🇰🇷 Welcome to Mason Korea. We are truly delighted to have you join our community and look forward to the meaningful contributions you will bring. As you prepare for your move to Korea, please take a moment to carefully review the following checklist and travel information to ensure a smooth and well-prepared transition.
✅ Clothing: Please consider the weather conditions and the length of your stay in Korea when packing. If you will stay for a full year or longer, be sure to bring enough warm clothing and layers for the winter season.
✅ Prohibited & Restricted Items: Before packing, please check the **Prohibited & Restricted Items list.**
✅ Documentation: Please prepare all your important and relevant documentation, along with several copies. You will likely need photocopies of your passport and photo ID shortly after you arrive for administration purposes.
✅ Local Bank Account: If your contract was issued directly by Mason Korea, you are required to open a local bank account after your arrival. (For those whose contracts were issued through Fairfax, opening a local bank account is optional.) We will assist you with setting up your local bank account; however, please note that this process may take a few weeks due to updated bank policies and your Alien Registration Card issuance process, which will be supported by the HR Department. In the meantime, please ensure that you bring sufficient cash for your initial living expenses and/or an ATM card to access your US bank account.
✅ Currency & Exchange Rate: Take some time to be familiar with the exchange rate between the Korean won (KRW) and the US dollar. This will help you learn the price difference compared to your home country.
✅ Useful Resources: If you would like to have a better understanding of living in Korea, such as the cost of living, cultural and social etiquette, and other basic information, this website may give you some useful information to review: **https://www.internations.org/south-korea-expats/guide/living**
💡It is recommended that faculty arrive in Korea approximately two weeks prior to the first day of the semester. This allows sufficient time to settle into housing, complete the Alien Registration Card (ARC) registration process, attend the Faculty Orientation (Faculty Development Program), and other onboarding events, and prepare for the beginning of the semester. Please ensure that your arrival falls within the arrival window communicated by the Mason Korea staff.
💡Faculty whose contracts are issued through Fairfax should contact Grace Lee ([email protected]) for travel authorization. Faculty whose contracts are issued directly by Mason Korea should contact Jayoung Sung ([email protected]) for travel coordination assistance. Once you receive your confirmed E-ticket from the travel agency or airlines, please forward a copy to the Human Resources at [email protected].
💡For faculty who purchased the flight ticket on their own, please make sure to keep all boarding passes, as they are an essential document in the reimbursement process. The airfare reimbursement process will begin after your Alien Registration Card is issued and the local bank account is set up. Please prepare the following documents accordingly:
💡If you wish to send packages in advance, please email Jayoung Sung ([email protected]) with the shipment details. You may use the following address:
💡The Incheon Global Campus (IGC) manages housing assignments, and your housing address will be shared once the housing assignment process is completed. Packages will be kept in storage until you arrive in Korea and pick them up. For those who need to have their packages delivered to their housing unit upon arrival, please contact Jayoung Sung at [email protected] for coordination.