<aside>
🇰🇷 Welcome to join Mason Korea! We are delighted to have you join us and look forward to your valuable contributions. Please review the following checklist and travel information when you prepare your move to Korea.
</aside>
✅ Clothing: Please consider the weather conditions and the length of your stay in Korea when packing. If you will stay for a full year or longer, be sure to bring enough warm clothing and layers for the winter season.
✅ Prohibited & Restricted Items: Before packing, please check the **Prohibited & Restricted Items list.**
✅ Documentation: Please prepare all your important and relevant documentation, along with several copies. You will likely need photocopies of your passport and photo ID shortly after you arrive for administration purposes.
✅ Local Bank Account: If your contract was issued directly by Mason Korea, you are required to open a local bank account after your arrival. (For those whose contracts were issued through Fairfax, opening a local bank account is optional.) We will assist you with setting up your local bank account; however, please note that this process may take a few weeks due to updated bank policies and your Alien Registration Card issuance process, which will be supported by the HR Department. In the meantime, please ensure that you bring sufficient cash for your initial living expenses and/or an ATM card to access your US bank account.
✅ Currency & Exchange Rate: Take some time to be familiar with the exchange rate between the Korean won (KRW) and the US dollar. This will help you learn the price difference compared to your home country.
✅ Useful Resources: If you would like to have a better understanding of living in Korea, such as the cost of living, cultural and social etiquette, and other basic information, this website may give you some useful information to review: **https://www.internations.org/south-korea-expats/guide/living**
✈️Flight Ticket
💡It is recommended that faculty arrive in Korea approximately two weeks prior to the first day of the semester. This allows sufficient time to settle into housing, complete the Alien Registration Card (ARC) registration process, attend the Faculty Orientation (Faculty Development Program), and other onboarding events, and prepare for the beginning of the semester. Please ensure that your arrival falls within the arrival window communicated by the Mason Korea staff.