Welcome to Daegu: Life as a Military Spouse in South Korea

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Living as an American expat in Daegu, South Korea, presents challenges since English isn’t as widely spoken as in Seoul. Despite this, we enjoy our life in Daegu. Information about military facilities and housing for foreigners in Korea is scarce online. However, once you arrive, you’ll quickly find everything you need. I’m pleasantly surprised by how living in downtown Daegu has inspired us to eat, drink, explore, and fully embrace our adopted city.

An American in Daegu, South Korea
Military Expat Life in Daegu

Daegu, South Korea, is the 3rd or 4th largest city in South Korea, depending on whether you consider the Incheon part of Seoul or not. More than 2.5 million people live in Daegu. The town is situated between two mountain ranges:  Palgonsan and Apsan mountains. Daegu is home to the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command’s Fighting Eagles. And it’s the reason why my husband and I are here.

The 19th includes Camps Walker, George (housing), Henry, and Carroll. However, the latter is about 20 minutes from the other camps.

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Why Live in Daegu?

First of all, because the DOD said to report to Daegu, we found ourselves here. Living as an American expat in Daegu, South Korea, isn’t the worst place you could be serving in the Army. The city has its unique charm and offers plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in the local culture. As I mentioned, I enjoy living in Daegu. Despite the language barrier, we’ve discovered a vibrant community and a wealth of experiences that make our time here truly rewarding as foreigners in Korea.

Secondly, this is hubby’s third tour to South Korea, and he says Daegu is by far the best location he’s been assigned to. He didn’t get to see the country, let alone any other country, on any other tours. We’ve been to China and Thailand (3x), Japan, Bali, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia, and traveled up and down the Korean peninsula.

I also lived in Korea once before as a teenager. We lived in Itaewon, just outside of Seoul. Seoul is enormous—the second-largest city in Asia after Tokyo. Although I visit when I can, I prefer life as an American in Daegu. Daegu offers a more relaxed pace and a close-knit community, making it a great place for expats to call home.

Take a look at some of our travels around Asia here.

Daegu is a Modern City

The city sits in the southeast part of the country and has all the modern conveniences you’d expect. It has a  modern international airport, train station, an underground Metro system, a monorail, and extensive local and countrywide bus service.

Living in Daegu probably means a high rise for most expats. However, as an American in Daegu, there are a few villas in town where you may even have some outdoor space and a yard.

Military Friendly

Military families are usually assigned housing, especially those with school-age children. However, as an American in Daegu, you might need to find housing with the help of real estate agents outside Camp Walker’s Gate 4. Since we were not assigned quarters, we had to find an apartment on the economy.

We stayed in lodging on Camp Walker for three months until we found an apartment. You can also stay in accommodation on Camp Carroll or out on the economy. Most people stay at the Eldis or Novotel Hotels in downtown Daegu. Both of them have modern Western amenities.

For more information on my apartment search, check out the extensive The Daegu Off Post Apartment Guide and My Little Apartment in Daegu to see what apartments look like in Daegu.

Daily Life in Daegu 

Daily life as an American in Daegu is pretty easygoing. I usually start the day with some workouts—hiking during the summer and working out in the gym downstairs in the winter.

I make daily trips to the recycling station downstairs to toss out my food trash. One of us used to check the mailbox on Camp Walker once a day. But I am so glad they figured out how to send notices when packages arrive. That has cut down on the back and forth to the post office. Now, I’d be a happy camper if they could tell us when there’s just junk mail.

I try to limit trips to the Commissary, opting to purchase vegetables at the local markets once a week.

I don’t have young kids, so my days don’t involve kids, pets, schools, school sports, playdates, shopping, feeding, or keeping them alive and all that stuff. Luckily, some friends have kids, so I can get my baby fix and send them back home when I’ve had enough.

I am an early riser, usually up south of 6 a.m., watching the light in our apartment turn from black to charcoal to blue, orange, yellow, and white. Sometimes, I check emails and flights and respond to Facebook and blog comments on my computer. Other times, I sit on the sofa and enjoy the show unfolding over downtown Daegu with a cup of coffee.

1. Shopping in Daegu

I do a lot of shopping in the economy. My favorites are Home Plus, H-Mart, and the underground malls. There is an H&M, and local markets like Gwanmun Vintage Market and Seomun Market are fun to explore.

A few friends shop on market.com. It’s a Korean service that delivers to our physical address instead of post office boxes. And although I’ve looked at the site, I haven’t ordered anything. I don’t like how you are forced to shop using USD. You never get a reasonable exchange rate that way.

However, I do shop on Amazon a lot using my Prime membership. Occasionally, I shop at Western stores that will ship to an APO, but I got tired trying to keep track, so not as often as I did when I first arrived.

I also shop at the military Post Exchange (store) and Commissary (groceries) on Camp Walker for things I can’t find on the economy. But I love shopping for fruits and vegetables on the street. These things are not cheap in grocery stores, but you’ll get a high price from the local farmers.

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2. Restaurants in Daegu

There is no shortage of good restaurants in Daegu. And I admit we eat out a lot because it’s cheap. Until a few months ago, I didn’t know how to use my oven. And honestly, I’m still winging it because I’m too lazy to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit.

We eat a lot of Korean food and like it. Living in downtown Daegu makes it convenient. We enter the front door to explore downtown Daegu’s local bars and restaurants. The local festivals are also an excellent opportunity to eat local treats. One of the best is the Chicken and Beer Festival.

Read more about food and restaurants in Daegu: 5 Hidden Gems, More Daegu Eats, and Best Places to Have a Beer in Daegu.

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3. Night-Life in Daegu

You can always find something to do on-post, from social club get-togethers, luncheons, military functions, or just having coffee with friends at Starbucks. If you like loud music, there are a lot of dance clubs, bars, and a jazz club in downtown Daegu, too.

I enjoy traveling with my husband, day trips with Korean and American girlfriends, and teaching English. I resumed playing golf. You aren’t living in Daegu if you hike the mountain trails surrounding us.

Just last night, we had dinner with the Kim family. Do you know them? Haha, yes, half the country is named Kim. My husband met him a few weeks ago at his favorite craft beer pub. They struck up a conversation and have been talking ever since.

Although talking might not adequately describe what they do, neither speaks 20 shared words in either language. Yup, policeman Kim hardly speaks English, and my hubby speaks even less Korean. So, if no translator is present, they talk together via a phone app called to translate it.

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Why Policeman Kim?

Policeman Kim wants to learn to speak English. So two days ago, he called and put his daughter on the phone. They invited us to dinner at the Raracoast across the street from our apartment.

I call him Policeman Kim because we also have a Doctor Kim and a brewery owner, Kim. It just helps Steven and I keep them straight.

So policeman Kim’s wife and daughter met us there last night. From what I understand, they said the 20-year-old son was far too busy with his “many girlfriends.” The daughter, 18, did her best to translate, and we all enjoyed the time together, making another appointment for next week.

During dinner, we shared family pictures, talked about travels, and made fun of our lost-in-translation moments. But despite that, we were still able to communicate. They helped me with my pronunciation, and I corrected theirs. Honestly, I think Konglish to begin.

Read about everything to do in the city: 3 Hikes in Daegu, A Night at the Opera, and Nine Excellent Expat Experiences.

 

4. Getting Around

Driving, Monorail, and Taxis

A few days after I arrived, I took the Korean driving exam and passed with flying colors. Too bad none of these rules are followed on the mean streets of Korea. I am a New Yorker, so I can Mad Max if encouraged. However, if you ride with me, you may hear some salty language from time to time.

Getting around is far less stressful, below or above ground. A subway and a new monorail in Daegu connect you to the entire city. Taxis are abundant and cheap. And the buses cover the whole city. However, parking can be difficult. And don’t get me started about the traffic. It will try your patience. So if you can, take public transportation. Since we live in downtown Daegu, we can also walk to many places.

5. Working in Daegu

The spouses line up in three categories: those that have to work, those that don’t or can’t, and those that work for themselves.

YOu can work in South Korea. It takes a special permit to work in the economy. So I work from home, but not for lack of trying to get a federal job. I applied to 3-4 jobs when I got here. I even interviewed for a couple of them. And I used to do one of them three times because it was canceled twice. I gave up after the first year because you have to be in the job a year to be able to transfer.

My blog and Young Living Essential Oils sales bring me a little pocket change. I enjoy both, but neither is preparing me for retirement right now.

6. Getting Sick in Daegu

There is no military hospital on post. The only one is located in Yongsan, outside Seoul. So, we in Area IV (Daegu) must utilize the hospitals on the economy for services not offered by the Clinics (healthcare, dental) on Camp Walker.

Upon arrival, all spouses should take the 2-day Orientation. ACS (Army Community Services) offers a class with a hospital tour. There are 4-5 area hospitals in downtown Daegu designated for our use. I’ve been lucky enough not to need one, though. However, if you do, you should stop by the international desk. They provide a translator/ guide to stay with you during your hospital appointment.

7. Paying the Bills

Luckily, we don’t have to deal directly with electric, gas, or water companies. We pay our utilities once a month when we pay our rent. Our real estate agent makes sure it gets to the right place. And although we are paid in USD, we must pay our rent in Korean Won (KRW). So we have to visit a middleman called a money changer to convert dollars to KRW. Click here to convert dollars to KRW with a money exchanger I shared on my fan page.

 

8. Staying in Touch

Korea is wired. It’s the most wired country in the world. You can go from one free WIFI network to another while driving in your car. It’s such a small country that they were able to build a reliable high-speed Internet backbone. Besides, there are a lot of high-speed Internet cafes in downtown Daegu.

The only thing that could improve it is if they didn’t block specific websites, like Google Maps. They have a substitute app called Waze. I wouldn’t say I liked it at first. However, after revisiting it recently, they’ve made the interface more user-friendly. And it’s not as bad as I thought.

9. My Hair

I am a natural girl. I try not to use a lot of chemical products in my hair. As my hair grew, I spent more and more time on it. Six hours to twist; my hair is too long. Time is money, even when you don’t have a job. So I went to Suicide Alley (the street outside Gate 4 to find a hair braider I liked. Luckily, I found someone who twists my hair nicely for a reasonable price, and it takes less than 90 minutes.

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