Living in South Korea

South Korea pays well and doesn't cost quite as much to live in as the money might suggest, so a salary stretches into real savings. The harder part is getting through the door, because without local ties or the language, hiring stays tough and English carries only in certain corners. Where outsiders do find footing, it tends to be teaching, tech, or the creative and media side. The rewards are there for those who can break in.

South Korea's diaspora is shrinking — down 6% over the past decade, to 2M — a quiet reversal as the country becomes a destination in its own right. The largest community by far is in the United States, home to 1.1M Korean-born residents, ahead of Japan and Canada.