Daily life
외국인등록증 / Oegugin-deungnokjeung
weh-gu-gin deung-nok-jeung
The Alien Registration Card. Its 13-digit number is what every Korean system knows you by. Register within 90 days of arrival.
전세 / 월세 — Jeonse / Wolse
jeon-se / wol-se
The two lease types. Jeonse is a lump sum worth most of the property's value with no monthly rent, returned at the end; wolse is a smaller deposit plus rent. Take wolse first.
사택 / Sataek
sa-taek
Company housing. In Ulsan this is a real housing tier rather than a curiosity — the big industrial employers house a lot of their workforce, and whether your job includes it changes your whole budget.
전입신고 / Jeonip-singo
jeo-nip-shin-go
The move-in report at your district office. File it the day you take the keys — the deposit protection it creates only starts at midnight the following day.
확정일자 / Hwakjeong-ilja
hwak-jeong il-ja
The 'fixed date' stamp on your lease. With the move-in report it ranks your deposit ahead of later creditors, and it is also what unlocks the monthly-rent tax credit.
미납국세 열람 / Minap-guksae yeollam
mi-nap guk-se yeol-lam
Viewing the landlord's unpaid national taxes. Since April 2023, on a deposit over ₩10 million you can do this at any tax office without their consent once the contract is signed.
Social
수주 / Suju
su-ju
The order book. In a shipbuilding city this is small talk — how many orders the yard is holding sets overtime, hiring, and how much a flat in Dong-gu is worth.
야드 / Yadeu
ya-deu
The yard. Shorthand for HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Dong-gu, which is roughly as much of the eastern district as the sea is.
~노 / -no, ~나 / -na
-no / -na
The Gyeongsang question endings, shared with Busan and Daegu. -나 for yes-or-no questions, -노 when you want the actual answer. Ulsan speech sits closest to Busan's.
Culture
고래 / Gorae
go-rae
Whale. Ulsan was Korea's whaling port, its 7,000-year-old petroglyphs show what is thought to be the world's oldest depiction of whaling, and the whale is on everything from the football badge to the manhole covers.
Emergency
도와주세요! / Dowajuseyo!
do-wa-ju-se-yo
Help me! — 112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance, free from any phone.
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