Korea's cardinal rule of throwing out trash — what do you absolutely need to dispose of general waste?

Korea requires general household waste to go into official volume-based bags, jongnyangje bongtu, sold at local convenience stores and supermarkets, with the design and price varying by district since each gu manages its own waste system and revenue. This system charges households roughly by how much trash they generate, which is meant to encourage reducing and recycling rather than just discarding everything freely.

A generic black plastic bag or a cardboard box might seem like reasonable substitutes, but neither is registered with the local waste system, so collection crews will typically leave them uncollected or residents can be fined for improper disposal.

Because bag designs and prices differ by district, someone who moves even a short distance within the same city often needs to buy a completely different bag, since the old district's bags won't be accepted in the new one.