Top 5 Cities for Digital Nomads in Korea

With Korea's Digital Nomad Visa now a permanent program, here are our top five locations to consider, each offering a unique lifestyle.

1. Gangneung / Sokcho / Yangyang

Located along Korea's beautiful east coast, these cities are perfect for those seeking a relaxed seaside lifestyle. They offer easy access to stunning beaches, ski resorts, and national parks. Gangneung is just two hours from Seoul by high-speed train. Keep in mind though that the area becomes very crowded during the summer, and the international community is relatively small.

2. Busan

Korea's one of the three largest cities, with a population of over 3 million, Busan combines urban convenience with coastal living. It enjoys milder winters than most of the country, has a well-established international community, and is approximately three hours from Seoul by high-speed train.

3. Jeju Island

Korea's largest island offers beautiful beaches, volcanic landscapes, and a unique island lifestyle. Home to around 650,000 residents, Jeju is just over an hour's flight from Seoul's Gimpo Airport. While the island offers an exceptional quality of life, living costs can be relatively high, and typhoons occasionally affect the island during the summer.

4. Seoul (Gangnam & Seocho)

For those who prefer a vibrant metropolitan lifestyle, Gangnam and Seocho are among Korea's premier districts. As the country's business, cultural, and educational center, Seoul offers outstanding infrastructure and excellent international and public schools with a higher proportion of English-speaking students. This makes it particularly attractive for families with school-age children, although housing costs are considerably higher than elsewhere in Korea.

5. Gwangju

The largest city in Korea's Jeolla province, Gwangju is renowned for its rich culinary culture thanks to the surrounding fertile agricultural region. It is known for being particularly welcoming to the international community and has recently attracted major semiconductor investments from Samsung and SK hynix. The city is approximately 2.5 hours from Seoul by high-speed train.

At Open Real Estate, we assist Digital Nomads in finding suitable accommodation throughout Korea. Whether you are relocating to one of the cities above or another region, please feel free to contact us at oiaa@openvisakorea.com for more information.