Finding and staying at a Seoul goshiwon
If you’re looking for a cheap and affordable place to stay in Seoul, be it for one night or one year, goshiwons make a great budget option!
Goshiwons are places offering small rooms, usually located in the more studenty areas of town like Shinchon, Hongdae, Ehwa, Seoul National Station etc.
A goshiwon will usually offer renters a small room with a desk, chair and cupboard for about 15,000-25,000 won/night (short-term) or 300-600,000 won/month (long-term).
Almost all of them will also offer free rice and kimchi for you to eat (and instant noodles and eggs too in the nicer places!)
Staying at a goshiwon
Staying at a goshiwon is a pretty unique Korean experience. The likelihood of bumping into Westerners isn’t that high and most of the people you meet will probably be Koreans living or working full-time in Seoul.
Having said that though, I do think that that can be a pretty unique experience to have and given that it is usually the locals who have knowledge of what’s going on in and around town, getting to know them a little better might just help you find a hidden gem or two.
The best time to meet people staying at the goshiwon will be in the evening when everyone is cooking dinner in the kitchens.
People tend to be pretty shy about their English, you might need to be the one to strike up the conversation, but I’ve found that people are usually pretty friendly and willing to talk once the ice is broken.
Kevin Brenneman made an informative little video about Goshiwon living a while back, which you can take a look at below.
How to find a goshiwon?
If you are already in Seoul, the easiest way to find a goshiwon will be to just walk around and look out for the goshiwon/one room/ livingtel signs (고시원/ 원룸/리빙텔) in the area you’re interested in staying at.
You can usually just walk in and ask directly if they have any rooms free and then take a look around and decide if you like it.
Sometimes there will also be flyers hanging around with addresses and numbers for you to call (though I suggest knowing some Korean or getting a Korean friend to ring the owners in this case as a lot of the owners are pretty poor at English.)
If you’re not in Seoul yet, then the easiest thing to do is to go on the Seoul Craigslist website. This used not to be an option, but as of recently, a number of places have started advertising there in the rooms for rent section.
Just send the owners an email stating the dates you’d like to stay and see if they have any vacant rooms. Make sure they have blankets and pillows for you to use during your stay and also agree a set price beforehand.
Don’t pay anything in advance so you don’t get scammed and make sure you take what you need to pay with you in cash, as it is unlikely they will be able to take card payments.
Useful Seoul Goshiwon Sites
I haven’t personally used these sites, as I usually find my goshiwons through the methods described above. The sites below are all in English though, which definitely helps if you don’t know any Korean!
HABANG – This site lists goshiwons and hasookjibs. Hasookjibs tend to be around the same price as goshiwons, but will usually have Korean style breakfast and dinner included which is cooked by the resident ajumma (older Korean lady/ house mommy). However, these are usually less likely to let you stay short-term.
GOSHIPAGES – This site is actually intended for students coming to Korea to study and staying long term, but if you search for where you’d like to stay (you can search either by the nearest subway station or university) then you can see that some places allow a minimum stay of 7 days.
Top tip: I wouldn’t take minimum stay requirements too seriously as whilst some landlords do stick adamantly to them, there are plenty of others who will be happy to rent out a room just for a couple of days.
// September 2018 Update: Please note that I no longer respond to Goshiwon search comments on this page due to the fact I have not been living in Korea since 2012. I am, therefore, not in a position to give you the most up to date status on the Goshiwon’s that are now recommended. Thank you for your understanding //
37 Comments
Agness
It looks expensive, but surprisingly it’s not. Very spacious – I like it!!
Sara syed
Hi my name is sara and I am a forienger I am coming to south korea can I get a cheap goshiwan with one room kitchen bathroom and everything I need and I don’t want to small goshiwan plz help me
Claudia // Rjunkie
Hi Sara,
Unfortunately, I don’t live in a Korea anymore to be able to give you specific advice. However, I would say that goshiwons do tend to be quite small in general.
At one point, I had a double bed goshiwon with a bathroom and kitchenette, which was around 550,000 won/month at the time. However, it was still tiny and I only rented it for a couple of weeks because my mom was visiting. I would imagine it would be more expensive than that now though as that was back in 2009!
Xin Zhao
Are you able to live in these outside of university?
rjunkie
Yes, you are. You don’t have to be a student to stay at a Goshiwon 🙂
Riddhi sharma
I wanna ask that can we live in goshiwon permanently like for 1 or 2 years
Claudia // Rjunkie
Hi Riddhi,
Goshiwons are usually run on a monthly payment, so technically there is no end date as far as I am aware. As such, it should be possible to rent for 1-2 years, or however long you like, until you decide to leave 🙂
Ismy
how can i find the e-mail of the owner at Habang site ? can i rent oneroom Goshiwon for 2 people ?
rjunkie
Hi there,
I would ask that you to contact the Habang site directly for any information regarding its owner as I am in no way affiliated to the site. The email for them is seoul@habang.co.kr.
As to renting a oneroom Goshiwon for 2 people. Usually a goshiwon (if available) will offer a double room for dual occupancy. These are slightly more expensive than the single rooms.
When my mom came to visit, the goshiwon I stayed at previously offered me a dual room for 450,000/month at a discount as I had been there a while. It was meant to be around 550,000 at standard price though, if I remember correctly.
Hope that helps!
fifi
I need help. I am going to be fall 201 exchange student to HUFS. I need somewhere cheap to stay. Gosiwon seems like that.well, I can pay 180-200at my best. My priority is its price.
rjunkie
Hi Fifi,
You have quite a low budget, but not impossible to find!
I’ve taken a quick look and it seems there are a couple of places that might be suitable:
성웅고시텔 (Seonggoong Goshitel) – Tel: 010-2438-7108 – Prices: 140,000-200,000 – http://www.gosiwonhome.com/sub/view.htm?gosiwon_srlno=896
에이스고시텔 (Ace Goshitel) – Tel: 02-957-4080 – Prices: 160,000-300,000 – http://www.gosiwonhome.com/sub/view.htm?gosiwon_srlno=1020
모현고시원 (Mohyeon Goshiwon) – Tel: 031-332-7555 – Prices: 200,000-300,000 – http://www.gosiwonhome.com/sub/view.htm?gosiwon_srlno=557
Please note that I am in no way affiliated to these places and can not vouch for their quality, so please stay vigilant and make sure to check out the area beforehand if you can. I am also not sure if they will speak English, so it may help to get a Korean person to help you. Good luck with your studies and house hunting!
Jennifer Nguyen
Hi,
I noticed you mentioned that you stayed in the double room with your mother. That is the one I wanted. Was the room spacious enough for two? Were there any issues with the building in particular?
rjunkie
It was quite small – It just had a double bed, a little kitchenette and a small toilet in it, but it was good enough for the week my mom was staying. If you’re talking about a long term plan though it really depends on how cosily you like to live with your mother!
In terms of the building itself, I never had any issues at Ace. It was very safe and the owner was a real sweetheart. I’d have no concerns there 🙂
Jennifer Nguyen
Thanks for the reply! I just have one last question. Through Goshipages, they asked for a 100,000 won reservation fee, was this the same for you? Or should I try my luck and book a goshiwon when I get there?
Lya
Hi Jennifer I am in the same situation as you now! What did you do? Pay a reservation fee or wait till you get there. Thank you in advance!
shaymaa
hello..thnx for the helpful infos…but habang site is all korean n sometimes it tells me “not found”
Elya
Hello! I`m going to be this fall exchange student to SNU. I`m serching some cheap ways to stay near my campus. I hope I can rent goshiwon for 190.000-200.000 won. Is it possible?
rjunkie
Hi there,
Sorry this is a little late. 190-200,000 is a little on the low end so it probably won’t be the best of the best place. It should still be possible to find places around that price range though. I had a friend stay in a place near Sinchon a while back who was paying 180,000.
Sereena Spencer
My Korean friends say to never live in a Goshiwon. They said they are horrible places and that the pictures they show are not what they are. I know your video was from forever ago, but can you tell more more about them. Like how the rooms are, how tidy the places are and if the walls are thin.
rjunkie
Hi Sereena,
It really depends on the place – as with a lot of things there are good and not so good Goshiwons around. Before choosing one, I would suggest going to visit a few places if you can (or getting someone to go for you). Each one will differ in terms of quality, price and what you do and don’t get included in your rent (i.e. rice, eggs, kimchi, side dishes etc.).
In general, the places that I’ve seen have been pretty nice, but I did wonder into one or two places which were run down, minimal heating, no food, no washing powder etc. too.
If you go to a better goshiwon then you will find the hallways and common areas to be absolutely pristine and cleaned every day. They are really nice places to stay – no issues at all.
In less classy goshiwons there is less cleaning going on, so the common bathroom, shower and kitchens tend to be the places you want to check out first. You’ll see when you get there whether or not it’s been cleaned or not as the toilets in particular will be a little smelly if the toilet paper has been left in the bins too long, or the shower will smell a little funky from not being cleaned or the kitchen may have a few dishes left in the sink, which you wouldn’t normally see elsewhere.
In terms of the walls being thin – that I will agree with. Goshiwon rooms are built next to each other, are quite small and the walls do tend to be quite thin. Having said that though, I’ve never had an issue with people being rowdy in the places I stayed. As a lot of inhabitants work or study, a lot of the occupants will be out most of the time and when they are in they are there to sleep, so the most disturbing thing you are likely to hear is your Korean neighbour talking animatedly to a friend on the phone or so…
Hope that helps!
Allison
Hi, I’m coming to Korea to teach English. My hagwon provides an apartment but I want to come a few days early to recover from jet lag before I start teaching. So I looked online and found out about goshiwons and they sound perfect if they can be rented for just a few days (probably 4 nights). I’m coming in early June and I’m hoping to find something in Seoul fairly close to the Anglican cathedral (which is next to City Hall I think). Can you recommend a good one (very clean) in that area? 25000 won per night would not be a problem.
rjunkie
Hi Allison,
First off congratulations on taking the step to come to Korea to teach – I hope you have a wonderful experience and it’s all you hope for!
In terms of a goshiwon near City Hall – I can’t say I have a first hand recommendation, but after a quick search you may want to try shooting these places an e-mail or calling them (they may or may not speak English though):
Samsung Livingtel
SingleHouse 21
City Hall Daewon Goshitel
Deoksugung Livingtel
Plaza Livingtel
I can’t guarantee these places will give you four nights (this is normally based on how free the place is), and I’m not sure how much they would cost, but the monthly cost in these places is reasonable, so I’d imagine they would go for under 25k/night easily.
If you have any issues contacting them from here though, you could also try just walking into a few places when you get to Seoul and seeing if you can find a deal that way. That’s how a lot of people find accommodation there – the good old fashioned way! Good Luck 🙂
Allison Hammond
Hi just wanted to let your readers know that I booked a room in Single House . . . but the same management also runs a guest house called Elm Tree Guest House and that’s where they put me. The room is tiny (even I think by goshiwon standards) and it is not clean! Nothing like the pictures at all. And they are charging me 35000 won per night. I am not happy and am planning to move out today if I can find something better. I’m planning to check out Ace Residence today. So I’d recommend avoiding Single House. The location is the only thing it has in its favor and while central even the location isn’t wonderful because it’s quite noisy.
Hien Dang
Hi, my name is Hien Dang, I am a german female student and coming to Korea on August 20 for this fall semester at KU and wondered if there are any good Goshiwons near the Campus. I already looked up some and contacted them and ask for availability, but maybe you can tell me if there are any good ones because I am also afraid that the pictures won’t be real. I hope you can help me!
Thanks a lot in advance!
Best wishes and kind regards,
Hien Dang
Andy
Hello!
I know I’m super late but I plan on staying in Seoul South Korea next summer For about 3 months I’m going for fun and to learn the language better but I’m not going to be an actual student. I’m having a hard time understanding the websites and was wondering if you recommend a place where I could stay for 3 months?
Kim Arianne
I’m moving to korea this year, I’m in my 9th grade and i’m living alone. I’m planning to stay at a Goshiwon for almost THE REST OF MY SCHOOL DAYS (9th grade to possibly until I graduate college) would it be okay? or do Goshiwons really only let you stay for aminimum of days??
Aisyah
Hi, Thank you so much for your sharing.
I would like to ask about Goshiwon near The Seoul Institute, 391 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Do you have any information Goshiwon around that? I will come to Korea for my internship program about 5 months. I need the cheap one around 200.000
If you have any information let me know the contact, please
Thank you so much ^^
İLAYDA
Hello,thanks for sharing your informations about goshiwons..I am moving to Korea after 8 months with my friend.We want to stay together in Goshiwon.But I couldn’t find a 2person room.We can pay 500-600.000 won for a months.So where can ı find a room?
Ric
Hi. If you’re still tending to this site, I’d very much like to know if the more ‘up market’ goshiwons (like the ones with the ensuites), have personalised aircon.
I ask, since I’ve spent almost three years of my life in goshiwons in Itaewon (yes, 3yrs!!), & during summer (when it was boiling hot outside), the owners would only commit to turning on the communal air vents once or twice per day. The result was akin to spending my entire summers in a sauna; not only one of the worst experiences of my life, but one I vowed never to repeat. Oh, & I even had one of the ‘bigger’ rooms! Lots of the goshis on the Goshipages site look quite plush in comparison, but I haven’t seen any mention of aircon at all, hence why I’m asking here. I was thinking about returning to the Republic for a while soon, but without aircon, I might as well either wait until winter, or try antartica instead! I used to pay about 230,000-280,000W, but I don’t mind going to 500,000 if there is an aircon unit I can turn on at my fancy. Cheers.
ps. If I wasn’t fussy about where the goshi was located in Seoul, where, in your opinion, are the cheaper areas to get more bang for my buck?
Pico
Hi,
May i know if you know of any reasonably priced and clean goshiwon near skku. As i am intending to go there for the summer and would like some suggestions.
Zubair
Hi, I’m going for exchange in Fall semester at Korea University. May I know if you’ve recommendations for goshiwon around the area? My budget would be 300k Won at maximum
Thank you!
arya
hi i wanted to know that if i came to korea for my studies and haven’t rented a goshiwon so can i be able to rent and start living at the same day ?
Claudia // Rjunkie
Hi Arya,
When I was living in Korea, this was possible, yes. However, only if the Goshiwon had available rooms and if you paid cash up front for the rent. It might be worth checking in advance who has space. Otherwise you may spend quite some time walking from place to place without much success.
Nishat
Hey are you in Korea now? What was your experience?
I’m gonna apply for undergraduate in Korea so I’m searching for a nice place to live on
Claudia // Rjunkie
Hi Nishat,
If you read the article you can see I have not been in Korea for many years now. I wish you all the best in finding a place though!
sudha
hi plzz guide me booking ghoshiwan online ..now i am not in korea but i want to book my stay pre hand so that when i reach there i may not face any problems.. so please help me i beg .Plz give me any site etc where i can book my stay. please help
Claudia // Rjunkie
Hi Sudha,
I’m not in Korea anymore, so I’m not able to comment on specific goshiwons anymore. In terms of a website though, give goshipages.com a go – there are lots of goshiwons listed there in the different areas of Seoul.
However, it would be better if you get someone in Korea to check the places out for you as sometimes what’s shown online and the reality don’t always match up. I find it’s always better to take a look first if you can. Perhaps book a hotel for the first few days and then find a place in the first week there, which is pretty easy once you arrive.