Senior Columnist Dong-hwan KimSenior Columnist Dong-hwan Kim

Senior Columnist at JJAN Korea. Former Political Editor and Editorial Board Member with 28 years in Korean journalism, including 3 years as a Washington D.C. correspondent and recipient of the Kwanhun Journalism Award. Specializes in Korean immigration policy, diplomatic affairs, and deep structural legal analysis.

Tourist Police in Korea (관광경찰): How to Report Taxi Overcharging, Price Gouging in Myeongdong & 1330 Hotline

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Tourist Police in Korea (관광경찰): How to Report Taxi Overcharging, Price Gouging in Myeongdong & 1330 Hotline

While South Korea consistently ranks among the safest travel destinations in the world with virtually negligible rates of violent street crime, international visitors occasionally encounter frustrating commercial pitfalls. These range from unscrupulous late-night taxi drivers refusing meters in bustling nightlife zones and street food carts withholding statutory price tags in Myeongdong, to aggressive cosmetics touts … Read more

Garbage Disposal & Recycling in Korea: Standard Bag Rules (종량제 봉투), Food Waste Sorting & Fines Avoidance

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Garbage Disposal & Recycling in Korea: Standard Bag Rules (종량제 봉투), Food Waste Sorting & Fines Avoidance

For newly arrived expatriates, international university students, and long-term foreign residents in South Korea, domestic waste disposal is often the very first cultural and administrative shock encountered. Unlike many Western nations where household trash is casually consolidated into a single municipal dumpster, South Korea enforces one of the most sophisticated, technologically audited, and strictly regulated … Read more

Foreigner’s Guide to Calling 119 in Korea: Free English Interpretation, Night Ambulances & Hospital Emergency Room Costs

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Foreigner's Guide to Calling 119 in Korea: Free English Interpretation, Night Ambulances & Hospital Emergency Room Costs

Experiencing a sudden acute medical emergency, severe traumatic injury, or midnight health crisis in a foreign country is one of the most frightening situations an international traveler, exchange student, or expatriate can face. In South Korea, calling 119 connects you to an exceptionally trained, rapid-response paramedic and rescue service that operates 24 hours a day, … Read more

2026 Alien Registration Card (ARC) Complete Guide: HiKorea Appointments, Required Documents & 90-Day Rule

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2026 Alien Registration Card (ARC) Complete Guide: HiKorea Appointments, Required Documents & 90-Day Rule

For any foreign national intending to reside in the Republic of Korea for more than 90 days, the Alien Registration Card (ARC / 외국인등록증)—recently officially re-titled as the Residence Card (외국인신분증)—is not merely an identification credential; it is the absolute operational keystone of your legal existence. Without an ARC, you cannot establish a postpaid smartphone … Read more