Becoming a digital nomad in your own country, with Grace
The definition of what it means to be a digital nomad has been changing a lot these past few years: is it being a traveler without a home or simply a remote worker? In Korea, it’s often the second option.
Grace is Korean. She works for an American company, remotely, and has her freelance activities on the side - a small business and Instagram account called Eunée Eonnie with which she wants to promote Korean culture and tourism. She has a home she loves in Seoul, but she doesn’t mind leaving it for a few months at a time. After traveling throughout Asia, she decided to travel through Korea instead, to Jeju, Busan, Gangneung, and Wanju...
She believes you can be a digital nomad in your own country - and loves to act as the bridge between international and local digital nomad communities.
How long have you been a nomad?
It will be four years this August! I’ve started calling myself a nomad since I can work remotely full-time. For the first two years, it was Covid, so I got my place in Seoul and focused on making it a home. As soon as Covid stopped though, I traveled to Malaysia, Bali, Thailand, Japan… Mostly Asian countries. I usually stayed there for at least two weeks, up to a month. I got tired of that. It was too much. so I decided to travel to Korea - to Jeju, Busan, Gangneung, Wanju. I lived around a lot.
Is that something rare in Korea?
I think it’s quite rare to be a digital nomad in Korea. But my situation is even more rare. My Korean friends always envy me (laughs). Usually, Korean digital nomads are freelancers - designers, writers, marketers, etc. But I have a full-time job at an American company. I’m a content strategist consulting on YouTube and online trends in Korea. I also do freelance work like English to Korean translation, localization specialist, and copywriter and I run my own small business.
Oh, wow. That’s like having two full-time jobs!
But my Korean friends always ask me: "Do you even work? Do you get a salary?" (laughs). In Korea, work isn’t supposed to be fun so it’s an expression people say because they can’t believe I have so much freedom. My friends have to go to the office from 9 to 6 - and that’s not counting the overtime. Most of them work in Korean companies, so they have a strict work environment. They’re a little jealous because I can travel freely. For them, taking a vacation is very complicated. They have nunchi. It’s a Korean culture thing: you have to read the room and understand if taking a vacation is going to be an issue for your colleagues or the company. There’s a lot of unsaid pressure to not do things freely.
Korean companies have had to change in the last few years. Younger employees don’t want to sacrifice all their life for the company and there have been laws passed to limit the number of hours worked per week.
It’s not that simple to change the system, though. A friend of mine who works in a big Korean company was "strongly advised" to come back to the office. There are Korean companies promoting workations and encouraging their employees to go on trips, but not so many yet. I don’t think things will truly change anytime soon.
You’ve traveled a lot. What are your favorite places?
I loved Chiang Mai in Thailand because the weather was nice, the food was amazing, the life cheaper than in Korea and I loved the people there. Especially the locals. They weren’t like in other tourist places, where they aggressively come to you asking you to buy their stuff. They know the boundaries. They’re polite, but not too nice either. It just felt genuine. But I love Korea also. My favorite place is Jeju. I love beaches, the nature. And the community there is amazing. People are more chill and open-minded.
As a Korean digital nomad, you have access to all the local communities. Why did you join Digital Nomads Korea?
I was lonely. I’m a people person and I didn’t have coworkers to meet. It had been a while since I became a digital nomad. Digital Nomads Korea was the biggest community on Instagram and I was curious what kind of digital nomads came to Korea. The profile looked professional which was important for me because I was looking for a professional community at the time. I already had my own social life in Korea so I didn’t need friends (laughs).
How do you usually connect with communities?
Usually, I find communities on Meetups (the app). It works pretty well for me: my interests change all the time so I can switch easily and go for a film meetup or a drawing meetup, etc. I’ve also gone to Korean digital nomad meetups, but as a person who grew up abroad, I feel more connected to foreigners or Koreans who grew up abroad like me.
Why did you feel more accepted in the Digital Nomads Korea community?
My first event with Digital Nomads Korea was a workation in October 2023 in Jeju. I saw it online and I love Jeju, so I thought: why not? I’d been on workations before, alone or with my colleagues. I like that you get to visit a place but still get work done during those programs. I booked a week, flew over… And I fell in love on the first night. I had never met such a big group of digital nomads and everyone was amazing. We were working during the day, and then I’d ask "Who wants to go for lunch?". Some kept working and some came. Then in the evening, we went to visit Jeju together. It was very simple but I loved the freedom we had. Right away, I extended my room to two weeks (laughs). I wanted to stay even longer, but there were no spots left.
You just connected well with the people, then?
Yes. I love talking to other nomads. I think there are some characteristics you can find in most people embracing the digital nomad lifestyle: they’re open to all types of ideas, and they rarely do only one task in their job. In general, they are curious people. I love it on a personal level, but on a professional level, it’s also an asset because we can connect each other with tasks. We can introduce each other to potential partners. It’s a very supportive community.
Did it stay a professional-only community for you? (Laughs)
You know the answer to that one, don’t you? (Laughs.) After the workation, I started to come to the weekly meetups and, well, I met my boyfriend there. We’ve been dating since and I’m really grateful because he’s a freelance graphic designer. Our lifestyles match in a way it never did for me before!
Grace’s recommendations
🍢 A place to eat at
Sinsudong Gukmul Tteokbokki is a 40-year-old restaurant! In Korea, it’s crazy. People say that it’s the original birthplace of 국물 (soup) tteokbokki. You have to cut everything yourself, and then slurp it with a spoon. The owner of the place is very nice and cute. You can feel the Korean grandma care when you go, I love it.
🐯 An artist to enjoy
Jung Jieun is a Korean female artist. She draws in Chunhwa style, the Korean traditional erotic art from the Joseon dynasty, with a modern touch. The girls in her painting are always so confident and embrace their sexuality. I think that’s super cool.
🪷A temple to stay at
Geumsansa Temple Stay was a great experience. I organized a trip there recently and the monks were so nice. Geumsansa is one of the oldest temples in Korea and houses many national treasures. Usually, temples have one or two Buddhas in the shrines, but this one has many. That’s why Buddhists kind of consider this temple like a university hospital: you can pray about everything there because one of the Buddhas will be the one who can listen (laughs).
Becoming a digital nomad in your own country, with Grace
The definition of what it means to be a digital nomad has been changing a lot these past few years: is it being a traveler without a home or simply a remote worker? In Korea, it’s often the second option.
Grace is Korean. She works for an American company, remotely, and has her freelance activities on the side - a small business and Instagram account called Eunée Eonnie with which she wants to promote Korean culture and tourism. She has a home she loves in Seoul, but she doesn’t mind leaving it for a few months at a time. After traveling throughout Asia, she decided to travel through Korea instead, to Jeju, Busan, Gangneung, and Wanju...
She believes you can be a digital nomad in your own country - and loves to act as the bridge between international and local digital nomad communities.
How long have you been a nomad?
It will be four years this August! I’ve started calling myself a nomad since I can work remotely full-time. For the first two years, it was Covid, so I got my place in Seoul and focused on making it a home. As soon as Covid stopped though, I traveled to Malaysia, Bali, Thailand, Japan… Mostly Asian countries. I usually stayed there for at least two weeks, up to a month. I got tired of that. It was too much. so I decided to travel to Korea - to Jeju, Busan, Gangneung, Wanju. I lived around a lot.
Is that something rare in Korea?
I think it’s quite rare to be a digital nomad in Korea. But my situation is even more rare. My Korean friends always envy me (laughs). Usually, Korean digital nomads are freelancers - designers, writers, marketers, etc. But I have a full-time job at an American company. I’m a content strategist consulting on YouTube and online trends in Korea. I also do freelance work like English to Korean translation, localization specialist, and copywriter and I run my own small business.
Oh, wow. That’s like having two full-time jobs!
But my Korean friends always ask me: "Do you even work? Do you get a salary?" (laughs). In Korea, work isn’t supposed to be fun so it’s an expression people say because they can’t believe I have so much freedom. My friends have to go to the office from 9 to 6 - and that’s not counting the overtime. Most of them work in Korean companies, so they have a strict work environment. They’re a little jealous because I can travel freely. For them, taking a vacation is very complicated. They have nunchi. It’s a Korean culture thing: you have to read the room and understand if taking a vacation is going to be an issue for your colleagues or the company. There’s a lot of unsaid pressure to not do things freely.
Korean companies have had to change in the last few years. Younger employees don’t want to sacrifice all their life for the company and there have been laws passed to limit the number of hours worked per week.
It’s not that simple to change the system, though. A friend of mine who works in a big Korean company was "strongly advised" to come back to the office. There are Korean companies promoting workations and encouraging their employees to go on trips, but not so many yet. I don’t think things will truly change anytime soon.
You’ve traveled a lot. What are your favorite places?
I loved Chiang Mai in Thailand because the weather was nice, the food was amazing, the life cheaper than in Korea and I loved the people there. Especially the locals. They weren’t like in other tourist places, where they aggressively come to you asking you to buy their stuff. They know the boundaries. They’re polite, but not too nice either. It just felt genuine. But I love Korea also. My favorite place is Jeju. I love beaches, the nature. And the community there is amazing. People are more chill and open-minded.
As a Korean digital nomad, you have access to all the local communities. Why did you join Digital Nomads Korea?
I was lonely. I’m a people person and I didn’t have coworkers to meet. It had been a while since I became a digital nomad. Digital Nomads Korea was the biggest community on Instagram and I was curious what kind of digital nomads came to Korea. The profile looked professional which was important for me because I was looking for a professional community at the time. I already had my own social life in Korea so I didn’t need friends (laughs).
How do you usually connect with communities?
Usually, I find communities on Meetups (the app). It works pretty well for me: my interests change all the time so I can switch easily and go for a film meetup or a drawing meetup, etc. I’ve also gone to Korean digital nomad meetups, but as a person who grew up abroad, I feel more connected to foreigners or Koreans who grew up abroad like me.
Why did you feel more accepted in the Digital Nomads Korea community?
My first event with Digital Nomads Korea was a workation in October 2023 in Jeju. I saw it online and I love Jeju, so I thought: why not? I’d been on workations before, alone or with my colleagues. I like that you get to visit a place but still get work done during those programs. I booked a week, flew over… And I fell in love on the first night. I had never met such a big group of digital nomads and everyone was amazing. We were working during the day, and then I’d ask "Who wants to go for lunch?". Some kept working and some came. Then in the evening, we went to visit Jeju together. It was very simple but I loved the freedom we had. Right away, I extended my room to two weeks (laughs). I wanted to stay even longer, but there were no spots left.
You just connected well with the people, then?
Yes. I love talking to other nomads. I think there are some characteristics you can find in most people embracing the digital nomad lifestyle: they’re open to all types of ideas, and they rarely do only one task in their job. In general, they are curious people. I love it on a personal level, but on a professional level, it’s also an asset because we can connect each other with tasks. We can introduce each other to potential partners. It’s a very supportive community.
Did it stay a professional-only community for you? (Laughs)
You know the answer to that one, don’t you? (Laughs.) After the workation, I started to come to the weekly meetups and, well, I met my boyfriend there. We’ve been dating since and I’m really grateful because he’s a freelance graphic designer. Our lifestyles match in a way it never did for me before!
Grace’s recommendations
🍢 A place to eat at
Sinsudong Gukmul Tteokbokki is a 40-year-old restaurant! In Korea, it’s crazy. People say that it’s the original birthplace of 국물 (soup) tteokbokki. You have to cut everything yourself, and then slurp it with a spoon. The owner of the place is very nice and cute. You can feel the Korean grandma care when you go, I love it.
🐯 An artist to enjoy
Jung Jieun is a Korean female artist. She draws in Chunhwa style, the Korean traditional erotic art from the Joseon dynasty, with a modern touch. The girls in her painting are always so confident and embrace their sexuality. I think that’s super cool.
🪷A temple to stay at
Geumsansa Temple Stay was a great experience. I organized a trip there recently and the monks were so nice. Geumsansa is one of the oldest temples in Korea and houses many national treasures. Usually, temples have one or two Buddhas in the shrines, but this one has many. That’s why Buddhists kind of consider this temple like a university hospital: you can pray about everything there because one of the Buddhas will be the one who can listen (laughs).
Becoming a digital nomad in your own country, with Grace
The definition of what it means to be a digital nomad has been changing a lot these past few years: is it being a traveler without a home or simply a remote worker? In Korea, it’s often the second option.
Grace is Korean. She works for an American company, remotely, and has her freelance activities on the side - a small business and Instagram account called Eunée Eonnie with which she wants to promote Korean culture and tourism. She has a home she loves in Seoul, but she doesn’t mind leaving it for a few months at a time. After traveling throughout Asia, she decided to travel through Korea instead, to Jeju, Busan, Gangneung, and Wanju...
She believes you can be a digital nomad in your own country - and loves to act as the bridge between international and local digital nomad communities.
How long have you been a nomad?
It will be four years this August! I’ve started calling myself a nomad since I can work remotely full-time. For the first two years, it was Covid, so I got my place in Seoul and focused on making it a home. As soon as Covid stopped though, I traveled to Malaysia, Bali, Thailand, Japan… Mostly Asian countries. I usually stayed there for at least two weeks, up to a month. I got tired of that. It was too much. so I decided to travel to Korea - to Jeju, Busan, Gangneung, Wanju. I lived around a lot.
Is that something rare in Korea?
I think it’s quite rare to be a digital nomad in Korea. But my situation is even more rare. My Korean friends always envy me (laughs). Usually, Korean digital nomads are freelancers - designers, writers, marketers, etc. But I have a full-time job at an American company. I’m a content strategist consulting on YouTube and online trends in Korea. I also do freelance work like English to Korean translation, localization specialist, and copywriter and I run my own small business.
Oh, wow. That’s like having two full-time jobs!
But my Korean friends always ask me: "Do you even work? Do you get a salary?" (laughs). In Korea, work isn’t supposed to be fun so it’s an expression people say because they can’t believe I have so much freedom. My friends have to go to the office from 9 to 6 - and that’s not counting the overtime. Most of them work in Korean companies, so they have a strict work environment. They’re a little jealous because I can travel freely. For them, taking a vacation is very complicated. They have nunchi. It’s a Korean culture thing: you have to read the room and understand if taking a vacation is going to be an issue for your colleagues or the company. There’s a lot of unsaid pressure to not do things freely.
Korean companies have had to change in the last few years. Younger employees don’t want to sacrifice all their life for the company and there have been laws passed to limit the number of hours worked per week.
It’s not that simple to change the system, though. A friend of mine who works in a big Korean company was "strongly advised" to come back to the office. There are Korean companies promoting workations and encouraging their employees to go on trips, but not so many yet. I don’t think things will truly change anytime soon.
You’ve traveled a lot. What are your favorite places?
I loved Chiang Mai in Thailand because the weather was nice, the food was amazing, the life cheaper than in Korea and I loved the people there. Especially the locals. They weren’t like in other tourist places, where they aggressively come to you asking you to buy their stuff. They know the boundaries. They’re polite, but not too nice either. It just felt genuine. But I love Korea also. My favorite place is Jeju. I love beaches, the nature. And the community there is amazing. People are more chill and open-minded.
As a Korean digital nomad, you have access to all the local communities. Why did you join Digital Nomads Korea?
I was lonely. I’m a people person and I didn’t have coworkers to meet. It had been a while since I became a digital nomad. Digital Nomads Korea was the biggest community on Instagram and I was curious what kind of digital nomads came to Korea. The profile looked professional which was important for me because I was looking for a professional community at the time. I already had my own social life in Korea so I didn’t need friends (laughs).
How do you usually connect with communities?
Usually, I find communities on Meetups (the app). It works pretty well for me: my interests change all the time so I can switch easily and go for a film meetup or a drawing meetup, etc. I’ve also gone to Korean digital nomad meetups, but as a person who grew up abroad, I feel more connected to foreigners or Koreans who grew up abroad like me.
Why did you feel more accepted in the Digital Nomads Korea community?
My first event with Digital Nomads Korea was a workation in October 2023 in Jeju. I saw it online and I love Jeju, so I thought: why not? I’d been on workations before, alone or with my colleagues. I like that you get to visit a place but still get work done during those programs. I booked a week, flew over… And I fell in love on the first night. I had never met such a big group of digital nomads and everyone was amazing. We were working during the day, and then I’d ask "Who wants to go for lunch?". Some kept working and some came. Then in the evening, we went to visit Jeju together. It was very simple but I loved the freedom we had. Right away, I extended my room to two weeks (laughs). I wanted to stay even longer, but there were no spots left.
You just connected well with the people, then?
Yes. I love talking to other nomads. I think there are some characteristics you can find in most people embracing the digital nomad lifestyle: they’re open to all types of ideas, and they rarely do only one task in their job. In general, they are curious people. I love it on a personal level, but on a professional level, it’s also an asset because we can connect each other with tasks. We can introduce each other to potential partners. It’s a very supportive community.
Did it stay a professional-only community for you? (Laughs)
You know the answer to that one, don’t you? (Laughs.) After the workation, I started to come to the weekly meetups and, well, I met my boyfriend there. We’ve been dating since and I’m really grateful because he’s a freelance graphic designer. Our lifestyles match in a way it never did for me before!
Grace’s recommendations
🍢 A place to eat at
Sinsudong Gukmul Tteokbokki is a 40-year-old restaurant! In Korea, it’s crazy. People say that it’s the original birthplace of 국물 (soup) tteokbokki. You have to cut everything yourself, and then slurp it with a spoon. The owner of the place is very nice and cute. You can feel the Korean grandma care when you go, I love it.
🐯 An artist to enjoy
Jung Jieun is a Korean female artist. She draws in Chunhwa style, the Korean traditional erotic art from the Joseon dynasty, with a modern touch. The girls in her painting are always so confident and embrace their sexuality. I think that’s super cool.
🪷A temple to stay at
Geumsansa Temple Stay was a great experience. I organized a trip there recently and the monks were so nice. Geumsansa is one of the oldest temples in Korea and houses many national treasures. Usually, temples have one or two Buddhas in the shrines, but this one has many. That’s why Buddhists kind of consider this temple like a university hospital: you can pray about everything there because one of the Buddhas will be the one who can listen (laughs).
