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HOUSING & DORMSPosted by seoul_bound2026 🇨🇱 Chile · 1 month ago
When did you move from a goshiwon to a one-room?
planning goshiwon first then upgrade. but i don't know what the actual trigger should be.
is it after you get your ARC, after a term, when you have the deposit saved? what did you wait for
is it after you get your ARC, after a term, when you have the deposit saved? what did you wait for
7 comments
OFFICIAL ANSWER
KyaALLO TEAM
Founder & Head Consultant · Seoul
The trigger most students converge on is the end of the first term, and the reason is that by then four separate things have fallen into place.
What you need before a one-room is actually easier than a goshiwon:
1. **ARC.** Landlords and agents want it, some banks require it for the transfer, and the contract registration is smoother with it. This alone is usually 4 to 8 weeks after arrival.
2. **A working Korean bank account without transfer limits.** A 5,000,000 won deposit cannot go out of a restricted new account. This upgrades once you have your ARC.
3. **The deposit saved and liquid.** 3,000,000 to 10,000,000 won depending on the area and how you balance deposit against rent.
4. **Knowing which neighbourhood you actually want.** This is the one people undervalue and it is the strongest argument for waiting. After ten weeks you know your commute, where you eat, which areas you like at night. Signing a one-year lease in week one is choosing blind.
So the practical sequence: goshiwon for term one, look during term one's final weeks, move in the break between terms. The between-term break exists and it is the natural moving window — you are not juggling a move with attendance.
When to move sooner than that: if the goshiwon is genuinely wrong for you — no window, bad building, cannot cook and it is affecting you — do not wait out of principle. Monthly terms exist precisely so you can move.
When to not move at all: if you are staying under a year and travelling every break, the goshiwon plus 3,000,000 won saved is a rational choice and plenty of students finish their whole program that way.
One thing to plan for in advance: start saving the deposit from month one rather than deciding in month four that you want to move and having nothing liquid. The deposit is the constraint, not the rent.
What you need before a one-room is actually easier than a goshiwon:
1. **ARC.** Landlords and agents want it, some banks require it for the transfer, and the contract registration is smoother with it. This alone is usually 4 to 8 weeks after arrival.
2. **A working Korean bank account without transfer limits.** A 5,000,000 won deposit cannot go out of a restricted new account. This upgrades once you have your ARC.
3. **The deposit saved and liquid.** 3,000,000 to 10,000,000 won depending on the area and how you balance deposit against rent.
4. **Knowing which neighbourhood you actually want.** This is the one people undervalue and it is the strongest argument for waiting. After ten weeks you know your commute, where you eat, which areas you like at night. Signing a one-year lease in week one is choosing blind.
So the practical sequence: goshiwon for term one, look during term one's final weeks, move in the break between terms. The between-term break exists and it is the natural moving window — you are not juggling a move with attendance.
When to move sooner than that: if the goshiwon is genuinely wrong for you — no window, bad building, cannot cook and it is affecting you — do not wait out of principle. Monthly terms exist precisely so you can move.
When to not move at all: if you are staying under a year and travelling every break, the goshiwon plus 3,000,000 won saved is a rational choice and plenty of students finish their whole program that way.
One thing to plan for in advance: start saving the deposit from month one rather than deciding in month four that you want to move and having nothing liquid. The deposit is the constraint, not the rent.
Was this helpful?Updated 4 weeks ago
7 comments
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You can still post anonymously after signing in.end of term 1, moved in the break. by then i had my ARC, an unrestricted bank account, and i actually knew which area i wanted. signing in week 1 would have been a guess
20
that's a clean answer, thanks. the break makes sense as the moving window
8
moving during a term while keeping 90% attendance is not fun. use the break
6
the deposit is the actual constraint. start saving it from month one. i decided in month 4 that i wanted to move and then had to wait another 3 months to have the money liquid
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and a restricted bank account can't send 5 million won anyway. you need the ARC first regardless
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knowing the neighbourhood is the underrated one. i thought i wanted to live near campus and after a term i wanted somewhere completely different
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or don't move. i did the whole year in a good goshiwon and spent the difference travelling. it's a valid choice not a failure
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