Digital Nomads: Why Korea should be your next Workation
Workations are a new way of traveling, targeted at digital nomads, remote workers, and companies. Created by startups and often funded by the government, these programs combining working with vacationing are booming in Korea.
Loneliness might just be the worst enemy of the digital nomad. It is hard to build meaningful relationships when you’re constantly on the move.
Luckily, there’s a solution: going somewhere where there’s already a community of digital nomads to join.
Workations are a great way to get introduced to a new place. You get the best of both worlds: the relaxed setting helps enhance your productivity at work, leaving you with more time to explore your surroundings and enjoy yourself. We’ll explain how they work, why they’re a great way to meet locals, and where to go to enjoy them to the fullest in Korea!
What is a workation?
Workation, a blend of work + vacation, is a relatively new concept. It’s usually an experience that gathers a group of remote professionals so they can work and travel at the same time. It often offers networking activities, a place to stay and work, and local experiences. Its definition is pretty open but it is spreading in Asia, especially in Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
In the USA, workations are often called bleisure (business + leisure) travel. You can see it as a company-facilitated digital nomad experience.
Why go on a workation?
Workation programs usually include community, accommodation, coworking space, events - all curated by a local team.
Pros
- Community: You’ll meet other participants in the workation, live together or close by, attend the same events, and go to the same coworking spaces. This environment is perfect for building the foundations of great friendships - with internationals and locals alike.
- Logistics: They’re taken care of! You’ll get a place to sleep, a place to work, networking events and travel experiences, all crafted for digital nomads.
- Local facilitator: You don’t know where to find a doctor, buy the best SIM card, or rent a car? Having a local to ask for these things makes everything so much easier. They can also take you to all the secret spots…
Cons
- Rhythm: Be careful to balance out your work schedule and your social schedule. Sometimes, it’s exhausting to do everything at once and you want to keep some energy for work.
- Groups are slow: Workations are flexible, but you’ll still have to be mindful of the group. Moving from one place to another could take longer for example.
Why go workation in Korea?
Korea has one of the best internet networks in the world, a unique cafe culture, incredible food, the sea, the mountains, bustling cities, charming countryside, a strong culture, and many international airports. In 2023, Seoul even became one of the top tourist spots in the world!
Going on workation, you’ll be able to participate in Korean classes, food and cooking tours, cultural experiences, volunteering, travel, networking events, tastings, K-pop dance classes, sports…
7 reasons why you should choose South Korea for your workation:
- Vibrant Cafe Culture: Korea houses more than 50,000 cafes (to compare, the USA has around 35,000). This staggering number means that beverages are diverse and delicious since competition is very high. Cafes are often open late (until 9 or 10 pm), they offer free WI-FI, and often have many plugs to work.
- Safety: South Korea has exceptional safety among developed countries. The risk of petty crimes is particularly low. You’ll often see locals leaving their computers in cafes, heading out, and coming back hours later to their items left untouched.
- Cleanliness: Tap water is safe, food is hygienic, and public facilities, including metro stations, are sparkling clean. Bonus: nearly all restaurants and cafes have water purifiers that you can get water from for free.
- Very Fast Internet: South Korea has had one of the best internet connectivity in the world for the last 20 years! You can get high-fiber speed as well as 5G even in the most remote areas of the country.
- 24/7 Convenience: Cafes, stores, saunas… Many facilities offer 24/24h services without extra cost, which is ideal for remote professionals working in different time zones.
- Efficient and Affordable Public Transit: South Korea’s public transportation system is extremely efficient, reliable, and relatively cheap. In Seoul especially, it will allow you to travel around the city and cut your commute time.
- Incredible Gastronomy: Korean food is unique. It tastes of sesame, pepper, and soy - in a way that had nothing to do with neighboring countries like Japan or China. Maybe fermentation techniques don’t sound sexy to you, but once you’ve tried local kimchi, makgeolli, pickled seafood, and sauces, you might just change your mind! Kimchi-making is even a UNESCO-protected heritage. Food is hands down one of the main reasons visitors get hooked on Korea.
Where to go on workation in Korea?
Digital Nomads Korea has already organized workations in islands, cities, and the countryside.
Jeju
Jeju Island is kind of the ultimate spot for holidays in Korea. It has everything: the sea, the flowers, the city life, the cafes, the bars, the restaurants, the volcanic rock… It’s super easy to fly there from any airport in the country and you can take the ferry from multiple spots on the south coast. The infrastructure is modern for such an idyllic island. You’ll get 5G on top of mountains and super fast wifi in cafes standing at the edge of cliffs. It makes working and traveling very easy.
Busan
Busan offers similar vibes to Seoul but by the sea! The second biggest city in Korea has temples, a cinema festival, gigantic malls, colorful neighborhoods, fish markets, and illuminated bridges by the ocean. Food is delicious and, for fans of music and art, Busan is home to a great indie scene.
Yangyang, Pyeongchang, Namhae…
Jeju and Busan are the most famous travel highlights in Korea, and definitely where you should start, but there are many other places you could workation at in Korea. Smaller cities are equally well equipped with internet and cafes to work from, like Yangyang, to surf on the east coast; Pyeongchang, the city that held the 2018 Winter Olympics, to ski; or Namhae, the warmest island in Korea with its scenic beaches, rice paddies, and temple.
Do I need a visa?
Visitors can enjoy a workation under the 3-month visa exemption available to many countries.
South Korea also offers a special Workation (digital nomad) visa, allowing stays of up to two years for remote professionals and their families. To be eligible, you need to work for a company abroad, earn more than twice the average gross national income in Korea (85 million won in 2023), be 18 or older, and have worked for at least a year in the same industry. Check out our guide on the Workation visa to access the latest information on the topic.
If you are between 18 and 30 years old, and even 35 for specific countries, another option is the Working Holidays visa. Available to specific countries (like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States…), it allows you to stay in Korea for up to 12 months while working in Korea under certain conditions. Check with your country's embassy to get more details.
For more information, join our community Discord/Whatsapp and read our comprehensive guide on how to be a Digital Nomads in Korea!
Digital Nomads: Why Korea should be your next Workation
Workations are a new way of traveling, targeted at digital nomads, remote workers, and companies. Created by startups and often funded by the government, these programs combining working with vacationing are booming in Korea.
Loneliness might just be the worst enemy of the digital nomad. It is hard to build meaningful relationships when you’re constantly on the move.
Luckily, there’s a solution: going somewhere where there’s already a community of digital nomads to join.
Workations are a great way to get introduced to a new place. You get the best of both worlds: the relaxed setting helps enhance your productivity at work, leaving you with more time to explore your surroundings and enjoy yourself. We’ll explain how they work, why they’re a great way to meet locals, and where to go to enjoy them to the fullest in Korea!
What is a workation?
Workation, a blend of work + vacation, is a relatively new concept. It’s usually an experience that gathers a group of remote professionals so they can work and travel at the same time. It often offers networking activities, a place to stay and work, and local experiences. Its definition is pretty open but it is spreading in Asia, especially in Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
In the USA, workations are often called bleisure (business + leisure) travel. You can see it as a company-facilitated digital nomad experience.
Why go on a workation?
Workation programs usually include community, accommodation, coworking space, events - all curated by a local team.
Pros
- Community: You’ll meet other participants in the workation, live together or close by, attend the same events, and go to the same coworking spaces. This environment is perfect for building the foundations of great friendships - with internationals and locals alike.
- Logistics: They’re taken care of! You’ll get a place to sleep, a place to work, networking events and travel experiences, all crafted for digital nomads.
- Local facilitator: You don’t know where to find a doctor, buy the best SIM card, or rent a car? Having a local to ask for these things makes everything so much easier. They can also take you to all the secret spots…
Cons
- Rhythm: Be careful to balance out your work schedule and your social schedule. Sometimes, it’s exhausting to do everything at once and you want to keep some energy for work.
- Groups are slow: Workations are flexible, but you’ll still have to be mindful of the group. Moving from one place to another could take longer for example.
Why go workation in Korea?
Korea has one of the best internet networks in the world, a unique cafe culture, incredible food, the sea, the mountains, bustling cities, charming countryside, a strong culture, and many international airports. In 2023, Seoul even became one of the top tourist spots in the world!
Going on workation, you’ll be able to participate in Korean classes, food and cooking tours, cultural experiences, volunteering, travel, networking events, tastings, K-pop dance classes, sports…
7 reasons why you should choose South Korea for your workation:
- Vibrant Cafe Culture: Korea houses more than 50,000 cafes (to compare, the USA has around 35,000). This staggering number means that beverages are diverse and delicious since competition is very high. Cafes are often open late (until 9 or 10 pm), they offer free WI-FI, and often have many plugs to work.
- Safety: South Korea has exceptional safety among developed countries. The risk of petty crimes is particularly low. You’ll often see locals leaving their computers in cafes, heading out, and coming back hours later to their items left untouched.
- Cleanliness: Tap water is safe, food is hygienic, and public facilities, including metro stations, are sparkling clean. Bonus: nearly all restaurants and cafes have water purifiers that you can get water from for free.
- Very Fast Internet: South Korea has had one of the best internet connectivity in the world for the last 20 years! You can get high-fiber speed as well as 5G even in the most remote areas of the country.
- 24/7 Convenience: Cafes, stores, saunas… Many facilities offer 24/24h services without extra cost, which is ideal for remote professionals working in different time zones.
- Efficient and Affordable Public Transit: South Korea’s public transportation system is extremely efficient, reliable, and relatively cheap. In Seoul especially, it will allow you to travel around the city and cut your commute time.
- Incredible Gastronomy: Korean food is unique. It tastes of sesame, pepper, and soy - in a way that had nothing to do with neighboring countries like Japan or China. Maybe fermentation techniques don’t sound sexy to you, but once you’ve tried local kimchi, makgeolli, pickled seafood, and sauces, you might just change your mind! Kimchi-making is even a UNESCO-protected heritage. Food is hands down one of the main reasons visitors get hooked on Korea.
Where to go on workation in Korea?
Digital Nomads Korea has already organized workations in islands, cities, and the countryside.
Jeju
Jeju Island is kind of the ultimate spot for holidays in Korea. It has everything: the sea, the flowers, the city life, the cafes, the bars, the restaurants, the volcanic rock… It’s super easy to fly there from any airport in the country and you can take the ferry from multiple spots on the south coast. The infrastructure is modern for such an idyllic island. You’ll get 5G on top of mountains and super fast wifi in cafes standing at the edge of cliffs. It makes working and traveling very easy.
Busan
Busan offers similar vibes to Seoul but by the sea! The second biggest city in Korea has temples, a cinema festival, gigantic malls, colorful neighborhoods, fish markets, and illuminated bridges by the ocean. Food is delicious and, for fans of music and art, Busan is home to a great indie scene.
Yangyang, Pyeongchang, Namhae…
Jeju and Busan are the most famous travel highlights in Korea, and definitely where you should start, but there are many other places you could workation at in Korea. Smaller cities are equally well equipped with internet and cafes to work from, like Yangyang, to surf on the east coast; Pyeongchang, the city that held the 2018 Winter Olympics, to ski; or Namhae, the warmest island in Korea with its scenic beaches, rice paddies, and temple.
Do I need a visa?
Visitors can enjoy a workation under the 3-month visa exemption available to many countries.
South Korea also offers a special Workation (digital nomad) visa, allowing stays of up to two years for remote professionals and their families. To be eligible, you need to work for a company abroad, earn more than twice the average gross national income in Korea (85 million won in 2023), be 18 or older, and have worked for at least a year in the same industry. Check out our guide on the Workation visa to access the latest information on the topic.
If you are between 18 and 30 years old, and even 35 for specific countries, another option is the Working Holidays visa. Available to specific countries (like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States…), it allows you to stay in Korea for up to 12 months while working in Korea under certain conditions. Check with your country's embassy to get more details.
For more information, join our community Discord/Whatsapp and read our comprehensive guide on how to be a Digital Nomads in Korea!
Digital Nomads: Why Korea should be your next Workation
Workations are a new way of traveling, targeted at digital nomads, remote workers, and companies. Created by startups and often funded by the government, these programs combining working with vacationing are booming in Korea.
Loneliness might just be the worst enemy of the digital nomad. It is hard to build meaningful relationships when you’re constantly on the move.
Luckily, there’s a solution: going somewhere where there’s already a community of digital nomads to join.
Workations are a great way to get introduced to a new place. You get the best of both worlds: the relaxed setting helps enhance your productivity at work, leaving you with more time to explore your surroundings and enjoy yourself. We’ll explain how they work, why they’re a great way to meet locals, and where to go to enjoy them to the fullest in Korea!
What is a workation?
Workation, a blend of work + vacation, is a relatively new concept. It’s usually an experience that gathers a group of remote professionals so they can work and travel at the same time. It often offers networking activities, a place to stay and work, and local experiences. Its definition is pretty open but it is spreading in Asia, especially in Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
In the USA, workations are often called bleisure (business + leisure) travel. You can see it as a company-facilitated digital nomad experience.
Why go on a workation?
Workation programs usually include community, accommodation, coworking space, events - all curated by a local team.
Pros
- Community: You’ll meet other participants in the workation, live together or close by, attend the same events, and go to the same coworking spaces. This environment is perfect for building the foundations of great friendships - with internationals and locals alike.
- Logistics: They’re taken care of! You’ll get a place to sleep, a place to work, networking events and travel experiences, all crafted for digital nomads.
- Local facilitator: You don’t know where to find a doctor, buy the best SIM card, or rent a car? Having a local to ask for these things makes everything so much easier. They can also take you to all the secret spots…
Cons
- Rhythm: Be careful to balance out your work schedule and your social schedule. Sometimes, it’s exhausting to do everything at once and you want to keep some energy for work.
- Groups are slow: Workations are flexible, but you’ll still have to be mindful of the group. Moving from one place to another could take longer for example.
Why go workation in Korea?
Korea has one of the best internet networks in the world, a unique cafe culture, incredible food, the sea, the mountains, bustling cities, charming countryside, a strong culture, and many international airports. In 2023, Seoul even became one of the top tourist spots in the world!
Going on workation, you’ll be able to participate in Korean classes, food and cooking tours, cultural experiences, volunteering, travel, networking events, tastings, K-pop dance classes, sports…
7 reasons why you should choose South Korea for your workation:
- Vibrant Cafe Culture: Korea houses more than 50,000 cafes (to compare, the USA has around 35,000). This staggering number means that beverages are diverse and delicious since competition is very high. Cafes are often open late (until 9 or 10 pm), they offer free WI-FI, and often have many plugs to work.
- Safety: South Korea has exceptional safety among developed countries. The risk of petty crimes is particularly low. You’ll often see locals leaving their computers in cafes, heading out, and coming back hours later to their items left untouched.
- Cleanliness: Tap water is safe, food is hygienic, and public facilities, including metro stations, are sparkling clean. Bonus: nearly all restaurants and cafes have water purifiers that you can get water from for free.
- Very Fast Internet: South Korea has had one of the best internet connectivity in the world for the last 20 years! You can get high-fiber speed as well as 5G even in the most remote areas of the country.
- 24/7 Convenience: Cafes, stores, saunas… Many facilities offer 24/24h services without extra cost, which is ideal for remote professionals working in different time zones.
- Efficient and Affordable Public Transit: South Korea’s public transportation system is extremely efficient, reliable, and relatively cheap. In Seoul especially, it will allow you to travel around the city and cut your commute time.
- Incredible Gastronomy: Korean food is unique. It tastes of sesame, pepper, and soy - in a way that had nothing to do with neighboring countries like Japan or China. Maybe fermentation techniques don’t sound sexy to you, but once you’ve tried local kimchi, makgeolli, pickled seafood, and sauces, you might just change your mind! Kimchi-making is even a UNESCO-protected heritage. Food is hands down one of the main reasons visitors get hooked on Korea.
Where to go on workation in Korea?
Digital Nomads Korea has already organized workations in islands, cities, and the countryside.
Jeju
Jeju Island is kind of the ultimate spot for holidays in Korea. It has everything: the sea, the flowers, the city life, the cafes, the bars, the restaurants, the volcanic rock… It’s super easy to fly there from any airport in the country and you can take the ferry from multiple spots on the south coast. The infrastructure is modern for such an idyllic island. You’ll get 5G on top of mountains and super fast wifi in cafes standing at the edge of cliffs. It makes working and traveling very easy.
Busan
Busan offers similar vibes to Seoul but by the sea! The second biggest city in Korea has temples, a cinema festival, gigantic malls, colorful neighborhoods, fish markets, and illuminated bridges by the ocean. Food is delicious and, for fans of music and art, Busan is home to a great indie scene.
Yangyang, Pyeongchang, Namhae…
Jeju and Busan are the most famous travel highlights in Korea, and definitely where you should start, but there are many other places you could workation at in Korea. Smaller cities are equally well equipped with internet and cafes to work from, like Yangyang, to surf on the east coast; Pyeongchang, the city that held the 2018 Winter Olympics, to ski; or Namhae, the warmest island in Korea with its scenic beaches, rice paddies, and temple.
Do I need a visa?
Visitors can enjoy a workation under the 3-month visa exemption available to many countries.
South Korea also offers a special Workation (digital nomad) visa, allowing stays of up to two years for remote professionals and their families. To be eligible, you need to work for a company abroad, earn more than twice the average gross national income in Korea (85 million won in 2023), be 18 or older, and have worked for at least a year in the same industry. Check out our guide on the Workation visa to access the latest information on the topic.
If you are between 18 and 30 years old, and even 35 for specific countries, another option is the Working Holidays visa. Available to specific countries (like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States…), it allows you to stay in Korea for up to 12 months while working in Korea under certain conditions. Check with your country's embassy to get more details.
For more information, join our community Discord/Whatsapp and read our comprehensive guide on how to be a Digital Nomads in Korea!
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