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Considering moving our family home to Ireland from Korea.

  • 01-04-2020 1:53pm
    #1
    saram
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 99 ✭✭


    Hi all.

    I am looking for advice, recommendations, suggestions here.

    We are a family of 4- Me (Irish), Wife (Korean) and 2 very young boys- 3 years old and 2 months old living in Seoul, Korea. I am teaching English here in a university as well as working part time elsewhere which is ensuring we are building savings (at least we were until the Coronavirus hit- returning home is nothing to do with this though) and doing well enough financially at least.
    It is comfortable.

    So we are on the path to live a relatively good life here. Plenty of disposable income (salary about 35k after tax deductions) and can get most things we want here easily. The healthcare is 1st class here and daycare is great too for the kids. Seoul is a very convenient place to be in many ways but then there are some serious negatives.

    Air quality is poor. It seems to be getting much worse in recent years which restricts going outside.
    There are a lack of green spaces outside for the kids too which is difficult.
    Everybody just lives in huge high-rises which kind of suck the energy and soul out of you.

    Then there is education. Public schools are free (meals included) but there is savage competition. Most students study a lot in the evenings at after school academies- Math, English, Science etc. What is interesting is that these places become the main social outlet for kids here. It is kind of sad really. Study, play computer games and go to academies. Sports are very regimented and expensive. Sports clubs are run like little businesses and again there is a lack of proper infrastucture to play as well.

    We are not keen on raising our boys in this kind of environment. (The wind and the rain sounds way better).

    Moving home to Ireland and starting from scratch there is looking like a good option. As of now we are dead set on it and the plan is to return 2 years from now once the lease on our current place is up.
    The main thing would be our kids could grow up naturally in a good education system overall that is not too taxing. Also- they could play lots of sports and just all in all have a more rounded childhood.

    I have several concerns here though-
    Is Ireland going to disappoint and we end up regretting moving there after all? Will the weather just get the better of us? How about the economy and I am not sure if we will ever be able to afford a home even.

    Where to start with work and getting a decent income there. I am in my early 40's and because of being abroad for so long (maybe 15 years) it would be starting afresh with everything from finding a living place, buying a car, finding suitable work or further upskilling, daycare/school for the kids etc.
    It's kind of daunting.

    Another massive concern is that my wife in particular will surely have a very tough time adjusting. She has visited twice before and enjoyed those visits for the most parts but even then missed Korean food for example and the conveniences. This move is her idea more than mine too I better say- She says she is willing to self-sacrifice so that our kids can be raised with greater freedom etc.

    We would be returning with about 100-120,000 Euro which will help to get the ball rolling at least you would hope- although not near enough to buy a home right off the bat.

    What do you think of this plan from an objective point of view?
    Has anybody moved back home after being abroad for a very long time and gone about restarting a life there?
    How was it and did it meet expectations etc.

    The current lease on our home here is 2 more years exactly and the plan is to return to Ireland then as our eldest boy will be ready for primary school that September. We would be starting off in a rural setting and taking it from there.

    Any thoughts on all this would be welcome.


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