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Chen Teng.
- In 2016, Chen Teng made a bold move from her corporate role in New York to South Korea.
- What began as a two-year plan has evolved into an eight-year adventure in Seoul.
- Teng currently resides in a charming loft, paying 870,000 Korean won (approximately $640) monthly for rent.
Feeling confined by her digital marketing position back in New York City, Chen Teng decided to take a leap of faith and relocate abroad. The native New Yorker with Taiwanese heritage had long harbored dreams of living in Asia and felt that the moment had finally arrived to pursue that dream.
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“Working at my office job felt stifling,” she shared with Business Insider. “I wanted to challenge myself and do something completely different.”
In 2016, she packed up her life and set off for South Korea without knowing anyone or speaking Korean. “My knowledge of Korea was limited; I only knew about K-Town back home. I enjoyed the food but not much else,” she recalled. After visiting for just one week on vacation, she thought to herself, ‘This place has potential.’
Chen Teng.
The processing time for her visa took several months before she could officially start this new chapter. What was initially planned as a brief two-year stay has now turned into an ongoing journey spanning over eight years.
Searching for an Apartment in Seoul
Teng is now thriving as a freelancer and model but only moved into her current studio—located near Mok-dong—this past May after needing to find new accommodations due to redevelopment plans affecting her previous neighborhood.
She sought out an apartment filled with natural light situated within modern buildings close to subway access. While many landlords utilize the traditional rental system known as “jeonse,” which requires tenants to pay substantial lump-sum deposits instead of monthly rent payments, she preferred ”wolse,” which involves smaller deposits alongside monthly rent payments instead.
Chen Teng.
Teng set aside 10 million Korean won for deposit while aiming for under 900,000 won per month on rent. However, finding suitable housing proved challenging; some landlords were hesitant about renting their properties due solely because she was foreign—even though by then she’d become fluent in Korean!
Chen Teng.
