Seoul Foreign School (SFS) is the oldest international school in Korea, founded in 1912 in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu. Its British and American programs — including IB and AP across K–12 — draw transferee families to the leafy, quieter northwest of the city. This guide covers where those families tend to live, how the daily commute works, and the kinds of homes and leases to expect.
Most families settle right in Yeonhui-dong and the surrounding Seodaemun and Mapo neighborhoods, prizing the short walk or drive to campus and a calmer, greener feel than the Gangnam side of the river. The area is residential and low-key, popular with embassy staff and long-tenured expats. If you are still weighing neighborhoods, our where to live in Seoul guide compares the main expat districts side by side.
Yeonhui-dong sits close to central Seoul and the western business districts, so a same-side commute is usually short and many children walk or take a quick shuttle. Parents working in Gwanghwamun, Sangam or the City Hall area generally find this a convenient base, while a Gangnam commute is longer and best checked at your specific office address before you commit.
Expect a mix of mid-rise apartments, villas and some detached houses, with sizes and rents varying widely by building age and exact location — treat any figure you see online as a starting point, not a quote. Furnished options exist but are limited, so book early; browse furnished homes and apartments to see current stock. For how deposits and monthly rent actually work here, read renting in Seoul as a foreigner and jeonse vs wolse vs buying.
School run, commute and budget usually pull in slightly different directions, so it helps to shortlist two or three neighborhoods before viewing. Our international schools in Seoul guide puts SFS in context with the other major schools so you can plan around the right campus.
If your company is arranging housing for an inbound family, a corporate lease can simplify the deposit, paperwork and tax invoice. See corporate housing — we work with foreigner-friendly landlords and English-speaking verified agents, and act as a single point of contact across every expat area and school.
Families most often choose Yeonhui-dong itself, with the nearby parts of Seodaemun-gu and Mapo-gu also popular. These areas keep the school run short and offer a quieter, greener setting than the Gangnam side.
From Yeonhui-dong and the surrounding northwest neighborhoods the trip is usually short, and many children walk or take a brief shuttle. If a parent commutes to Gangnam it can take longer, so check the route from your exact office before signing.
Yes, but furnished stock in this area is limited compared with the central expat districts, so it is best to start searching early. Many families take an unfurnished home and add a furniture rental package.
For a fixed posting of a few years, monthly rent (wolse) with a deposit is usually the simpler choice, since jeonse ties up a very large lump sum. The right balance depends on your budget and how long you will stay.
Yes. A corporate or company-name lease lets the employer cover the deposit and receive a tax invoice, which many firms prefer for inbound staff. We can set this up and stay as your single point of contact.
