You don't need to know Korean! Seoul is recommended for beginners in overseas travel

You have traveled abroad only a few times, or perhaps never, and you lack confidence in English conversation.

For such beginners in overseas travel, the language barrier is a very significant source of anxiety.
For those with such concerns, I previously published the following article on how to fully enjoy overseas travel even without knowing English.

This is the sequel to that.
Based on my own experience, I am delivering a column focused on South Korea.
Updated February 11, 2025

Seoul, a travel destination recommended for overseas travel beginners. 3 reasons why you don't need to know Korean

I'll say it upfront: Seoul is a highly recommended travel destination for beginners in overseas travel. There are three main reasons for this.

I went to Seoul with my family during this year's Golden Week.
It was a short 3-day, 2-night trip, but I never once had trouble with the language barrier.
Based on my experience, I will touch upon those reasons.

Public transport signs are generally in four languages, and many shops have Japanese menus

Public transportation such as airports, subways, and train stations, as well as major tourist spots, often have signs in four languages: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and English.
Ticket vending machines also support Japanese.

It's just like Japan, isn't it?

Even at the hotel, when checking in, they gave us a printed document explaining the services available at the hotel written in Japanese.

In shops and restaurants bustling with tourists, there are Japanese menus with photos, and in shops with systems where you order online using a machine at the storefront, you can select a Japanese option and place your order in Japanese!

There were times when I didn't even have to speak Korean, let alone have a conversation.
Wow, what a convenient world it has become.

English words are generally fine almost everywhere

Over 20 years ago, when I first traveled to Korea, it was no exaggeration to say that neither English nor Japanese was understood at all in Seoul.

On this trip, simple words (numbers and standard phrases) were understood everywhere.
Even at local barbecue restaurants with few tourists, at casual gimbap shops that only accepted cash, and at convenience stores.

Even without fluent English, I was able to communicate quite well using just numbers and middle-school level 5W1H questions.

Many Japanese tourists; if the worst happens, look for a Japanese person

South Korea, Seoul, was said to be the number one popular overseas travel destination for the 2024 Golden Week.
The number of Japanese people is insane...
The passengers on the plane were Japanese everywhere I looked.
Major tourist spots were all Japanese, Japanese, Japanese!

I encountered so many Japanese people that I wanted to ask, 'Is this Shin-Okubo?'

So, I thought to myself that if I were really in trouble, I could just call out to a Japanese person walking around nearby.
My husband, who is a smoker, said he guided a Japanese tourist who was having trouble finding a smoking area at the hotel to the smoking area.

It's not necessarily good to rely only on strangers just because they are from the same country, but doesn't it make you feel reassured to think that there are many people you can ask for help in the worst-case scenario?

[Bonus] Useful phrases to know at a minimum

English and Japanese were understood quite well, so I didn't really need to know Korean, but using a few phrases I learned made me feel happy.

So, I will introduce the phrases I actually used.

1. When paying at a restaurant

If you look at the staff member and say 'Kesanejuseyo!', they will give you the bill.
The accent is on the 'ne' part.

I was also nervous the first time I used this phrase.
But it's okay. It will be understood.

2. When buying gimbap or pajeon at a market

When ordering two or more, I pointed at what I wanted and said 'Two' or 'Three'.
This is because I don't know how to say numbers other than 'one' in Korean.
It was understood. No problem.

3. When buying or ordering something

Cola-juseyo (Please give me a cola)
Maekju-juseyo (Please give me a beer)
Yukhoe-juseyo (Please give me yukhoe)

Basically, just add 'juseyo'. If you can say the product name, this is universal.
I'm not sure if it's grammatically correct, but it was understood that I wanted something.

Cheap, close, and short. A trip to Korea is recommended for overseas travel beginners!

As I said at the beginning, Seoul, Korea is a highly recommended destination for overseas travel beginners.

Don't worry if you are anxious about the language. There are three reasons.
・There is Japanese signage everywhere, so you won't get lost or have trouble.
・Simple English is generally okay everywhere.
・If something happens, you might be able to rely on other Japanese tourists.

Recently, the price of round-trip flights to Seoul has dropped significantly.
The flight time is less than 3 hours, and the food is relatively familiar to Japanese tastes, so you can't go wrong.

However, it's not exactly the same as Japan, and Korea is a place where you can feel a different culture in various situations, making it easy for beginners to travel.

If you have 3 days off, why not try going to Seoul?