FAQ — South Korea

Since announcing our big news of Travis moving to Korea, people have had many questions. So I figured I’d write out a post for those of you who are curious to know more. If you are in the military or in a military family, you will probably already know these answers. But many civilians just don’t fully understand it all.

Here are the most frequently asked questions and our answers.

When does he move there?

Travis has to report to his new unit by March 1. He will take a couple weeks of leave before he moves, so we will be leaving Georgia mid-February to spend a couple weeks in Indiana.

Is this a deployment?

This is not a deployment. This is called a PCS (Permanent Change of Station). He will be there for one year. See next question for more clarification.

Is he going with his unit or by himself?

His unit is not going. He has been a platoon leader for the past year, and his time in that position is over. (You can only do that for so long.) He is ready to switch positions and a job assignment is open in South Korea so they matched him with it. There are too many MP lieutenants at Fort Stewart right now, so they are moving him to a unit in South Korea.

Does he have to go?

Yes. This isn’t his decision to go. He is being assigned a job there and must go.

Where is South Korea and how long does it take to get there?

The country is between Japan and China. Check out the map below — there’s an arrow pointing to it. South Korea is about a 14 hour flight if it’s a straight shot.

What’s the time difference and the weather like?

South Korea is 14 hours ahead of us (EST). The weather is very similar to that of Indiana — cold in the winters and hot in the summers.

What part of South Korea will he be in?

Daegu, South Korea. This is in the southern part of the country. He will probably be about one hour from the beach.

Is it dangerous?

Travis’ job won’t be dangerous. He will not be in combat (unless war breaks out or something). He will have more of a desk job. South Korea has a very low crime rate. Less than 3% are assaulted and less than 13% experience theft. South Korea is 52nd out of 196 countries in the global safety ranking. The United States is ranked 101 in that same safety ranking. (These results come from the Global Peace Index.)

How many people live in South Korea?

The country has a population of 50 million. The capital, Seoul, has a population of 9.8 million. The city of Daegu, where Travis will be, has a population of 2.5 million.

Where will you live while he’s in South Korea?

I will move back to Indiana, but I’m hoping to visit Travis in South Korea as much as possible (maybe even months at a time). We’re hoping to use this experience to travel that area of the world. We hope to visit places like Japan and Australia while we are there.

If you have other questions leave a comment and we would be happy to answer.