She Was Burned Out From Her Company Job, so She Moved to South Korea

Jane Newman spent her evenings watching Okay-dramas on her recliner throughout the pandemic lockdowns. She did not count on they’d spark a curiosity about South Korea that may finally lead her to maneuver there and begin over.

In 2023, Newman was working for a consulting agency in Brisbane, Australia. As a supervisor, her heavy workload did not let up even because the world started to return to regular.

After months of lengthy hours spent in entrance of a display, she was burned out and starting to really feel the pressure.

“I began out with a complete lot of shoulder and again ache, after which it developed into arm ache, and I could not use my mouse,” Newman, now 60, informed Enterprise Insider.

Standing desks and totally different chairs fastened little, so she took a sabbatical.

Newman had first visited South Korea the earlier yr, curious in regards to the nation she’d solely seen on TV. Remembering how a lot she had loved that journey, she determined to return for a two-month break.

When she went again to work, the signs did not take lengthy to resurface. This time, Newman discovered herself struggling mentally and emotionally, too.

“I discovered it increasingly more tough to do my work,” she stated. By July 2024, she and her employer agreed it was finest for her to step away from the corporate.

“I knew that South Korea was a spot that I liked, and it made me really feel good,” Newman stated. “So I made the choice to return and keep for a couple of months to see the way it felt.”

New profession, new dwelling

For 3 months, she lived in an Airbnb in Gwacheon, a metropolis simply outdoors Seoul. Newman lived along with her host, a neighborhood girl who had invited her to take part locally occasions.

There, she joined a bunch supporting former US navy “consolation ladies,” in addition to two English golf equipment the place members met to debate information, learn English fiction collectively, and provides weekly shows on numerous matters.

“I met essentially the most fantastic folks, they usually actually invited me into their conversations. And I acquired to know much more about Korea itself, and its historical past,” she stated.

“All of these issues made me really feel actually welcomed, and at dwelling, and a part of a group, which is what I used to be actually missing again in Australia,” Newman added.

In Brisbane, her social life largely revolved round folks she knew at work, or outdated associates she’d stored in contact with from her years residing within the UK when her daughters have been younger. She was a part of a bushwalking group and a social eating group, however most of these teams pale after the pandemic.

As Newman thought of her subsequent profession steps, she discovered herself drawn towards public talking and training to assist folks navigate the pressures of contemporary society and know-how.

That focus additionally finally led her to start creating a tech startup in South Korea aimed toward serving to younger folks scuffling with social isolation.

By February 2025, Newman moved to Seoul to start her subsequent part of life.

She stated her Gen Z daughters weren’t shocked by her determination since they already knew how a lot she liked South Korea. Each had already taken journeys to go to her there.

When it was time for Newman to search for an condo, she wished a spot that was near public transport, with separate areas for residing and sleeping, and an excellent view.

It took her about two weeks to discover a place. She now lives in Dongdaemun, a preferred neighborhood, the place her two-bedroom condo prices 1.43 million Korean gained, or about $1,000, a month.

Constructing a brand new life from scratch

South Korea has change into an more and more common alternative for foreigners in recent times.

Information from the Ministry of Justice confirmed that the variety of foreigners residing in South Korea on the finish of 2024 stood at 2.65 million, a 5.7% enhance from the yr earlier than.

For Newman, constructing friendships in Seoul got here extra naturally than she anticipated.

“I’ve discovered that each time I’ve come to Korea, I’ve made new associates,” Newman stated, including that this included folks she met via a fan group for a Korean actor she admired.

Lately, Newman’s routine is a mixture of work and settling into life in Seoul.

She begins her mornings with a espresso from the Starbucks throughout the road earlier than diving into her teaching classes and dealing on getting her startup off the bottom.

In comparison with her earlier job, the place working 60 hours every week was frequent, Newman says she now works round 20 to 30 hours every week.

With the extra versatile schedule, she has time to train, meet folks, and generally work from libraries or cafés.

“However I do make certain I get out as soon as a day to exit and luxuriate in this lovely place I am residing in,” she stated.

Do you may have a narrative to share about relocating to a brand new metropolis? Contact this reporter at agoh@businessinsider.com.