Q. Hi! Can you briefly introduce yourself?

Hi, I'm Leo. I'm originally from the UK, but I’ve been traveling and living in various countries for the past 12 years. This is my sixth time in Korea, and this time I intend to stay for a while.

I’m currently here on a two-year Working Holiday visa, working as a programmer and preparing a startup that connects foreigners with Korea's rural housing market.

Q. From the UK, how did you end up in Korea?

Wow, where to start? In 2014, I was in a boring office job in the UK and I wanted to escape. I did a summer camp in America and that really blew my mind about travel. I was like, "How have I been stuck in this country for 25 years of my life? I need to get out.”

One thing I wanted was to go somewhere that wasn't super overtraveled. At that time, Korea wasn't as popular as it is now, and I was like, “Yeah, let's do it.” I booked an Airbnb and a flight, and that’s how I came to Korea the first time.

Q. Are there any stories you recall from your first trip to Korea?

I remember struggling quite a bit on the first trip. It was the winter of 2014, and it snowed the first week I was here. I was like, “Oh God, what have I got myself in for?”

Back then, I wanted to go to somewhere that was the polar opposite to the UK. I wanted to be on an alien planet. I was in Kkachisan in southwest Seoul, and it was a really traditional Korean neighborhood with no tourists. I spent the first week never leaving the apartment because I couldn't read any signs or anything, and after a week I had one onion left in the fridge, and I ate a raw onion instead of going out. But eventually I started to get my bearings in Korea and realized that it wasn’t as scary as I thought. When I recall that time, I realize how far I’ve come.

I spent the first week never leaving the apartment because I couldn't read any signs.

When I recall that time, I realize how far I’ve come.

Q. What kept bringing you back to Korea?

At first, it was the feeling of experiencing a culture that was completely different from the UK. Since I didn’t even know Hangul back then, I remember my homestay host gave me a notebook and helped me practice.

Nowadays, I say the food is really good, although I wouldn't have told you that 12 years ago. I really struggled in the early days because Korean food is so different from British food. Over time I gradually got used to lots of processes in Korea that I wasn't comfortable with before. Comparing then and now, it feels like a completely different world, and I feel really comfortable living in Seoul these days.

Q. How has your relationship with Korea evolved over time, and what ultimately made you decide to settle here?

When COVID happened, I was back in Europe for about three and a half years. Coming back to Korea after that, I felt that it had changed a lot. There were many more foreigners than when I first visited, probably because of the rise of K-dramas and K-pop. In the past, I sometimes had spontaneous interactions with people who were curious about seeing a foreigner in their town, but these days, those experiences have become much less common.

I think I changed just as much as Korea did. In my mid-20s, I was looking for adventure, but nowadays, I want to settle down more. So I think Korea becoming more comfortable for foreigners to live in suited the transition I personally made as well — what once felt exciting and unfamiliar now feels comfortable and familiar.

That's why I chose Korea. Seoul is a very convenient and easy city to live in, and since I'm moving into the startup world, it's nice that Korea is also a great place to start a business in tech.

I think I changed just as much as Korea did.

What once felt exciting and unfamiliar now feels comfortable and familiar.

Q. How did you come to live at Mangrove?

I found Mangrove by chance. One night, I went to Sinchon to have dinner with a friend and we walked past the Mangrove building. I thought it looked nice, and since I was already looking for a co-living space in this area, I looked it up afterward. It ticked all my boxes.

I also really like Sinchon. There are lots of great cafés to work from and plenty of good restaurants. I love exploring all the food around here.

Q. Was co-living your goal when you were looking for housing in Korea?

Yes, co-living was important to me because I wanted to build a community. After COVID, many of the friends I'd made in Korea — both Korean and foreigners — had either moved abroad or left the country, so my social circle had become much smaller. I wanted to live somewhere where I could meet people and build new connections and friendships.

Q. What has been your experience with Mangrove Social Club (MSC)?

One day I coincidentally met a neighbor named Henry in the Social Kitchen before MSC started, and knowing someone already made it much easier to start attending events. Now I feel very comfortable going on my own, and I've made more friends through MSC.

From left: "Hello : Mangrove Life Preview," "Break the Wall: Intermediate Climber"

It was nice to see that there’s a sense of community at Mangrove despite everyone living in their own rooms.

My first event, Hello Sinchon, was really nice because everyone was really friendly and it was nice to see that there’s a sense of community at Mangrove despite everyone living in their own rooms. 

I also really enjoyed the climbing event. I like to climb, so it was fun to share something I love with my neighbors. 

Q. Which spaces at Mangrove do you find yourself returning to?

The Social Kitchen is definitely the space I use most. I prefer not to eat cooked food in my room, and being able to cook and throw away trash there helps keep my room clean. It's also a good place to casually meet people, and I'd like to use it to cook with friends in the future.

I used the 15F Member’s Lounge a lot when I first moved into Mangrove before I had my desk workspace set up. I liked sitting on the open side because it felt more social and gave me a view of the whole space.

Mangrove Sinchon, 11F Social Kitchen

Q. Can you take us through a typical day in your life?

There's not really a typical day in my life. I wake up when I want to, which could be any time from 9:00 a.m. to midday, and I pretty much always have some breakfast. These days I go to a café nearby and work with a friend who also lives nearby. Then I'll grab something to eat in the neighborhood. Two of my favorite places nearby are a taco place called Ch4pter and a ramen restaurant called Renge. In the evening I'll play some computer games, and then at about 10 o'clock I'll go out with a friend and we'll walk down the Gyeongui Line Forest Park.

Q. What are you working toward these days?

For the last three months I've been getting a startup ready, which is about connecting foreigners with the rural Korean housing market, as I mentioned. My goal by the end of my working holiday is to have a solid plan for launching my startup in Korea and transitioning to a startup visa so I can continue living here.

Q. Do you plan to stay in Korea long-term?

Yes, I want to establish myself here long-term. Korea feels very comfortable to me, so I'd like it to be my home base while spending a few months each year in places like Taiwan and Spain.

My whole family is in the UK, so that will always be home in a different way, but right now Korea does feel like home to me. I have some family pressure at home, but in Korea I can take that pressure off and focus on myself and the life I’m creating, which I'm really grateful for.

Q. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

That’s an impossible question for me because I'm someone who is like the wind — I go wherever I feel like I want to be. But hopefully in 10 years I’ll be operating a business in Korea.

I think that Korean culture is to always plan everything far into the future. But my last 12 years of traveling have taught me that life can send you in so many different directions, so there's no point focusing too much on the long term because whatever you predict will probably be very different by the time you get there. So, 10 years — that's difficult. But I definitely hope to still have some connection to Korea by then.

Q. What would you say to someone thinking about traveling or living abroad?

I tell everyone that you have to travel. You have to get out and see the world, because it lets you experience life from perspectives different from your own. When you're surrounded by the same people and ideas your whole life, it's easy to believe that your hometown's way of thinking — whether it be shaped by politics, religion, culture, or something else — is the only truth. But when you travel and meet people from different backgrounds, religions, and beliefs, you realize the world is much more like a patchwork quilt.

I think traveling has made me more open-minded and accepting, and I've become a more complete person because of the different perspectives I've experienced. I believe that it is very important to experience a place where people live differently from what you're used to.

When you travel and meet people from different backgrounds, religions, and beliefs, you realize the world is like a patchwork quilt.