1. Clothing--Bring your favorite clothes, but use discretion. Extremely patriotic t-shirts might anger a few Koreans. If your shorts don't reach your knees, you shouldn't bring them. Yes, some Korean women wear very short shorts, but they are usually assumed to be hookers. Tank tops are also a no-no. Your shoulders should be covered. However, you can bring the pants that look like they were painted on. Even if you are very tall, don't worry about finding clothes. I'm five eight and a half and most of the clothes I buy seem to have been made for a much taller person. Shoes are the same. I'm size 9 at home, and while it's sometimes a little hard to get the size in the style I want, it IS possible to buy shoes that fit. Don't bring all of your old clothes just to have something to wear. You can always go shopping here. In fact, don't go clothes shopping just before coming here.....thanks to the economy, clothing is dirt cheap. Even name brands are quite reasonable.
2. Medicine-- If you must take regular medication, check if it's available here before stocking up. I have asthma and was delighted to discover that the inhalers that cost about $50 in the States cost me a grand total of about $4 here. Same brand. I also take Anaprox and it is ten times cheaper here. Western medicine is very cheap here. It's also sold like candy. You don't need a prescription for anything. Just tell the pharmacy what you want, and they give it to you. However, you might want to bring some of the over-the-counter products you are used to. A couple bottles of Tums might provide just the thing to reward your stomach with after sampling an exotic or hot dish. Also, if you prefer Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol, you should bring some with you. I've found that the flu medicine here works wonders, but the cold medication does nothing. Go to your local Wal-Mart or Wal-Greens and look at what's available. If you see anything you've ever taken in the past, buy a bottle or a package. Then, later, if you need more, you can just ask a friend or family member to send you some.
3. Personal products-- Okay, if you insist on tampons, you better buy a year's supply. I've never seen them though I've heard rumors that they are sold in Seoul at steep prices. Better bring a year's supply of deodorant too. They don't have it. Don't worry about cosmetics too much.....you can buy almost anything here. However, if your skin is oily, you should bring your own lotion. Even Koreans complain about how difficult it is to find lotion for oily skin.
4. Spices--Today I found cinnamon and did a little dance of joy right there in the supermarket. The only common-to-American-household spices I've found here are salt and pepper. If you like garlic powder, paprika, basil, or anything like that, you better bring it with you.
5. Electrical Appliances--If you bring any electrical appliances, keep in mind that you wil need to buy a voltage changer. I brought a clock radio, a hair dryer, a curling iron, and an iron. I personally wish I'd left it all at home and just bought the items in Korea. However, I'm here long-term--not just a year. Just keep in mind that if it's a cheap item, you may as well buy a cheap or used one in Korea. IF it's expensive, you might not want to risk taking it here because it might get damaged on the way here or back.
6. Personal Photos of you, your family, your pets, you house, state, and country are wonderful to bring. Your students will love seeing pictures of your life back home. Younger students would be especially delighted by your baby pictures. These photos are also great teaching tools.
7. Videos-- VCRs are the same here. You will most likely have access to a TV and VCR for the classroom. Many movies are probably too fast-paced for students to follow, but kids will love cartoons. Home movies would also be excellent teaching tools. Also, Mr. Bean tapes are excellent for teaching a variety of concepts and ideas for middle school to adult students. You might want to bring a few favorite exercise videos as any you find here would of course be in Korean. However, don't worry about bringing videos just so you have something to watch that's in English. Video stores are everywhere and you can rent a copy of an old favorite or a new release for a rather cheap price.
8. Books--You can get fabulous English/Korean-Korean/English dictionaries here at cheaper rates. You can also buy many English novels here as well as good books of literature. In fact, literary classics are dirt cheap here. What you should bring are your favorite teacher training books, a few books for your students, and a few books of easy games and very easy puzzles.
9. Holiday-related items--Halloween is not celebrated here, but if you are teaching children, you will find them eager to embrace the holiday. Another fun one to teach them about is St. Patrick's Day. Valentine's Day is celebrated differently here. Only the boys and men get gifts. Women get gifts a month later on "White Day."
10. Tapes & CDs--Take one or two of your favorites. Leave the rest at home. You can buy all the big name latest releases cheaper here than at home.
If there is a certain band or singer you cannot live without, you might want to check with the resident foreign teacher to see if that particular music is available in Korea.
11. Camera, Video Camera--Even if you only have a cheap one, it's better than nothing. If you can afford to upgrade, do so before you come as those kinds of things are very expensive here. You'll want to take many pictures of all the sights you see and places you go. A video camera is invaluable in the classroom. You can use it in many different ways.
12. Pets-- I wouldn't advise bringing your pet. Cats are especially bad as 99% of Koreans either greatly fear or hate cats. Finding cat food is difficult and once you do find it, you must pay a lot. I've never seen kitty litter in any reasonable quantity. The biggest package I saw was about 10 cups. And it was expensive. With any pet, you must consider that long flight that they would have to endure. You must consider that your pet will spend many months in quarrantine in Seoul. Especially if you are thinking of only staying a year, I don't think it's worth putting your beloved pet to the torture. I AM a pet lover. Before I came here, I had a 16-year-old cat that I grew up with. I left her behind because I knew it was better for HER even if I cried a lot about it. I have a dog now. If for any reason I would go back to America or to another country, I probably wouldn't bring my dog for the same reason I didn't bring my cat.
***Be sure to talk with the resident foreign teacher of your new school to discover what level your students are and what materials are appropriate and needed.