Expat Dad in Korea Faces Dilemma: US Schooling or Staying Abroad

An American expat in Seoul, Derek Laan, built a career and family in Korea but is weighing whether to move back to the U.S. for his two sons' education. He notes Korea’s lower salaries but rich lifestyle, subsidized daycare, and the lure of U.S. free elementary schooling, estimating he’d need about four times his current income to maintain his lifestyle in Colorado. He plans to stay in Korea until his older son starts first grade and is weighing options to work with U.S. clients or return home, while acknowledging Korea’s strong emphasis on studying affects parenting decisions.