My Korea Packing List | Non-Command Sponsored in South Korea

This list has been a long time coming, hasn't it?!

We moved to South Korea because of my husbands career in the military. He received orders to South Korea for a short tour (one year) in March 2016 and he left the states in August 2016. I followed him to live off base in Pyeongtaek in early September 2016. We've been in South Korea for nearly a full year and I wanted to provide those going through a similar situation as I did an idea of what I brought with us, what I wish I'd packed, and what I found I didn't really need after being here through all four seasons.

Before I begin, here's a little background: We are here non-command sponsored, as in, I moved to South Korea on my own accord. My husband is technically here "unaccompanied" (the military did not pay to move my husband's dependents to his new duty station, i.e. me). We live off base in a Korean style apartment. We have access to on base facilities, including the base exchange (BX) and the commissary through an issued rations card.  Our HHG (household goods) coming to Korea had a weight limit of only 400lbs, so we had to be selective about what we included. Hopefully that helps give you an idea of our situation.

Here's a list of items I'm glad that we brought:

• cold weather gear - Korean winters are harsh
• rugs - carpet is very uncommon in Korea, hard tile can hurt your feet after awhile
• small bakeware - our oven/microwave is tiny, it measures about 17" in diameter
• art/craft supplies, selection here is somewhat limited - visit Dream Depot in Pyeongtaek, Amazon, or the BX
• bedding - pillows, sheet sets, comforter and duvet cover
• a variety of shoes, sandals, tennis shoes, boots - I'm a size 10, which is non-existent in Korea. Aside from the BX, I'm stuck with what I brought unless I order shoes off of Amazon without trying them on.
• undergarments for the year - Make sure you buy that year supply of underwear!
• electronics such as our Xbox and computers - We watch Netflix a lot because most channels here are in Korean. There are two news stations in English (CNN & BBC), as well as an English movie channel.
• plates and tableware - These are available at the Daiso and places like Homeplus or Emart, but if you have extra, might as well bring it. Less to buy once you're here. We'll probably sell ours before we leave since it was an extra set. It's mismatched, but it's only for a year.
• printed photos for our fridge - It's nice to have family photos and pictures of our two pups on display to see every day. 
• yoga mat/small exercise equipment such as a kettle bell or weights
• laundry baskets/hamper

Here's a list of items we didn't need to bring:

• an 11x13" cookie sheet or any large baking pans - The ovens aren't nearly that large so my cookie sheet doesn't fit
• so many blankets/quilts -  I seriously have enough for a family of six. What was I thinking?
• Western style semi-formal dresses - You might pack maybe one or two, but I packed way more than that. Live and learn.

Here is a list of items I wish we'd brought:

• holiday decor, especially Christmas - The BX has some selection, but it's no Hobby Lobby.
• small trash cans for bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, etc. - I use oatmeal containers for some of my trash cans. Trash cans are available here, but they're not really something you can resell for much. If you have them, bring them.
• throw pillows - These make a house more homey. Our bed has been pretty plain the whole year.
• more pants/shorts and clothing in general - The BX selection is so limited and Korean clothing just does not fit my western frame right. The tops are way too big and flow-y and there's no way I'd fit in the bottoms. 

So essentially, a lot of this stuff is available to buy here in South Korea, it's simply a matter of what you already have on hand and what you want to buy when you get here. We didn't see a point in buying stuff when we already had it. You can also order off of Amazon with a Prime membership. It ships free to APO addresses, so I highly recommend investing in that. If there's an item you can't find in the stores here, you can also use the Korean version of eBay, Gmarket. This site ships directly to your Korean address within a day or two. Hooray for online shopping!

Most of our HHGs are in storage in the states. We're looking forward to having that back in a couple of months! I'm told it's like Christmas when you get your stuff back, and I do believe it! I can't wait!