Retiring in Korea
Land of the Morning Calm
Land of the Morning Calm
March 15, 2024
So, you want to live in Korea after your military retirement. Congrats on retirement! U.S. military retirees in Korea have DOD ID Cards, base access, Exchange/Commissary/MWR privilege's, vehicle registration allowance, escorted persons/vehicle allowance and USPS postal privileges. Some of what is on this site applies to non-retired veterans who are in possession of a VA Veterans Health Insurance Card (VHIC), but since that ID card only gives base access we focus mostly on retirees. Whether this is your first time to Korea or a return trip, welcome to the Republic of Korea, affectionately called Land Of The Morning Calm.
When "assigned" in Korea you fell under the umbrella of SOFA, which helped protect many of your American rights from Korean law. As a non-working U.S. military retiree, you no longer have SOFA status, so that protection is gone. As a retiree you must comply with both Korean Government and U.S. Military laws and rules. Being without SOFA status means we are not protected by a military umbrella to help you get out of any 'downtown' jams, so when off-base we U.S. military retirees are basically just another foreigner in Korea. Failure to follow Korean laws can result in financial fines, jail time, being expelled from Korea and more. As a military retiree, failure to also follow USFK rules can result in being barred from military installations or worse, especially when the USFK Commander has implemented Public Health Emergency (PHE), which gives the USFK Commander full authority over all DOD affiliated personnel in Korea, including retirees.
Playing devils advocate here, it is important to remind you that it was your choice to NOT retire in our own country of America. Many of our U.S. government agency policies and procedures are in-place expecting you be in your country, so hopefully the decision you made to live overseas, and not in the U.S., was made knowing there would be some sacrifices and that our government isn't responsible to care for us here "exactly" the same as they would at home. Examples include Medicare not available overseas, limited Veterans Affairs support, Identity Verification and 2-Factor Identification processes when logging into certain website and accounts expecting a U.S. phone number etc. etc. So, keep this in mind as certain things don't go as smooth as expected and plan for the unexpected.
To Be Fair...
While we all do think living in the ROK is the greatest thing since sliced break, there are some inconveniences to be aware of while living in Korea. To make sure you're ready, checkout the GENERAL FAQ "Are There Disadvantages to Retiring and Living in Korea Without SOFA Status?"
Retirees at military on-base medical treatment facilities (MTF) are eligible for Direct Care, but usually on Space A status. In most cases we retirees are sent, or personally seek out, medical care at local Korean civilian medical facilities as discussed in our Civilian Healthcare page, where we can use TRICARE, FMP, or pay out of pocket. Every case is different, so be prepared to handle your medical situations. Research your area. For more information on medical care visit our pages:
Retirees in Korea are authorized APO mail boxes on base, however, are limited to only 16oz of mail to send or receive This makes using the USPS not quite as user-friendly as with SOFA status, but it does still allow some privilege's that retirees do not receive in other parts of the overseas world. Visit our Postal Services page for more.
Air quality is commonly bad in Korea. And it's not because Korea is bad with emissions and pollution from vehicles and factories, which they have done a good job at reducing, but rather things like the “Yellow Dust” (dust & pollution) blowing in from places like China. If you or your spouse have any respiratory problems, they may be exasperated by the yellow dust. Check out the current Air Quality on the Air Pollution in South Korea: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map. http://aqicn.org/map/southkorea/#@g/37.3326/126.8174/12z
Numerous options for housing and costs. Go to our Housing page for details and information.
Renters Insurance, also known as Home Contents Insurance, is available for expats living in Korea. Read more about Renters Insurance on our Housing page.
Visit our Transportation page for more on getting around Korea.
The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) office at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines is your Social Security Administration service office in the Pacific. For more information on SSA support while in Korea and links to SSA websites, go to our Social Security Administration page.
You will want to maintain an affiliation with your home state for voting, driver’s licenses, congress/senate support, etc. Some states will allow you to renew your non-Real ID driver’s license online from overseas. Every state has their own rules, so you need to go online for the DMV in your state and find out. And with the emergence of Real ID cards, the processes and policies change even more. So, research with your state. Some states will allow you to maintain your last known CONUS physical address as your address of record, with an APO address for mailing of voting packages and driver’s licenses. Again, every states has their own rules, check with DMV
It goes without saying foreigners living in a foreign land need, and should always want, to have a valid passport from their country. We have pages for Passports and Korea Visa/Immigration for you to visit with more information.
If you have VA rated disabilities, even at 0%, you are eligible for VA reimbursement for treatment of these conditions. Unlike in the U.S. however, VA healthcare overseas is limited, especially in Korea that has no VA centers. FMP becomes your only recourse for VA healthcare support. To learn more about registering and using the VA Foreign Medical Program (FMP) go to our Veterans Affairs page
Your US Last Will & Testament and Power of Attorney is not recognized in Korea. You will need these for any US property, bank accounts, and estate affairs in the US and on base. Off post estate matters will follow Korean law. Korean law is similar to US laws, but to gain access to property and bank accounts of deceased spouses may take a year or more going through their probate system.
The military will help widows/widowers with casualty assistance. Go to our Casualty Assistance and Mortuary Affairs page for more information.
Our website here tries to consolidate the many forms of information media. There are websites, newsletters, Retirement Services Offices on base, the Retiree Council, VFW Posts throughout Korea and of course Facebook social media. USFK installations almost all have Facebook pages to pass information to the communities. Also, the Retiree Council publishes a newsletter, which can be found online here at our Retiree Council Newsletters page.
