HOUSING CONSIDERATIONS - Living Abroad in South Korea - page 98

that rival the nicest apartment. They account for most housing outside apartment blocks and
usually outnumber apartment complexes in older neighborhoods.
While they can be quite nice and are similar to apartments in many respects, units in vil-
las tend to cost less, mainly because they generally lack facilities such as security guards,
outdoor play areas, and parking—no small concern on South Korea's crowded streets.
Besides the price advantage, some expatriates like them for their cozier feel compared to
larger housing blocks. A functional (but by no means fancy) two-bedroom villa in a major
city will rent for around 700,000 to 1 million won per month, but prices can sink to half this
level if you're willing to consider small units in older buildings.
WHAT WAS THAT ADDRESS AGAIN?
The unique address system that still dominates South Korean cities is often of little
help in finding a destination. During the country's rapid development, building num-
bers were frequently assigned on the fly as plots of land were divvied up or created
and thus often have no real connection to physical placement: 147-6 Hyoja-dong
could be right next to 847-2 Hyoja-dong, for example.
What logic there is to old-style addresses can be outlined as follows. They'll gen-
erally include the gu (city district) and the dong (neighborhood). Dong vary in size
and shape and major districts will include dozens, but if you've found the dong you
need to go to, you generally won't be too far from your final destination.
So how do people get where they need to go? In the past this was a bit of a
crapshoot—directions were typically given in relation to the nearest subway station
or other major landmarks. With the arrival of GPS technology, however, most cabs
are now equipped with navigation devices, and a lot of Koreans sport navigation-
equipped smartphones on which destinations can be called up with a few keystrokes.
Most cabbies will know how to get to major sights, parks, and landmarks, but for
restaurants and clubs, you should have the address written down for them in Korean,
or at the very least a phone number they can call for directions.
The address system is complicated by the fact that authorities, aware of the head-
ache the old system represents, are busy rolling out a new one that's much closer to
the international standard, with building numbers that correspond to positions on a
major street. There has also been an effort to name and post signage for more streets,
which was previously seriously lacking. The new system has already taken hold in