Being Pregnant in Korea Part Deux

This post has been rather a long time coming.  Being pregnant in any country, especially if you’re a first-time mom like yours truly, is daunting, but it’s all the more intimidating when it’s happening in a foreign country.  I’m really lucky in that I have a good friend here who has already been through the process of delivering a daughter in Korea, and I have another friend who is pregnant right now, so I hardly feel alone in my situation.  Unfortunately, not every waeguk gal in Korea has been as lucky as me.  With that thought in mind, I’m writing a little guide in hopes that it will help out those who don’t have more experienced friends around to help out.

1. Find a good maternity hospital and doctor

I’m in Changwon, so I’m not going to be much help to anyone living in another city.  You’re probably going to have a tougher time if you’re living somewhere more rural, but if you’re in any of the larger cities, especially Seoul or Busan, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place.  Seoul has lots of well respected hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital and Yonsei Severance.  However, I’m not going to post all of your options here.  Frankly, the inhabitants of areas where you live will probably be of more help than I could be, and there are plenty of forums online  where you can access that information.

That said, if you’re in the Changwon area, I recommend Moran Women’s Hospital.  Most of the doctors are women, and the doctors speak good English.  The staff are admittedly less able in their English ability, but they are nice and accommodating, and they will do everything they can to help you out.  The hospital is very modern and clean, and they have emergency facilities, in case you have something go wrong in the middle of the night or after hours on the weekends.  Due to what the staff considered to be a first-time mother scare, I did actually make use of the after-hours facility.  Thankfully, nothing was wrong, but they were on top of things.

I would say that I would have your doctor recommend you a prenatal vitamin.  Prenatal vitamins are good and readily available here, but because of the language barrier, it’s better just to have your doctor tell you exactly what you need.

To get to Moran Hospital, you can simply ask a taxi driver to take you Moran Yeo-Ja Byeong-Won.  If they don’t know where it is, have them drop you off in Sangnam-Dong at the Dunkin’ Donuts near the fountain.  Cross the road at the light and walk down this road in the direction of Jungang-Dong.  When you get almost to the next traffic light, go left.  The hospital is on this small road, across from Madimi Park.  (A word to the wise: Don’t park your car next to that park.  You might get towed and ticketed.  Learn from my mistake.)  It’s tan and pink, and it’s on the right side of the road.  In the same building, there’s a Motherhood Maternity store.  It’s hard to miss.

2. Get your insurance figured out

For those of you who are employed in Korea by Korean employers, you should be on the national insurance.  If you are paying into the Korean national insurance scheme, you are eligible for the “beautiful woman” card.  Your doctor will give you the paperwork for this card on (probably) your second visit to the doctor.  The form is quite simple to fill out, and most of it will be done for you.  If you can read and speak some Korean, you should be able to finish filling it out yourself.  Otherwise, you might ask the hospital staff or a Korean friend to help you out.

You can take this paper to one of three places: Kookmin Bank, the local branch of the Korean post office, or Shinhan Bank.  They will set you up with a bank account.  You will receive a free bank account from the government, as well as a bank card that will be swiped whenever you go to visit the doctor. If you go through the post office, the card will also come from Kookmin.  You can get up to 60,000W per day in expenses covered.  That will cover the bulk of your doctor’s bills, provided that you have a normal pregnancy.

Now, with all of that said, if you are not working in Korea – that is, if you are with the military or your spouse is working here but you aren’t – you will need to make other arrangements.  I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that if you or your spouse is with the US military in Korea, you probably have pretty decent insurance via the US government.  If you or your spouse are with another company, then hopefully you will have insurance from this company and they will be taking care of things for you.  However, this might not always be the case for everyone.

Some folks here temporarily may find that they have retained their US insurance policies.  There are places in Seoul that will accept certain types of US medical insurance, though I am hardly knowledgable about where those places might be and what the terms for that acceptance are.  You will need to determine your hospital and speak with your insurance company to figure the situation out.  I will add that, even if you home insurance company won’t cover everything here, having a baby in Korea is still far cheaper than it would be in the United States.  Of course, if you’re coming from the UK, Canada, or any other country that has a socialized healthcare system, you’re more likely to feel cheated.

The bottom line is this: If you’re paying into the Korean system, you’ll be fine.  If you aren’t, you’ll need to get your ducks in a row.  If you have the luxury of doing this before you conceive, I’d highly recommend doing so, as it is one less thing you have to worry about once you’re on track to motherhood.

3. Finding cheap baby clothes

I don’t know what the prices are on US baby clothes these days, but I know what they used to be, and I can tell you that they’re a right sight cheaper at home than they are here.  I’m going to be straight and say that if you buy your baby clothes at the department stores, you have more money than sense (cents?).  There are plenty of cheap places to buy baby clothes in Korea, but if you aren’t Korean, they aren’t going to just leap out at you.  I have found that even Lotte Mart charges more for cute little outfits than I’m willing to spend.

Have you heard of G-Market?  If you haven’t, you’re missing out.  G-Market is one of Korea’s most popular Internet shopping sites.  It’s sort of like Amazon, but with a cheap-o web design that’s hard to navigate.  They have the site in partial English, but I’m not going to lie – if you can’t read Hangul, you’re going to have trouble with the product descriptions.  Again, having a Korean friend help you can be massively beneficial.  I’ve found that I can do just fine on my own, but I read and understand Korean pretty well, so that’s a big help.  You can find everything on G-Market from cute baby-grows (onesies, whatever) to breast pumps, car seats, pack ‘n plays, and floor mats.  They deliver within 24-48 hours, on average, and most of it is really cheap.  I’ve gotten a TON of clothes for practically no money.

There are other sites that specialize in baby clothes, but most of them don’t feature any English.  Again, if you can read and speak Korean, you’ll be in hog heaven.  Otherwise, you might want to get a friend who can speak Korean reasonably well to help you out.  I will list all of these sites at the end of this post.

Another place that you might not think to look is Facebook.  There is a great group on Facebook where foreign moms resell their old baby clothes and toys.  It’s freaking amazing, and most of it is super-cheap.  The only catch to joining is that you have to be willing to ship within Korea, so you don’t have to worry about having to pick things up from Seoul.  As a side note, you can also check Craigslist Seoul and see what secondhand baby things are going.  There are usual some deals to be had, although not every woman on there can be guaranteed of wanting to ship, since a bulk of them seem to be Army wives living around the base in Seoul.

Bottom line is that you don’t have to pay top dollar for baby clothes here, and you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get things shipped over from the US.  Yes, you can find things on eBay and Amazon, but you’re still going to have to pay shipping and handling to get it over here, and most of the US carriers, including USPS, charge a fairly hefty fee for their services.  And since most us don’t really want to take everything back with us that we buy here, it’s reasonable to be somewhat frugal on what you spend on baby things, especially given that baby things don’t last your child that long, anyway.

4. The elusive crib

Wonder why you haven’t seen any cribs in the baby sections here in Korea?  It’s because most Koreans co-sleep.  I know there are lots of people doing it back home now too, and I definitely don’t judge, because what’s right for me is not what’s right for every family and baby.  But I need a crib.  Mama needs her own bed, and I’m completely terrified of squishing my baby.  I sleep really hard, and so does my husband.  We’re getting a crib.

Okay, great.  We’re crib parents.  The problem is that cribs aren’t popular here.  In fact, I haven’t seen a single crib anywhere in Changwon.  Turns out there’s one baby store that has at least one, but seriously?  Only one?  Out of like, ten baby stores?  I knew there had to be a way to get us a crib.  And there is.

Now, if you’re thinking that you’re going to order one of those fancy Oeuf cribs from the US, well, you’re more than welcome to try.  However, most companies simply won’t ship cribs overseas because they’re made of wood.  The companies are liable for the beds arriving in one piece, and given the material and people’s propensity to bitch and moan about things like cosmetic flaws – something almost unavoidable after overseas travel – most companies simply refuse to eat the cost of shipping to Korea.  Besides, even if you find a company that does, it will likely cost you more than the delivery of your child.  How many of us can really afford to drop $1,000+ on a baby crib?  I’m not Gwyneth Paltrow over here!

You can find some used cribs for sale on Craigslist and on the Facebook group I’ve linked, but they are somewhat few and far between.  If you’re looking for an affordable crib in Korea, look no further than Petit Lapin Korean cribs.  They have a good variety of cribs, most of which are convertible into toddler beds, much like the new cribs back home.  That means if, like my family, you’re potentially here for a long haul, you can get your money’s worth out of your crib.  I have also heard of crib rental options, but when I checked on the company that was offering this service, it seemed like they had gone out of business.

Petit Lapin offers cribs, mattresses, and other nursery furniture.  Most of the furniture is priced similarly to US nursery furniture.  Some of the crib models are pretty reasonable, but they can get pretty darn expensive.  That’s probably because not a lot of people use them over here.  It seems like cribs are a sort of Western luxury item that most Koreans just don’t deem necessary, and that’s fine, but it does drive the price up a bit.

If you’re looking for an organic mattress, heh.  Sorry.  I was set on buying the Naturepedic mattress because I don’t want arsenic off-gassing onto my daughter and causing SIDS.  Nervous moms, fear not!  There is a solution: mattress wrapping!  For about $40, plus whatever it costs you to get a relative to mail it to Korea, you can get a mattress wrap that will protect your little one from the toxic crap that literally rolls off of (all) mattresses.  (Seriously, did you know that one of the most toxic things in your home is the bed that you sleep on?  Gross!)  My husband and I have decided to get a regular mattress and also a mattress wrapping kit so that we don’t have to spend a small fortune for our baby to be safe.

If you’re skeptical of the crib wrapping thing, definitely do your homework.  However, since crib wrapping became the thing in New Zealand in 1995, there have been ZERO – yes, zero – reported crib deaths in nurseries with wrapped mattresses.  That’s a pretty impressive figure.  The best part about the mattress wrap is that you don’t have to be earning an upper middle class income to be able to afford it; it’s pretty well within reach of everyone.  So forget that Naturepedic mattress – it won’t fit Korean cribs, anyway.

5. Strollers and car seats

We’re still looking for the perfect stroller and luckily, there are lots of options available out there.  Not all strollers are newborn-safe, so it seems like you have to shell out slightly more for a stroller that will be okay for your new baby.  As your baby gets older, however, there are plenty of cheaper options.  Just about every store, from E-Mart to Lotte and Shinsegae Department Stores, have sections that feature baby strollers.  There are usually salespeople there to try and sell you the most expensive one and help you figure out how to collapse the darn things.  They’re usually pretty helpful.  In my experience so far, if you’re going to buy one from one of the stores, it’s probably going to cost you at least 150,000W or so, and if you go to one of the big department stores, it’s probably going to be more like 300,000W.

We had a devilish time with car seats.  Much like strollers, not all car seats are okay for new babies.  You don’t have to have a car seat to take your baby home in Korea like you do back home, but my husband and I imposed the rule on ourselves.  We went out in search of one of those car seats that has a base and detaches into a carrier.  It seems like most people have those back home, and they’re much handier than a totally stationary car seat.  You might be able to find one in Seoul, but we never did succeed in finding one down here.  Korea does carry a wide variety of great car seats, but none of them detach into a carrier, not even the insanely-priced Britax car seats.

In the end, my husband’s parents sent us a Graco car seat from the UK.  It has a base from which it easily detaches, so we’ll be able to carry the baby to and from the car in it.  That’s much better than having to wrestle around with her while we lean across the Moose!  Unfortunately, this did cost a pretty penny, as car seats weigh more than what you’ll fit into the average package.  If you don’t have family who are willing to ship things over to you, there are some dealers on eBay that will ship internationally, but it will cost you.  Amazon ships internationally too, but I’ll be frank when I say that I’ve had a couple of bad turns shipping internationally with them, so I’d recommend eBay over Amazon any day.  I’ve never had a problem with eBay.

Also be aware of customs taxes when you’re importing a big ticket item from the US.  If the amount comes to more than $100 (I think), be prepared to be customs taxes.  These vary, and I haven’t always paid them (thank God), but it can get a bit pricey – about 70,000W+ for big items.  If your family sends you things, make sure they mark it all as “used” on the customs forms and undervalue it.  This goes a long way towards avoiding a hassle at customs, as they will usually demand that you pay the duties before the package leaves the warehouse.

6. Odds ‘n ends

In spite of the difficulty of some items, it seems like everything else is pretty easy to come by around here.  I’ve found Dr. Brown’s bottles, electric breast pumps, and plenty of recognizable toys from Toys ‘R Us at Lotte in Changwon.  Baby stores like Agabang have a large supply of day-to-day items that you’ll need for your baby, and most of it is priced similarly to what you’d pay back home in the US.

If you have a snazzy department store in your area, make sure to check out the organic section.  Lotte Department Store in Changwon has a section dedicated to organic soaps, laundry powders, dish soaps, etc.  They also have Doc Bronner’s and a nice selection of organic lotions and soaps for baby. Yes, they are hideously overpriced – about three times what you’d pay at home.  Doc Bronner’s is about $20 a bottle here.  Almost all of the organic products are imported from the US, France, Germany (finally, reading German is coming in handy again, since none of it is translated), and Canada.  I picked up some Nellie’s Laundry Soda, which is concentrated but scent-free and safe for baby’s skin.  It works really well, so we’re hoping that our baby is okay with it, too.

There is a large selection of formulas here too, in case you don’t want to breastfeed.  There are US formulas available, although they are a bit pricier than the Korean formulas.  You can also get soy-based formula as well, from what I hear.  I’m planning on breastfeeding, so I haven’t done gobs of research on the Korean formulas yet, but I probably should, just in case I’m a bad mama cow (i.e. don’t make enough milk).  You will also be able to find breastfeeding pads for bras and things from the baby stores.  There is a store in Seoul that sells larger sized bras, but I don’t know if they do nursing bras.  I almost always shop for bras from Her Room, as they have a large selection of sizes and ship internationally.  Even larger-busted girls should be able to get their nursing bras from them.

7. Safety precautions

My husband and I bought a car specifically because we’re having a baby.  Taxi cabs and buses in this country are insane.  Seriously, we drive almost everywhere now.  If you’re pregnant, I would strongly advise against using the buses here.  They jar you around a lot, and I’ve seen multiple bus accidents here in Changwon.  Play it safe!

Also, let’s be honest: the water in Korea is shit.  It’s dirty.  If it doesn’t have industrial waste in it, it seems to have strange bacteria that give you the runs for days and days on end.  I am also death on not drinking fluoride.  Even the ADA is now saying that topical application is the only time fluoride might be beneficial; there is NO evidence that drinking it promotes dental health.  What there is some evidence of is the fact that fluoride can cause problems with other parts of your body, like your brain.  It is now even recommended that baby formula be prepared with non-fluoridated water.  You HAVE TO buy bottled water, if you want it without insane chemicals in it.  Jeju Water and Blue Marine are the only two I’ve found that I do not have fluoride.  Jeju Water is cheap; Blue Marine is crazy-expensive.  I only drink Jeju Water.  If, like me, you are concerned about drinking the right fluids but can’t find either of these brands, check the water bottles and see if there is an “F” symbol on the chemical listings, or you can check for “불소,” which is the Korean for fluoride.  Don’t drink it, girls.  Fluoride makes you dumb and hurts your bones.

Also, remember to avoid shellfish and sushi while pregnant.  Koreans love them some raw fish, but they’ll understand if you politely decline on the grounds of your child’s health.  Family is very important here, and they won’t throw shade over doing something for your baby.  In fact, you’re far more likely to have Korean friends offering you fresh fruits and vegetables, along with seaweed soup after you give birth.  Supposedly, it helps your milk come in.  They also have a thing about dressing the baby and mother warmly, even in the summer.  I don’t remember exactly why – I think it has something to do with arthritis…

8. Culture differences 

You knew before you came here that Korea was going to be different.  The process of giving birth is the same.  Think of Korea as being like the US back in the 1960s or 70s.  Men have very little part in the birthing process here.  Traditionally, fathers are usually not present for their child’s birth.  Children are whisked away to central nurseries to prevent infection.  It is not uncommon for mothers and babies to spend time in a special recovery center for about three weeks.  It all seems a bit, well, foreign to Westerners who are used to the notion of Dad being in the room, the baby popping out, and then heading home a day or two later.

Update: I talked to the doctor about this, and she said that most dads now are choosing to be with their wife and baby when the child is born, so it’s no longer an issue.  Still, I’ve read other sites where Korean women didn’t want their husband in the room.  I’m not really sure which reports are the most accurate, but suffice to say that the times are changing somewhat rapidly in Korea, so you shouldn’t have to worry about having a fight about your husband being present in the room for your child’s birth.

Still, in spite of the doctor laughing and saying it’s not like that, we have experienced a hint of this old school attitude.  The sonogram technicians giggle uncomfortably at my husband’s presence.  They seemed surprised at first that he would come in to see the baby, but they won’t chase him out.  The hospital people also really don’t address him unless necessary; the focus is always on me.  The good news in all this is that Koreans are getting more and more accustomed to foreigners in their country, and they understand that we have different customs and habits.

I’ve heard that C-sections are more common in Korea than back home.  I know last year, there were a ton of births on November 11th, 2011 (11/11/11), as this was considered an auspicious day to give birth, and many women wanted their children to have this birthday.  Doctors tend to encourage it more because it brings more revenue into the hospital, as it obviously costs more to have a C-section.  If you have a C-section, out of necessity or choice, be aware that they will chuck a sandbag on your abdomen during recovery.  I’m not exactly sure why this is, but they will do it.  You’ve been warned.

Koreans also tend to stay home with their babies for the first 100 days of their life.  Since infant mortality was so high in the past, it was considered bad luck to go visiting with the baby before his/her first 100 days had passed.  Even today, this remains somewhat true, and many Koreans will have a 100 Day celebration (Baek-Il).

9. Play Time

If you have an older child – I’m thinking 18 months to two years and up – there is a great place in Changwon that you can take your kids on the weekend.  This place is especially great if it’s raining.  It’s called Dibo Kids’ Cafe, and it’s in City 7 near Wa Bar.  It’s a lot like a Jungle of Fun or a giant McDonald’s play area.  It has ball pits, slides, bouncy areas… Basically, it’s kid’s paradise.  Of course, it does cost to get in – I think it’s 5,000W for little ones and 7,000 per parent or some such, but I can pretty much guarantee that if you need to take your kid somewhere so that they can get worn out, Dibo is it.  My friend takes her daughter there all the time, and she loves it.  Incidentally, I think Dibo is also a cartoon – Dibo the Wish Dragon or something like that.  Little kids in Korea love Dibo, apparently.  I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

There are also plenty of parks in Changwon where you can take your kid to let them off the leash, so to speak.  I do notice that there aren’t as many “big toys” in Korea as there are in the US.  You know – big jungle gyms with slides, bouncy bridges, and the like.  I haven’t seen too many of those.  A lot of apartment complexes here have playgrounds built in.  The playground in my apartment complex is right behind my building – so great for weekend mornings, when the place is jam-packed with screaming children.  😉  The bigger apartments usually also have big, sandy play areas for the children.

I’ll try and think of things to add to this as I go along, but I hope this is a good starting point for some of you.  I will definitely get more information up here about immigration, but I’m still working on that.  Our baby will have dual citizenship (US/UK), plus she’ll need a visa, so this could get interesting!  Hope this helps, ladies!

10. Vaccination

Anyone who knows us will know that my husband and I are non-vaxers.  There are a lot of issues associated with vaccination, and it is a very hotly debated topic.  I’m not looking to catch flack from any people who think I’m an abusive monster, so anyone who reads this can keep their thoughts to themselves.  Vaccination is a personal issue, and every parent has the right to make those decisions based on their own research into it.  I do heartily recommend reading both sides of the argument before making the decision.

In any case, the vaccination schedule in Korea is roughly similar to the one in the US.  Vitamin K and Hep B are delivered shortly after birth.  You can opt out of these, as we intend to do.  We have already made our wishes clear to the doctor.  I recommend doing this.  Our doctor was pliable about it and said that she knew some foreigners don’t vaccinate.  Still, because of the language barrier, you need to make your wishes very clear from the beginning. Make sure your delivery care providers know in advance.  This is probably great advice for anywhere else, too.

The total cost of the routine vaccinations, according to our friends, will be about two million won.  The Korean system delivers a bunch of them at the same time.  You’ll notice young Korean children walking around with these large, box-shaped scars that have nine pricks on them.  Those are vaccination scars.  I hear tell the needle gun used for injection is pretty rough-looking.  Again, whether or not you want your child vaccinated in this manner or would prefer the spread-out schedule that some parents are now choosing is up to you, but you do need to decide in advance, if possible, so that you know what options are available here.  I know some vaccinations, like the MMR, usually come together and are difficult to obtain separately, even in the US.

The UK is more lax about vaccine enforcement, it would seem, though commenters may feel free to correct me on this.  I’m still researching.  The US has philosophical exemption for 21 states and 48 states (excluding Mississippi and W. Virginia) have religious exemption.  If you are planning to vaccinate, none of this applies to you.  Just be aware of the high cost in Korea and plan accordingly!

11. Maternity Leave

By law, you are legally entitled to three months of paid maternity leave in Korea.  That’s a long-ass time, compared to what we get back home.  I originally thought that you weren’t entitled to paid leave, but as it turns out, you are.  By law, your employer is legally obligated to pay you your full salary as per your contract for the first two months that you’re on leave.  Generally, national employee insurance covers part of the third month, but most hagwon directors don’t have this insurance, so I’m honestly not sure how the third month works out.

As I have just discovered this, it’s going to become a bit of a sticky wicket with my boss, who was convinced that he was not legally obligated to pay me anything.  This used to be the case, but it was revised under the 2008 Labor Law.  I will post a paper in PDF format here so that you can take a look at it and download it.  Korea Mat Leave 2008 onward

*Update: My husband and I bought a crib from Petit Lapin cribs.  It put together fine, looked great, and we loved it.  BUT.  The varnish.  Holy cow.  We realized after moving it into the small nursery room we’re using that the varnish/chemical smell was overpowering.  We did NOT feel okay about putting our daughter into that crib.  Although a great deal of time had elapsed since purchase, the company agreed to exchange it for a natural wood crib of the same model (Eco Bear) and pick up the old one.  Note, we would never have been able to do that without my awesome boss.  

My advice to ALL parents, not just those living in Korea, is to avoid furniture products with significant varnish on them.  Most baby furniture is made in China now, as is most furniture in both Korea and the US.  I would stick with natural wood colors.  I love the dark finishes, but your baby’s health is not worth the risk.  We cleaned the crib several times, we aired it out, and nothing worked.  We’re crossing our fingers that the new one, which arrives in two days, will be wood-scented only, as the company has promised us.  I strongly recommend, especially here in Korea where you can’t really look at cribs before purchase, that you stick with natural woods.  Seriously, you’ll save yourself a major headache. 

*Update 2: I cannot recommend the crib we got from Petit Lapin.  Their service was great.  They replaced the varnish crib with one that is all-natural wood.  However, the mattress also has a distinctly toxic smell wafting off of it.  We have crib mattress wraps, but we do not feel comfortable putting our baby in it, even with the wrap.  We have purchased a bassinet and will likely use a pack ‘n play instead of a crib.  

I strongly recommend that you DO NOT buy any crib sight unseen in Korea or anywhere else.  Most furniture is now made in China, and China is not known for its overabundance of quality wood.  They use a lot of toxic chemicals in the furniture glue and varnish, including formaldehyde.  When inhaled, these can be deadly for baby.  

Unfortunately, I don’t have any great solutions other than buying a used crib from someone or using bassinets and play yards.  If I find someone who managed to locate a non-toxic crib in Korea, I’ll post it here.  Until then though, I recommend just finding an alternative.  We’ve wasted a lot of time and money trying to get this sorted out, and it hasn’t turned out well for us, unfortunately.  

The Links

Petit Lapin Cribs (98% Korean only, and I don’t really recommend their products)

G-Market (English)

Korea Maternity/Baby Sale Extravaganza (Facebook group – English)

Little Baby Crib Rental Service (Korean only)

Agabang Baby Store (English, Korean, Chinese.  Mostly just showcases their brands.)

Dreammil (Formula and baby products – Korean only)

Her Room Bras, Panties, and Lingerie (English – international shipping available)

Toys ‘R Us Korea (Korean – just gives store locations and plays obnoxious music)

H&M Korea (Seoul only.  They do have a small selection of Western sized maternity clothes.)

Old Navy (English.  They ship internationally and carry larger sizes of maternity clothes.)

Costco Korea (English.  Locations in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Ilsan.  They carry international goods.)

Playgroups (Mostly in Seoul area)

About Dibo Kids’ Cafe (English – courtesy of Little Seouls Blog)

Korea 4 Expats Info on Pregnancy (English)

US Report of Birth Procedure (US Embassy Seoul – Korean/English)