Feeling: Confident
Listening to : Ladies Code – Bad Girl (PLEASE READ)
Alien Registration Card
Having only one class on this rainy Wednesday in Seoul, I decided that it was time to work on my pending “to-do” list and go get my Alien Registration Card. For foreigners staying in Korea for more than 90 days, you are required to register at the local immigration office within 90 day of your arrival.
To register, you have to go to the Sejongro Branch Office on the 2nd & 3rd floor in the Seoul Global Center. I believe there are other places in Seoul you can go. This is just the one my University recommended.
The Address:
Seoul Global Center
64-1 Seorin-dong, Jongno-guSeoul, Korea.
Directions:
Subway
Take Line #1 (The Dark Blue Line)
Get off at Jonggak Station, and then leave out of exit #6
As soon as you come out of the exit, the building is a straight shot in front of you. You don’t have to cross any streets. Just keep looking to your left.
Bus
Take Bus #1020
Get off at Jongno-1-ga
For me, personally, the subway is more simplistic and I chose to get there that way than the bus. I’m not sure how far away the bus drops you off from the building, but I’ve been told it’s pretty close.
When you enter the building and go to the 2nd floor, you immediatly enter the room with A LOOOOOT of people. It’s like the DMV, except you are hearing about 10 different languages in the background. I couldn’t recognize all the different nationalities, but to name a few: Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, Italian, Mexican, and American. There were even more countries there, but I just didn’t recognize them.
There will be a machine a few feet away from the entrance. It will give you certain options like Resident, Student, etc. I clicked “Student” since that’s what I’m here in this country for, and got a ticket.
My ticket number…
…4243
The number currently being served…
…4204
Well crap. I’m gonna be here awhile.
Though the waiting took about 45 minutes to an hour, the process itself took less than 5 minutes. What you need bring in order to register as an alien in Korea is:
- Alien Registration Application (You’re university might give you this, or you can grab one right there while you’re waiting)
- Passport
- A copy of your passport and visa (NOTE: You can do this right in the same room you are waiting in. Just make sure you do it WHILE you’re waiting rather than when your number is called. I actually didn’t know about this, but luckily I made several copies of my passport and visa and put them in my backpack so I didn’t need to carry my passport around to school…YAY FOR BEING OVER PREPARED!!!)
- Certificate of Entry (Your school will give this to you)
- 1 Passport size photo
- 30,000Won (~$30.00USD)
I highly recommend you have all of these things ready to go when you get to the center, because you are going to save SO much time. Someone told me that another exchange student at Kookmin came here and it took her 2 hours because she didn’t have all her information.
I can’t really say how long your waiting time will be. My room mate went, and she was there for 4 hours. No joke. I’m not sure if the fact she went on a sunny Friday and I went on a rainy Wednesday had anything to do with it. But just be prepared to spend some time there regardless and make sure you don’t have anything on your schedule for the rest of the afternoon.
Also, bring a crossword puzzle. Or a 3DS…some sort of entertainment. It’ll make the time go by faster.
I now have to go back on the 24th to get my official Alien Registration Card. This process is MUCH more simpler than the first one, because I’ll just have to bring my document in, they give me the card, and then I leave. No lines. With this card I can get a phone and, more importantly, open a bank account here in Korea. Hooray for money!!
Since I got out so early, I decided that I didn’t want to go back to the dorm just yet and window shopped in the Subway. One of the coolest things about Seoul’s subways is that it’s like a mini shopping mall. You never gonna know what kind of shops and food you’ll find underground.
I found a book store. About 90% of the books were Korean, but it was still fun to walk around and see the different genres and sections they had available.
Also to note no matter where you go in Seoul, there usually (like 90% of the time) will be an English translation to any menus, signs, or directions you are looking at. You don’t have to worry about not finding what you need or worried that you won’t be able to get around because you can’t read or speak Korean. For example in the book store underneath the Korean word for the book genre section there is an English translation. Like I said before, English is a vital skill to have because it is like that middle ground of communicating with the rest of the world. So they will use that middle ground to make sure that a majority of their foreigners can get around and proceed through everyday life and simple as possible.
They had a Cartoon Network section, and were playing Power Puff Girls in the background [English version of course].
I LIKE CEREAL!!!!
Then I came across…
The CD Store
Okay. I know I’ve lost most of you at this point. But bare with me, alright? I promise I won’t go into full KPOP fan girl mode!!
This was the highlight of my day to see KPOP CD’s in person! After years of only listening to digital copies I could get up close and personal with these albums. I love how in Korean the albums are huge. It’s double the size of a regular CD case you’d find in Korea. They are also very creative, too. For example f(x)’s “Pink Tape” album is LITERALLY a pick VCR tape.
From what I could tell the CDs weren’t categorized alphabetically, but by the entertainment labels (YG, SM, JYP, Cube, etc.)
They have a lot of diversity as well. I was surprised to find a JPOP section (I’m just now just seeing the Namie Amuro CD in the picture and I’m kicking myself for not buying it!). And of course they have an English section. Ed Sheeran was on the top hits. Hellz yeah. That’s my fiancé!
WiFi
If there is one set of information you take away from my blog PLEASE let it be this: In every store that offers WiFi, on the receipt will be the WiFi ID and password. This is extremely helpful when you are coming to a country with no cell service. I’m getting around just fine with no data plan because WiFi is everywhere. It is usually password protected, so if you are in a bind just go into a store, by something cheap, and look at the receipt for the WiFi password. And if the employee doesn’t give you the receipt just say “WiFi?”. That word is universal, so everyone knows what you’re asking.
Music
Ladies Code is 5 member girl group that debuted in 2013. They are fairly new, but they are an up and rising rookie group that have received a lot of attention for their powerful vocals.
I would like to take a moment and honor the life of member EunBi, who passed away yesterday due to a car accident (The girl at 1:33 of the video). She was only 22.
As I said, it was raining hard yesterday. The van’s wheel fell off, and due to the wet roads the van spun several times and hit a guard rail. 2 members are in critical condition, and EunBi passed away at the scene. One of the 2 members in critical condition has been in a coma for over 3 days.
This isn’t about liking KPOP, and this isn’t about a singer never taking the stage again, this is about a young life tragically ending.
If you could, I would like to ask to who ever is reading this take their own personal moment of silence to honor her, and send your thoughts and prayers to the other 2 members for a full recovery.
Thank you.
My Days as an Exchange Student in S.Korea 