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akgirl
Joined: 02 Jul 2003
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 Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 5:05 am Post subject: Suggestions for Places to Live? |
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| I have a rather subjective question but I'd love any feedback. I'm still learning about South Korea. Where is a good place to live? I"m ruling out Seoul because it seems too big. I don't mind cities but it would be good to find one where it's not too hard to get away quickly. I enjoy being active, so mountains would be a big plus. I've heard Pusan is good. Mountains, plenty of parks, beaches. Transportation is good. Ideas? |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 5:14 am Post subject: |
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Mountains, plenty of parks, beaches. Transportation is good. Ideas?
NE you might like. |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 6:03 am Post subject: Busan |
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I'm assuming you're not in Korea presently and are considering coming here.
I live in Busan and generally like being here. Mountains, good beaches, a laid-back populace. It's less westernized than Seoul, but you may find that preferable anyway. The downside is the rainy weather in summer.
If you are a Canadian, I find Seoul more like Toronto and Busan more like Vancouver. If this doesn't help, you can see some pictures at my site on http://keneckert.byus.net/recent/korea1.html.
Ken:> |
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Bound in Bundang
Joined: 22 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 6:51 am Post subject: |
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| If you are a Canadian, I find Seoul more like Toronto and Busan more like Vancouver. |
Sorry, Moldy Rutabaga, I didn't find Busan to be anything at all like Vancouver. Can't make the Toronto / Seoul comparison, but I didn't care much for Seoul at all - does that mean I wouldn't like TO either? 
Changwon was nice - mountains all around, nice parks, and only 40 min. by bus from Busan. Cleaner air, tighter foreigner community, and it's grown a hell of a lot since I left - more stores, services, and access to goods...
Moved to Bundang recently, and it's pretty "nice-uh". It's similar to Changwon in its way, but quite a bit bigger, newer, clean air, and it has a much better parks system (from what I've seen so far, anyway), and plenty of mountains around as well. If you're familiar with Vancouver, Bundang is fairly reminiscent of False Creek, or the Quay in New West. It's close to Seoul as well, which is a draw since Seoul DOES have its usefulness...
Public transportation in any city is quite good - buses are plentiful and cheap, as are taxis. Seoul, Busan, and Daegu have subways; Gwangju was working on one, I'm pretty sure its running now, but I spent a day there and couldn't wait to leave...
Jeju-Do is nice, with lots of beaches, but I've heard that "island fever" sets in after about 4 - 6 months.
The Daegu area is very central, easy access to anywhere in Korea you would want to go, but it has (supposedly) the hottest and most humid summers. There are a couple of smaller cities nearby like Gimcheon, and Gumi, which seemed like a pretty cool little town.
Just some things to think about. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 6:57 am Post subject: Re: Suggestions for Places to Live? |
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| akgirl wrote: |
| I"m ruling out Seoul because it seems too big. I don't mind cities but it would be good to find one where it's not too hard to get away quickly. |
| akgirl wrote: |
| I've heard Pusan is good. Mountains, plenty of parks, beaches. Transportation is good. Ideas? |
Actually, I've lived in both SEOUL & BUSAN.. they are both very very big cities.. Busan is not much different.. sure it has a beach.. but when I lived in the city of Busan I was still a 2-hour bus drive across the city..
In short, if you don't like big cities.. don't go to Busan.. its a big narly mess of a city.. and it'll drive you crazy..
Hmm.. beaches, mountains.. I guess Busan has them.. but they are not what you think.. they are like being in Manhattan.. imagine climbing a mountain only to be in a line like being in a supermarket.. or imagine going to the beach and feeling like you are in a rock concert.. it has them.. but they very crowded.. and they still take time to get to even if you are in that city mess of Busan..
Having said that some of my fondest memories have been taking a bus to Hyundai Beach in Busan, drinking all night at the beach with co-teachers and friends and just plain hanging out.. but the probably five or six days that that happened didn't quite compensate for the other 360 days in that city of staring people who freaked out at foreigners.. (Seoul is much better).. in my opinion..
If you want beaches and mountains.. hmm.. I'd suggest Cheju-do perhaps.. you'll still gets lots of tourists.. but you'd be out of a city like Busan..
| Moldy Rutabaga wrote: |
| I live in Busan and generally like being here. Mountains, good beaches, a laid-back populace. |
A laid-back populace?? Laid-back?? Koreans in Busan and have to be some of the most aggressive, in-your-face, UN-laid-back people I've ever met.. particularly compared to everywhere in Korea.. they make people in Seoul look like passive Japanese people comparitively.
| Bound in Bundang wrote: |
| Quote: |
| If you are a Canadian, I find Seoul more like Toronto and Busan more like Vancouver. |
Sorry, Moldy Rutabaga, I didn't find Busan to be anything at all like Vancouver. Can't make the Toronto / Seoul comparison |
I'd haver to agree.. I don't think either one compares at all.. I think both Seoul and Busan are much more like Manhattan in New York.. people everywhere, everyone trying to get somewhere, conveniences on almost every corner for miles and miles and miles and miles around. Row after row after row of stores, shopping and everything else. How its not like Manhattan though is that its not some multicultural melting pot of everyone on the planet.. its like KoreaTown or a ChinaTown going hog-wild and spreading out for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Last edited by Tiger Beer on Tue Jul 08, 2003 7:09 am; edited 2 times in total |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Location: Middle Land
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| Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2003 7:05 am Post subject: |
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I would suggest Andong.
So beautiful....
So clean....
Everything in Seoul is in Andong. |
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English Apple
Joined: 05 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:29 pm Post subject: Insider's advice on where to live in S. Korea? |
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Hi, I'm about to apply for a 12 month teaching contract in South Korea, but am not sure where I should choose to live. I want to be somewhere:
*With a good community of English speakers so I can settle in quickly (I've never been outside of Europe before don't want to feel too isolated!)
*Not too loud/built up, but with good access to the larger towns/cities if I wanted to go out for a night
*Ideally near a beach if possible.
From reading previous posts I'm thinking that Changwon may be a good option, but just want to check.
Finally, can anyone give any accounts of their first few days in South Korea generally? e.g. how welcoming are neighbours/the schools/etc.? How are people from England perceived (as opposed to American/Canadian/Australian)?
Hope you can help. Thanks |
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Nowhere Man
Joined: 08 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:55 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I have a rather subjective question but I'd love any feedback. I'm still learning about South Korea. Where is a good place to live? I"m ruling out Seoul because it seems too big. I don't mind cities but it would be good to find one where it's not too hard to get away quickly.
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It's not hard at all to get out of Seoul. You can ride the subway network out to places like Ansan, which are decidedly not Seoul. Culture-wise, think of it this way: Seoul is Chicago and Busan is Milwaukee, or Seoul is NYC and Busan a little Philadelphia. Where to go in-between? I think many people will have opinions, but there isn't really a clear answer.
| Quote: |
Finally, can anyone give any accounts of their first few days in South Korea generally? e.g. how welcoming are neighbours/the schools/etc.? How are people from England perceived (as opposed to American/Canadian/Australian)?
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I found people a bit gruff but understood better that they weren't quite so rather quickly.
You'll almost certainly be treated nicer than how Asians are treated from where you come from.
You'll be regarded as a "Mi-guk saram"=American regardless of where you're from. Rather than try to teach people there's a difference, show them. If being labeled American is going to bother you, then you're not going to last long. But seriously, if you were back home, how well would you know a Japanese from a Chinese from a Korean? Would you care about a Chinese slagging off a Japanese? Nope. Just be an expat. My advice. |
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Carla
Joined: 21 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| I liked Ansan the best. It has all the major places, but not too far from the trainstation, you can find a nice park and it's not as loud. |
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KuroBara
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Location: Goyang-Si with a bit of Paju mixed in
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| Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:26 am Post subject: Paju |
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| Any comments on it, yay or nay? It is where GEPIK is assigning me. I hope it's nice, or at least on the train line. I really want to know about gyms, and natural stuff, maybe some night life, if there is any. Thanks!! |
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rookieglobetrotter
Joined: 19 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Insider's advice on where to live in S. Korea? |
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| English Apple wrote: |
| From reading previous posts I'm thinking that Changwon may be a good option, but just want to check. |
I want to go to Changwon too, so I am applying to Gyeongsangnamdo province through EPIK.
The problem is I dont think I know what city I will get until the orientation. You pretty much pick the province and then I heard they throw you by luck of a draw. So it may be in a big city or out in the sticks.
Anyone else know differently how to get the situations we want? |
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kswords
Joined: 09 Apr 2009
Location: eugene, oregon
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| Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:17 pm Post subject: Jinju? |
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Hey there, I am new to this whole thing (maybe I shouldn't be admitting that as I've read some of the previous posts)....but I am looking into teaching in South Korea and am looking for some feedback on location. I'm kind of past the whole let's party and get wasted every night thing, but would like to be in a city large enough where I have the option to hang out with some english-speaking peeps. I would like to be in an area close to some kick-ass hiking, not too far from the beach, and somewhere where it's easy to get around (which sounds like most of Korea is). I currently live in eugene, oregon which is a city of about 150,000, more if you include the students. I am not looking to be in a big city and have been doing some research on Jinju and it looks quite appealing to me. Any feedback on this?
A friend also suggested Changwon, Gimhae, Ulsan, Daegu...... Any information would be helpful.
Also, any suggestions on what recruiting agency to go through? I have heard koreanhorizons and Kim and Joe recruiting. Feedback?
Cheers! |
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Brook
Joined: 22 Oct 2008
Location: middle of nowhere
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| Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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Hey! I'm also from Oregon, and I moved here a couple months ago. I live in Wonju, Gangwondo. I love it here. It's got everything here I was looking for except the beach (which is a couple hours away by bus).
Wonju is the biggest city in Ganwondo (with about 300,000 people) has a fairly large group of foreigners, 2 movie theaters, E-mart, Hi-mart, multiply foreign food restaurants, a small but decent night life, and is only about 1:15 from Seoul (and 2 bus terminals and a train station that can take you anywhere else you want to go). There are also a ot of outdoor options here too - rivers, mountains, lakes - so if you're into rafting, hiking, mountain climbing, biking, etc it's a good place for all that.
Good luck! |
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