According to my contract, my job comes with a semi-furnished
apartment and a semi-furnished apartment is exactly what I got. The apartment
came with a bed, a tv and stand, and a wardrobe. I needed a few more pieces of
furniture but I didn’t really know where to go so I went to Ikea in Gwangmyeong.
Ikea in Korea is exactly like Ikea in the US, which is
probably like Ikea everywhere else. You walk through a never ending maze of
furniture, eat lunch, walk through the knickknacks, and end at the flatpack
boxes. Normally, I’d take my boxes home in my car but I don’t have a car in
Korea. I decided to have my furniture delivered.
Ikea had loads of English speaking clerks. I simply waited
in line and a woman with great English started processing my order. Everything
was fine until we came to the delivery options. It turns out that Ikea can only
set up delivery for sometime in the next seven days. I was going away the next
weekend so I needed something for the 9th or 10th day.
This was impossible for them to schedule so I left without buying anything.
I got home, angry that I’d gone all the way to Ikea and
came home empty-handed. I vowed to never go back. Well, that lasted about two
more weeks. I tried to order from Gmarket and couldn’t make it work. None of my
usual shopping spots carried furniture. I got tired of sitting on the floor and
I went back to Ikea.
My second trip was way smoother because I knew what to
expect. I already had my furniture picked out and I was prepared for the 7 day
delivery thing. I wasn’t, however, prepared for the fact that Ikea cannot give
you a delivery time if you’re not in Seoul. This meant that I could get a
delivery anywhere between 9am and 9pm on the appointed day. I wasn’t happy with
this but I dealt with it.
On the appointed day, my Ikea furniture came. The delivery
arrived at 5:40pm, 8 hours and 40 minutes into the 12 hour delivery window. I’m
happy with how the furniture came out but getting it here was definitely a
mission.
Directions to Ikea
1. From the Gwangmyeong station, take the east (I
think) exit.
2. Turn right and go under the covered walkway towards Costco. You'll see the Costco shortly.
3. Cross the small street and walk along the side of Costco until you get to the corner.
4. At the corner, turn to the left and you'll see Ikea and the Lotte Premium Outlets. Enjoy your flatpack furniture!
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