulting a professional is neither an admission of failure nor proof that you are “not cut out” for expatriation. On the contrary, it’s a way to give yourself additional tools to enjoy the experience.
Research, moreover, emphasizes that the way one overcomes this type of ordeal builds lasting emotional skills: better self‑knowledge, greater tolerance for uncertainty, increased empathy for others.
Balancing Links with Your Home Country and Anchoring in Korea
One of the most subtle difficulties of homesickness lies in managing this dual attachment: you want to integrate into South Korea, but you don’t want to lose your ties to your family, friends, and culture of origin. Studies on families separated by expatriation show that this tug‑of‑war can generate stress, but can also be a source of growth if you manage to find a balance.
Maintaining Links Without Dissolving Into Them
One strategy is to ritualize certain moments linked to your home country, while fully embracing your life in Korea. Celebrating your national holidays at home or with other compatriots, cooking certain traditional dishes on symbolic dates, organizing a group video call for an important birthday: these gestures nourish your identity anchor without preventing the construction of new local habits.
Set practical milestones like holding a simple conversation in Korean at a cafe, participating in a local festival, or joining a long‑term club. Checking off these objectives, even modest ones, reinforces the feeling of building a life here rather than just ‘holding on’ while waiting to return.
Planning Realistic Reunions
For expatriations lasting several years, many find it soothing to plan regular visits to their home country or to host loved ones in Korea. Knowing that an in‑person meeting is scheduled, even several months away, sometimes changes the color of daily life.
Research indicates that a return to your home country too early, just a few weeks after arriving in Korea, can harm adaptation by giving the impression of never really settling in. It is advisable to wait several months in place. This delay allows for living through a significant first anchoring phase before taking a break back home.
Making Homesickness a Chapter in Your Story, Not a Failed Parenthesis
It’s tempting to experience homesickness as a sort of personal bug: “I should be happy to be here, yet I feel bad; something’s wrong with me.” Scientific literature, on the contrary, emphasizes its universal nature: up to 70% of people who have left home for a long period experience it at one time or another.
Researcher Fisher’s model analyzes homesickness as a normal response to expatriation, structured into several aspects: a sense of loss and attachment, the break in habitual routines, a feeling of losing control, and confrontation with change and internal conflicts. Feeling this longing is therefore not a malfunction, but a coherent reaction to a new situation.
The question then becomes: what to do with this signal? Some choose to see it as proof that their “former” life mattered, that important bonds exist. Others use it as a motivator to implement active strategies: learn the language to gain autonomy, get involved in an association to find meaning, work on their internal beliefs with a therapist.
Longitudinal studies of students and expatriates show that once the wave has passed, many emerge from this experience with a reinforced sense of competence, a better ability to tolerate discomfort, and a more nuanced view of the world. They are neither “from there” nor completely “from here,” but develop a broader identity.
In South Korea, a country where loneliness and social pressure also hit locals hard, foreigners navigating their own internal storms are not alone. Behind the glass facades of Gangnam or the alleys of Yeonnam‑dong, many residents—Korean and foreign—are also learning to negotiate with their doubts, their longings, their desires to leave or stay.
Learning to manage homesickness here is also learning to inhabit this globalized world without getting lost in it. And that, even if it involves a few difficult evenings and many bowls of ramyeon eaten while listening to a “nostalgia” playlist, remains a valuable skill you take with you long after leaving South Korea.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. We encourage you to consult qualified experts before making any investment, real estate, or expatriation decisions. Although we strive to maintain up-to-date and accurate information, we do not guarantee the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the proposed content. As investment and expatriation involve risks, we disclaim any liability for potential losses or damages arising from the use of this site. Your use of this site confirms your acceptance of these terms and your understanding of the associated risks.
Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
