Need help with housing near Yonsei University-South Korea.

[floridafam]

Hoping someone here may be able to point me in the right direction. My child is studying abroad in South Korea next fall. He didn't get into on campus housing (expected this.)

Any suggestions on housing near the university in Seoul? I thought I'd ask since he's busy working during the day and I can check for updates on this post.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

[debster812]

I'd probably suggest that my child check with the program they are doing the study abroad with. If it was not unexpected that they would not have on campus housing, the program might have some insight on to some other options.

 

[floridafam]

I wish it were that easy. Yonsei only has 200 beds for international students. His university here really doesn’t have any suggestions.

He’s doing a lot of research on guest houses and such but I was hoping maybe someone here possibly stayed in Seoul recently.

 

[pfalcioni]

Isn't Seoul a city of like nine million people? Even if someone had stayed there, they would have had to be very close to the University to actually have any helpful information. Doing a very quick search for "Yonsei university study abroad off-campus housing" I found this as the first Google hit https://oia.yonsei.ac.kr/campus/preHousing6.asp there were other promising links too.

 

[4kids4karen]

So, I am renting an AirBnB in Hongdae in a few weeks (Hongik University area) The owner has 12 college style apartments, but rents on AirBnB in the summer. Have you tried looking on AirBnB and maybe contacting the host to see if they rent the during the school term to students?

When I lived in Korea, I just went to a local real estate agent (that was approved by the military base) and got an apartment. Maybe rent an AirBnB for the first month until he can find a permanent place?

Keep in mind AirBnB is technically not legal in Korea because the lack of hotel tax.

Looking at the map, the AirBnB I am staying at is less than a 2 minute walk from the Hongik University subway station and is fairly close to your son's school as well. It is going to be hard to secure housing until he is in country, because of course, he will want to look at the place first hand himself to determine if the area is what he is wanting and how close it is to public transportation.

 

[Hook326]

While I can’t tell you specifically what housing options are, what I can tell you is that the subway system is very efficient and easy to get around on (have been to Seoul 3 times) so you don’t have to worry about being really close to campus. Yonsei is located by several other universities so he may have luck looking further out if options closer are full. How long will he be there? I would pick a budget and go from there. If it’s shorter term, maybe Airbnb like a pp suggested. Good luck to him! It’s a great city to go to!

 

[floridafam]

Isn't Seoul a city of like nine million people? Even if someone had stayed there, they would have had to be very close to the University to actually have any helpful information. Doing a very quick search for "Yonsei university study abroad off-campus housing" I found this as the first Google hit https://oia.yonsei.ac.kr/campus/preHousing6.asp there were other promising links too.

Yes. We've looked at those links. The DIS has a lot of members. While we do our research, I thought I'd luck out and find someone who maybe had a student who stayed near any of the universities in Seoul.

 

[floridafam]

While I can’t tell you specifically what housing options are, what I can tell you is that the subway system is very efficient and easy to get around on (have been to Seoul 3 times) so you don’t have to worry about being really close to campus. Yonsei is located by several other universities so he may have luck looking further out if options closer are full. How long will he be there? I would pick a budget and go from there. If it’s shorter term, maybe Airbnb like a pp suggested. Good luck to him! It’s a great city to go to!

He will be there for four months-August through December. He's on a Facebook group, too. There is a place called URSeoul which looks nice but many people have said they never got their deposits back. I'm certain he will find a place.

 

[4kids4karen]

Yes. We've looked at those links. The DIS has a lot of members. While we do our research, I thought I'd luck out and find someone who maybe had a student who stayed near any of the universities in Seoul.

Even if someone had a student there now or recently there, you are looking for available housing for a specific timeframe.

Are you looking for shared housing, dormitory style, or studio apartment style?

This is the host we are using for our upcoming trip. There are many AirBnB host with various accommodations to small single rooms to entire homes.
https://www.airbnb.com/users/27448075/listings

 

[floridafam]

Even if someone had a student there now or recently there, you are looking for available housing for a specific timeframe.

Are you looking for shared housing, dormitory style, or studio apartment style?

This is the host we are using for our upcoming trip. There are many AirBnB host with various accommodations to small single rooms to entire homes.
https://www.airbnb.com/users/27448075/listings

I'm not looking to secure housing on here. Just looking for suggestions-maybe from someone who frequents Seoul, knows someone who has studied or lived in Seoul, etc. Just exploring all the possible options.

 

[4kids4karen]

I put in some Aug-Dec dates and for $453 a month, you can get a small private room like this.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14440225?location=Yonsei University, Yonsei ro, Sinchon dong, Seodaemun gu, Seoul, South Korea&check_in=2018-08-12&check_out=2018-12-28

Editing to add this one that features Yonsei. Student rooms are tiny as many do not spend a lot of time other than sleeping in their rooms.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/257572...orea&check_in=2018-08-05&check_out=2018-12-28

 

[floridafam]

I put in some Aug-Dec dates and for $453 a month, you can get a small private room like this.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14440225?location=Yonsei University, Yonsei ro, Sinchon dong, Seodaemun gu, Seoul, South Korea&check_in=2018-08-12&check_out=2018-12-28

That's about the rate that he is finding, too. He can share a room at URSeoul for about $555 per month but he would just have to accept that he may lose his deposit. For a chance to study in South Korea for a semester, that would be okay with me. I'm sure his experience would outweigh losing $500. He's working a really intense internship this summer and doesn't have a lot of time during the day to look at housing.

 

[4kids4karen]

That's about the rate that he is finding, too. He can share a room at URSeoul for about $555 per month but he would just have to accept that he may lose his deposit. For a chance to study in South Korea for a semester, that would be okay with me. I'm sure his experience would outweigh losing $500. He's working a really intense internship this summer and doesn't have a lot of time during the day to look at housing.

If he can find a small kitchen, that wold be great. Most students are probably just using a hot plate. These places are smaller than my sister's place. My sister teaches English at a public elementary school South of Seoul.

 

[floridafam]

If he can find a small kitchen, that wold be great. Most students are probably just using a hot plate. These places are smaller than my sister's place. My sister teaches English at a public elementary school South of Seoul.

Wow, that's what my daughter wants to do. Thanks for the links. I forwarded them to my son.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I imagine this site is pretty heavily US/Western World population oriented. I think you'd have better luck with your question in a different online community.

I mean, maybe you will find somebody who has experience with student housing in South Korea. Weirder things have happened...

 

[4kids4karen]

Checkout this guy's listings. He operates community houses for foreign exchange students. His listings say he only uses AirBnB for short-term during the summer and holiday months, otherwise his properties are for exchange students rented by the semester. So it looks like you can rent one bedroom in a 3 or 4 bedroom home and share the kitchen and living room with the others.

https://www.airbnb.com/users/6192470/listings

He has a Facebook page as well Kim's Community House.
https://www.facebook.com/kimscommunityhouse/?ref=br_rs

Good Luck!

 

[floridafam]

Checkout this guy's listings. He operates community houses for foreign exchange students. His listings say he only uses AirBnB for short-term during the summer and holiday months, otherwise his properties are for exchange students rented by the semester. So it looks like you can rent one bedroom in a 3 or 4 bedroom home and share the kitchen and living room with the others.

https://www.airbnb.com/users/6192470/listings

He has a Facebook page as well Kim's Community House.
https://www.facebook.com/kimscommunityhouse/?ref=br_rs

Good Luck!

Thanks for the link. He is staying at one of Kim's community houses. He just made his deposit and signed the contract. He also purchased his plane ticket yesterday after his student visa arrived from the consulate. It's all coming together and he departs next month for four months. Yay!!

 

[4kids4karen]

Thanks for the link. He is staying at one of Kim's community houses. He just made his deposit and signed the contract. He also purchased his plane ticket yesterday after his student visa arrived from the consulate. It's all coming together and he departs next month for four months. Yay!!

That’s great it worked out. I am on the KTX train now returning from three days in Busan, going back to Daegu for a couple days before heading to Seoul to depart. We stayed in Hongdae literally at the Hongik University, exit 2, subway station in an AirBnB and it was great. Since I am traveling with a 16 and 25 year old the area suited them well. The only negative is Hongik station is a VERY popular stop so returning home one evening was an adventure as we were packed like sardines for about four stops. LoL. There were a lot of Russian exchange students hanging out watching the Buskers and singing along. More than I think I saw when I actually lived in Seoul years ago. We talked to quite a few Aussie’s during our stay (majority teaching in Korea).

 

[floridafam]

That’s great it worked out. I am on the KTX train now returning from three days in Busan, going back to Daegu for a couple days before heading to Seoul to depart. We stayed in Hongdae literally at the Hongik University, exit 2, subway station in an AirBnB and it was great. Since I am traveling with a 16 and 25 year old the area suited them well. The only negative is Hongik station is a VERY popular stop so returning home one evening was an adventure as we were packed like sardines for about four stops. LoL. There were a lot of Russian exchange students hanging out watching the Buskers and singing along. More than I think I saw when I actually lived in Seoul years ago. We talked to quite a few Aussie’s during our stay (majority teaching in Korea).

Interesting. I will share this with him. He's working until a week before he leaves so he needs to make a list of things left to do. He's going to get a little currency from his bank, he needs to check on his phone plan and make adjustments, etc.

I'm really excited for him.

 

[DopeyDame]

He's going to have such an amazing time! We've been to Seoul three times, and love it more each time. I'm so jealous he is spending a whole semester there.