HOUSING CONSIDERATIONS - Living Abroad in South Korea - page 103

promote the circulation of air in South Korea's muggy summers, hanok design fea-
tures are remarkably effective and continue to inspire Korean architects to this day.
Seoul's Bukchon district and the Jeonju hanok village are among the country's
top spots for hanok viewing, though you'll come across them in all kinds of places.
More than a few foreign residents have been smitten enough with hanok that they
choose to live in, build, or buy them, though with their high maintenance costs and
the scarcity of some hanok construction materials they can be something of a labor of
love. And despite their often humble appearance, the recent revival of demand means
they don't come cheap—fully restored hanok in central Seoul, many of which are kit-
ted out with modern conveniences like professional-grade kitchens and underground
car parks, can easily run into the millions of U.S. dollars.
Despite some claims to the contrary, agents do generally focus on a particular district or
two, inevitably those they're located in. If you're house-shopping in expat-heavy neighbor-
hoods like Seoul's Yongsan-gu or Haeundae in Busan, you'll find many agents who speak
English or target non-Koreans. This can be great in terms of convenience and having them
understand your needs, but it also sometimes carries the risk of quotes being inflated due
to an affluent expatriate clientele. Outside of these areas, you'll probably need to enlist the
help of a Korean-speaking friend or colleague; rental negotiations and contracts are not an
area where you want any misunderstandings. Be as specific as you can about your require-
ments, and be patient—some agents try to foist their least desirable listings on new custom-
ers first—and you'll almost certainly find something you're comfortable with, since there's
no shortage of housing in most places.
Remember you're not bound to any particular agent (unless your company is employing
one), so check with as many in your preferred area as possible. That nice complex that one
agent said was “unavailable” or “full” might just turn out to have five listings with the next
guy. It's also possible to do some preliminary research online, but much of what's available
is either extortionately expensive (if it's advertised in English) or misleading—in South
Korea very attractive online property offers are sometimes used as bait to draw people into
agents' offices, at which point they suddenly no longer apply.
Commissions are standardized at around 0.5 percent of the rental rate—every agent
should have a chart of exact rates that will be applied according to the transaction displayed
prominently in their office—and payable by both the renter and the landlord.