Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CPT]

(Sorry for the near duplicate thread, just easier this way...)

If one were to make a weekend trip to Daejeon, what would be some things to do/see?

Planning to take in a baseball game on the Saturday, but the rest of the weekend is up in the air.

I've gone through the Korea Lonely Planet and come up with...nothing.

Would probably do Gyerongsan Park on the Sunday, or something like that.

Any other recommendations?

Places to eat and sleep are welcome as well.

[young_clinton]

Taejon is where the Science and Technology museum is and they have a significant amusement park there. All in the Lonely Planet Guide which you should have.

[CPT]

Thanks for the recommendations.

I thought I read that the Science museum is not exactly foreigner friendly. My Korean is decent, but not good enough to get much from any museum displays, let alone scientific details (I have a hard enough time with that in English). And the people I'm going with have no Korean ability whatsoever.

Can you comment on what it's like in terms of English displays/info, and if it's still worth going without any?

Also, any further recommendations for sights, and places to eat/stay would be great.

[Modernist]

I've spent quite a bit of time in Daejeon. However, I'm afraid that there isn't much of anything to do there. It's sadly typical of Korean cities in this respect.

Personally, I like to hike through the Dunsan area in Seo-gu, in the northernmost part of town. It was planned and designed as a government center with a big open grassy mall surrounded by administrative buildings. It's very pretty and peaceful, unlike the rest of the place. North of the mall is the Performing Arts Center and the Art Museum. Both are nice enough, but only for a little while. Over to the northeast from there is the Hanbat Arboretum, which is really pretty well done. It even has a tropical greenhouse.

That science museum is across the river in Expo Park. The whole place is pretty decrepit and often strangely empty. I wouldn't spend too much time there but it can be funny to look around at someplace essentially frozen in time circa 1993. It does have a generally functional Ferris Wheel, where you can see basically the whole city stretching to the south, which is kind of cool. It's been supplanted by this new place called O-World, quite a way to the south. I haven't been yet but it sounds OK. Kind of a half-assed version of Everland, except without the world-class roller coaster. Has a zoo and a bunch of flowers too. Most 300 buses will get you there.

If you're willing to travel a ways [on the 72 or 73 bus], there's Daecheong Dam over to the east, which created the largest lake in the country as a reservoir for Deajeon and Cheongju.

Aside from this, there's the typical mountains around to hike [Sikjangsan, Bomunsan, Gubongsan], a big hot springs in the northwest called Yuseong [just like all the others in Korea, though, so be warned], the big department stores Lotte and Timeworld Galleria [just like all the others in Korea], a Costco right next to the Seodaejon train station [why I go, typically], the biggest National Cemetery way off to the west [kind of pretty, but out of the way] and the normal commercial centers with all of Korea's typical brands in Jung-gu [directly west of the Daejeon Station for the mainstream stuff, southwest for the cheap/knockoff/'traditional market' stuff].

For food, there's a decent Indian place in Dunsan called Indy, across from the Galleria. There's a supposedly famous bakery called Sung Sim Dang in Jung-gu [I wasn't impressed]. And there's all the standard chains.

That, sir, is about all there is to say about Daejeon. Pathetic for a city of 1.5 million, I know. Sorry.

[CPT]

I'm late, but thanks a lot for that post.

[CPT]

Going again, this time for the long weekend. If you're wondering why I'd do such a thing, again, baseball.

Thought I would bump, just to see if anyone has anything to add.

Any temples that would be dressed up nicely for Buddha's birthday?

[chrisbacke]

Next time you go, the Dunsan Prehistoric Museum is a little quirky:

http://www.chrisinsouthkorea.com/2009/10/destination-dunsan-prehistoric-site-daejeon/