CTNF ICEP TRAVEL TIPS INFORMATION
TRAVEL
AIRPORT
Incheon International Airport (ICN)
https://www.airport.kr/ap/en/index.do
Incheon Airport Arrival area is very big, so let's meet at the E18-19 Area of the Arrival floor. (The map is included.)
There are coffee shops and fast-food restaurants on the arrival floor. The airport has free Wi-Fi, so that's very convenient.
For convenient communication, please join Mike Nguyen's Instagram account. You can contact Mike through Instagram message in case you miss each other at the airport.
https://www.instagram.com/mylittleworld.movie/
VISA
There is no need for an entry Visa for US citizens for up to 90 days of stay.
(For other countries, please check if there are any entry Visa requirements.)
https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-losangeles-en/wpge/m_4397/contents.do
(K-ETA + Arrival Card Info)
For more help with obtaining your Visa or if you have any questions or need help please contact Yewon Yun yewonyun@ck.ac.kr. Her LinkedIn information https://www.linkedin.com/in/yewon-yun-9ab4a859/
WORKSHOP DATES
Monday June 1st, 2026 - Friday June 26th, 2026
FLIGHT DATES
Annie: Recommend arriving earlier if possible to adjust for jet lag and getting familiar with everything! For us, we all arrived at least 1 day before the first day of class, Sun June 1st 2024 before our class Mon June 2nd 2024. We had a celebration on the last day of class Fri June 28th 2024. Many of us flew out on Sat June 29th / Sun June 30th 2024. You have the option to stay and continue to explore Seoul on your own with your own resources.
The recommend the arriving flight date is May 31 Korea Time. The workshop begins on Monday June 2, so everyone can already have a day or so to overcome jet lag. And we encourage you to Arrive on May 31 between 11am-4pm and Depart June 30th
The dormitory check out date is June 30. Students can choose to book a flight home on that date or continue to explore Seoul on their own for another few days on their own resources.
AIRFARE
If you are travelling to the workshop, we encourage you to make reservations
and purchase your airfare quickly, as prices do tend to increase. You will then send your flight receipt to team@ctnfoundation.org so we can confirm your pick up arrangements that will take you to the location.
If you are a full scholarship recipient, CTN Foundation will be reimbursing you up to $1500.00 unless other arrangements have been made.
TRAVEL INSURANCE is Optional and Your Responsibility
https://go.geobluetravelinsurance.com/
Agent: Mykiera Vinson
610-753-4514
mvinson@geo-blue.com
JET LAG
South Korea is 15 hours ahead of the center of the United States. PLEASE NOTE: The United States may span multiple time zones.
Tips to ease jet lag:
Jet lag tends to last 2-3 days. Minimize jet lag by staying hydrated, avoiding alcohol, and adjusting to the local time zone. Exercise to regulate your body.
Go to sleep earlier (or later– depending on where you're flying from) each night to get your body closer to the time zone in South Korea. It may even be helpful to set your watch to Korean Standard Time ahead of your trip. Each time you look at your wrist, you can mentally prepare for the new time zone.
CREDIT CARDS
Credit cards are widely accepted & accessible for small purchases at convenience shops and restaurants here.
Annie: Actually both cash and credit card were necessary for me.
Ramya: In many places, cash was needed and the ATM inside the campus didn’t work for me (for e.g., recharging the metro pass). So carrying some cash (80-100k Won) is recommended.
Schantelle: Also be aware of any conversion fees that may incur while using a credit card! Check with your credit card company beforehand and if they require a notification of travel before you go.
T-MONEY + WOWPASS CARDS
CURRENCY
The cost of living in South Korea is not as high as in the USA. You can use a currency conversion calculator. Here is a link to a GOOGLE CURRENCY CONVERTER
Schantelle: For my experience as a full-ride scholar (USA), CTN provided a $500 stipend to help with food/etc costs while in Korea. Because of currency conversions, this was a perfect amount to sustain me for the whole month!
Annie: For my experience as a partial scholar (USA), necessities (food, internet, laundry), $500 was good for the whole month (I did a mix of eating out and eating at the school cafeteria). I had another $500 for fun personal things (bus fare traveling to Seoul, buying souvenirs, paying for museum tickets, shopping for clothes, etc.)
Chung Kang College of Cultural Industries, Animation School
Also referred to as CK.
DORM ROOM LODGING LOCATED ON SCHOOL CAMPUS (See images below)
Check-In / Check-Out
Students can check in on Sunday, June 1, and check out on Monday, June 30.
Annie: We stayed in the faculty visiting dorm, they gave us Sun June 1 to Sun June 30 2024 availability. CK college asked either for wire transfer for money or cash for dorm rent. CK asks for dates when you are staying in advance to make a reservation. Recommend getting that done early and not deal with it when you return home.
Bank Name (English): KOOKMIN BANK Bank Address: 26, Gukjegeumyung-ro 8-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, SEOUL, KOREA SWIFT Code of Bank: CZNBKRSEXXX Recipient's Account Number: 230101-04-476287 Recipient's Name: ChungKang College of Cultural Industries Recipient's Phone Number: 031-639-5747
CLOTHES
Annie: South Korea is hot in the summer, bring light clothes. College is on top of an old aloe mountain, bring good shoes for walking support
Schantelle: I had about 2 dresses, 2 shirts, 1 pair of black leggings, shorts, jeans, a rain jacket, a sweater… Basically, a week’s worth of clothing, and I did my laundry every 1-2 weeks.
FOOD AND WATER
Annie: CK College breakfast is about 1000 won. CK College campus lunch/dinner is a bit more expensive - about 3000-6000 won (sorry can’t remember fully)? You can also buy inexpensive food from convenience stores like CU. Note: No cooking available in the dorm. There is a water station in the dorm where you can refill your water bottles/store them in your fridge or room to save money.
WI-FI
Wi-Fi is available in dormitory rooms and throughout campus.
Schantelle: Sometimes was not the most reliable though while in the dorms– I usually toggled between 2 available public wifis whose connections may depend on where your room is down the hall
AMENITIES
Dorm rooms are not co-ed.
Rooms have a private bathroom, small study desk, and mini fridge.
Schantelle: The bathroom is a wet room with a shower and toilet.
Annie: Bring your own medicines/necessities special from your home country. They provide shampoo/body soap. You can purchase bathroom amenities/supplies in town.
Ramya: It also rained on a few days, so make sure you come prepared for that.
LAUNDRY
Annie: With help of CK College classmate, you can use in the girls/boys dorm
Need cash to pay for the laundry card and refill. Some laundry machines have automatic detergent, some do not. There is also a laundry mat in the town - does clothes and shoes
PRICE
Each shared dorm room accommodates 2 people max. Dorm rooms are not co-ed.
2025 shared dorm rooms are included in the Scholarship Award.
Annie: The room ended up being $10 USD a day if you shared or $20 USD a day if you opted private.
Example:
Private Room (28 Days) - $580 USD
Shared Room (28 Days) - $280 USD
WORKSTATION SPECS (See photos above.)
Computers are PC’s. Equipped with Adobe software (including Photoshop). Maya and TV Paint can be installed. Wacom tablets are available as needed. Paper animation can also be provided.
Schantelle: The Wacom tablets are ones without a screen, but not hard to adapt! There are tablets with screens in certain classrooms but you can only go in when a class isn’t going on – their schedules are posted on the doors. I borrowed a tablet for the entire duration of my stay there.
Annie: I regretted not bringing my big Wacom 22. I tried to use the labs with it at the school but it's only by availability (class not in session) and it closes at night. Bring yours in a big suitcase if you need a big one.
CAMPUS
There is a student campus cafeteria and a school restaurant on weekdays. Please let us know if any participants are vegetarians. That's a bit difficult but manageable (There are more meat dishes here than dedicated veggie meals).
Ramya: As a vegetarian, I was able to find some microwave-ready dishes in the campus supermarket. You can find a wider variety in the supermarkets outside the school entrance.
CULTURAL WEEKEND EXCURSIONS
There are 2 cultural trips to Seoul planned on the weekend.
LANGUAGE AND TOWN:
Schantelle: We were given the opportunity to travel to Seoul at any point of the week though– I’d recommend using the cultural trips to acquaint yourself with traveling there solo– Using bus cards, being aware of bus schedules, and navigating public transport. Seoul is more touristy so there are more people that may speak English, but in the town itself there may not be many. Papago and Google Translate go a long way. We used a lot of thumbs up and smiles! Everyone is really friendly if you are friendly, too.
Annie: For those nervous on traveling, you can use a buddy system with fellow ICEP or CK friends coming to and from Seoul! Favorite sketch hangout was at Melma Cafe and many available outside the school (they now have a Melma location in the school too)
COMMUNICATION
DISCORD
1. Join the CTN Server here - https://discord.gg/97P7663r
2. If you haven’t done so already, please let us know your Discord handle, so we can add you to the private ICEP 2025 channel. Discord Registration Form
You can connect with Mike Nguyen through Instagram message.
https://www.instagram.com/mylittleworld.movie/
SHARING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
We would love for you to share the news and your experience with ICEP25. This can be individual posts or stories on Instagram and Facebook!
Please include #CKIANI #CKanimation #CTNfoundation Be sure to tag us @ctnhappenings so we can see your posts!
Twitter https://twitter.com/creativetalent
Please tag CTN Happenings in your Facebook Posts!
https://www.facebook.com/ctnhappenings and include #ctnicepkorea25 #CTNfoundation
CELL PHONE
Look into your provider to see if you need to add roaming or international minutes to your current account.
FROM UNITED STATES PHONE:
To call South Korea from the United States, you can dial the following:
Exit code: Dial 011 to exit the U.S. telephone system
Country code: Dial 82, which is South Korea's country code
Annie: Highly recommend international plan, hard to get stable wifi in countryside
FROM INDIA PHONE:
To call South Korea from India, you can dial India's international prefix code, 91, followed by South Korea's country code, +82, and then the Korean phone number, which is nine digits long. For example, a Korean phone number might look like this: +82 2 1234 5678
FROM AUSTRALIA PHONE:
To call South Korea from Australia, you can dial:
0011 - Exit code when making an international call from Australia
82 - South Korean country code for inbound calls
2 - Seoul city code
For example, 0011 + 82 + 2 + Local Number (International dialing code format)
KOREAN SIMCARD VS E-SIM
SAFETY
South Korea is generally considered a very safe destination for travelers, but it's still important to take some basic safety precautions. These include being aware of your surroundings, especially in crowded areas and nightlife districts. Staying informed about political events and avoiding large gatherings during times of political unrest is also recommended.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of safety guidelines:
General Precautions:
- Be aware of your surroundings: Pay attention to your surroundings, especially in crowded areas and at night.
- Avoid accepting food, drinks, or gum from strangers: This is a standard safety precaution to prevent any potential harm.
- Use legitimate taxis and public transport: Ensure you are using reputable transportation to avoid scams or other issues.
- Monitor local news media: Stay updated on any political events or disruptions that may affect your travel plans.
- Follow local authorities' advice: Heed any guidance or warnings from local authorities regarding safety.
- Check prices before ordering: Confirm the prices at restaurants and stores, especially if you're unsure about the cost.
Staying Informed:
- Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): Enroll in STEP to receive travel alerts and make it easier for the U.S. Embassy to locate you in an emergency.
- Check official travel advisories: Stay updated on the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State and other official sources.
- Follow the U.S. Embassy on social media: The U.S. Embassy in South Korea posts important updates and information on Facebook and Twitter.
WORKSHOP
HOURS
Each participant will have a workstation that will be available 24/7 for the duration of the workshop. Participants can keep their own working schedule.
We’ll have 1 main lecture presentation on a Tuesday night for a week, and frequent informal lectures with work-in-progress reviews on daily basis.
Instructor Mike Nguyen is available for one-on-one critique as needed for most of the time.
Annie: In addition to the mandatory Tuesday lecture, there were other classes we had the option to sit in on Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri. Friday was review day. Went to all of them and loved it.
Ramya: Highly recommend the optional but insightful film analysis classes.
Schantelle: Yes agreed, I didn’t miss a single one and even audited other classes with CK friends like life drawing and character design.
AGREEMENT
Requirement: All who received a Full, Partial or Honorable Mention who have been accepted for travelling to the workshop will receive an agreement that must be signed by May 19th before the workshop
AWARD FUNDING
Requirement: You must purchase your flight tickets in advance and check out and pay Yewon in the local currency, Korean Won, for your room fees before leaving the workshop unless other arrangements have been made.
Full Scholarships
Upon completion of the workshop:
Flight fees are reimbursed at the end of the workshop.
Cash award is awarded at the end of the workshop.
Room fees are reimbursement at the end of the workshop.
Note: If you are a full scholarship recipient, CTN Foundation will be reimbursing you up to $1500.00 with proof of flight receipt unless other arrangements have been made
Partial Scholarships
Upon completion of the workshop:
Any cash award is awarded at the end of the workshop.