It is true that purchasing a home in Seoul is very expensive, but renting continues to be more affordable than in e.g. Manhattan or San Francisco https://www.n

It is true that purchasing a home in Seoul is very expensive, but renting continues to be more affordable than in e.g. Manhattan or San Francisco https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Seoul https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Seoul A 1 bedroom apartment in the city center is about $742.84 USD per month, compared to $3,472.78 in San Francisco. That amounts to approximately ~33% of average net take home in Seoul vs about 50% in SF. You are absolutely correct that their public transport is excellent, and not only does that parameter not apply to the Bay Area, it doesn't apply to any city in the United States. San Francisco also has a population density less than half that of Seoul. Population density and infrastructure such as public transportation to support it are a difficult chicken and egg problem, and I don't know how to thread that needle in the Bay Area, even if I strongly feel it is a needle which needs threading.