Ara’s Diaries
I Spent 9 Months in South Korea As A Black Woman ft. ARA'S DIARIES
In this episode of Tones, we’re doing things a little differently. While we chat about South Korea, solo travel, Afrobeats and culture shocks, Faith and I are blind-tasting a bunch of mystery foods – some Korean, some completely random – with noise-cancelling headphones and “professional” palate-cleansing cups. Very serious work.
Meet Faith: Nigerian Student, Travel Blogger & Study Abroad Girl
Faith is from Nigeria, currently studying in the UK and running a travel blog on the side. Last year, she spent around nine months studying abroad in South Korea, living first in a tiny goshiwon and then in her own studio apartment in Seoul.
Her first hours in Korea were… chaotic:
landing alone, jet-lagged
trying to find a pre-booked airport transfer
messages coming through in Korean
no Wi-Fi, no clue
She ended up wandering around for about an hour and cried from the stress – but she found her driver in the end. That pretty much sums up solo travel: slightly unhinged, but you survive and then it becomes a story.
Life in Korea: Tiny Rooms, Big Food & Quiet Modesty
Faith’s first accommodation was a goshiwon – a super tiny one-room space popular with students:
“If I kicked my leg in my sleep, it would reach the other side of the room.”
She lasted five days, not the planned two weeks, and quickly upgraded to a small studio. Thankfully, she had lovely neighbours who greeted her in Korean, even if the language practice stressed her out.
Her favourite parts of Korean culture:
The food – dishes like galbi jjim (spicy braised short ribs) were an instant favourite.
Business fashion – the workwear in Seoul is next-level.
Modesty culture – crop tops are normal for her, but in Korea, especially with older people, you feel the stares.
She lived on the outskirts of Seoul but also visited the countryside, where traditional architecture and a slower pace made it feel like stepping into “real” Korea.
Weather-wise, she got everything:
-15°C in winter – so cold she flew home around November/December.
25–30°C in summer – classic hot, humid days.
Has Afrobeats Reached Korea?
Short answer: yes.
Not just Rema – Calm Down (which she says she heard everywhere, even in Cambodia in an Uber), but full Afrobeats sets and even an Afrobeats club in Korea.
There are also Black people living in Korea, though it’s still a minority experience. Faith explains that, more than open racism, she mostly felt curiosity – people staring, asking questions, and sometimes… asking for photos.
The Photo Thing: Being “Exotic” Abroad
One thing that kept coming up was people taking pictures of her:
In Thailand, people literally crouched next to her on the beach and took photos without asking.
On a plane back from the Philippines, a man just leaned over and snapped a picture.
We joked about how many strangers’ camera rolls we’re probably in, and which we’d rather have:
📁 An album of every random picture we’ve ever appeared in
vs
🗣️ Knowing everything everyone has ever said about us.
We both chose the album.
Solo Travel: “If I Thought About It Too Much, I Wouldn’t Have Gone”
Faith makes solo travel look easy, but she’s honest: planning too much might have stopped her.
For Korea, she:
booked only five days of accommodation
hoped for the best
figured the rest out when she arrived
Her first solo trip, though, was to Japan – which she booked three days before flying out.
Highlights of solo travel for her:
Doing things you might not do with others – like going to a theme park alone and skipping queues in the single riders line.
Being in countries where solo eating and exploring is normal – Japan and Korea are both great for that.
Meeting new people – from random new friends to, for some people, even partners.
Her advice:
Don’t overthink the “what ifs”.
Accept that some things will go wrong, and you’ll still be okay.
You’ll have experiences you’d never get if you stayed home waiting for friends to be free.
Long Distance Love: UK–Korea Edition
While in Korea, Faith was in a long-distance relationship – about a 12-hour difference between the UK and Korea.
What helped:
making intentional time for each other
movie nights online
and her partner flying out to visit
She says a lot of people are doing similar setups now and that with effort and communication, it’s very possible.
Follow Faith
Instagram: @arasdiaries
