Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Koreabound2004]

My boyfriend and I are moving to Jindo, a small island of 45,000 people near Jeju. Any survival tips?

[Yangkho]

You'll find everything you need in Jindo-eup, but not everything you want. (I mean no Walmart or "Mart"s of any consequence in which to buy certain Western things.) But, as I said, everything you need.

No problem, as you'll be relatively close to Mokpo and not unreasonably far from Gwangju...but I'm telling you things you already know, no doubt.

Make foreign friends in Mokpo on the weekends and you can survive out there no problem, because in my opinion, and this is JMHO, there is enough to do on Jindo and the nearby islands, as well as in Mokpo (and the islands near there)...and in nearby Haenam county to keep one busy enough. And of course the friendliness of the people of South Cheolla helps.

I wish you the best of luck.

[Koreabound2004]

KFC, McDonalds, BK? Anything on Jindo like this????

[osangrl]

hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahha

is that a joke?

hahahahhahahaha

[katydid]

You'll be surrounded by dogs...no that's not what I mean.

[schwa]

I was going to remark that it sounded like a cool adventure you had lined up but the following question suggests you have no idea what youre getting into.

[Koreabound2004]

I know what I am getting myself into, but I thought that there might be a small chance of something Westernized. Sorry I asked....

[Yangkho]

Koreabound,

I believe in Jindo-eup you'll find a Lotteria, the Korean fast-food place, plus some semi-westernized places like Crown Bakery and Paris Baguette.

If you're really in a bind, take a bus to Mokpo. It's an hour away and you can eat as many hamburgers there as you want...and you can buy deodorant, too.

[just because]

Koreabound....it will be an adventure you will either love or hate by the sounds of it.

Take the risk and go for it.....you might end up loving it.

[Yangkho]

One more thing:

Get a motor bike. Easy access to all corners of the island & beyond. Great stress reliever to be able to ride down to the seashore in the morning before work or whatever.

You can get one used & cheap. They might give you trouble if you don't have an international drivers license. Or they might not. It's Korea.

Actually, if you're in the Jeollanamdo Language Program or whatever it's called, you might have to ride out to different villages and to different schools, so a bike would be perfect.

[Koreabound2004]

Thanks Yangkho...your comments are much appreciated. Has anyone heard much about the JLP program there?

[Yangkho]

The JLP. I've never met whoever you're going to replace down in Jindo, but I have met other teachers from the program in other counties in South Jeolla, and what little I know is: at certain times of the year the schedule can be little maddening with conferences and teacher training programs; there aren't any night classes; there is some fantastic, long vacation time (during which the teachers don't know what to do with themselves...I'm at a hakwon, I don't know what that's like). Sorry, don't know much more than that. Of course, your situation could very well be quite different.