Korean Job Discussion Forums

[peppermint]

I'm currently scouting for a new job as my current school appears to be losing business at an alarming rate.

Contacted a recruiter ( I know, I know, but I'm going to do the research and legwork to get more info). I said I would like to teach adults, and said any area of the country is acceptable. He came back, within a few hours with 3 offers, all in Gumi .

As far as I know it's a pretty small city, at least by Korean standards. Is there some reason it's a hotbed of adult ESL classes?

If anyone out there could tell me something about Hyundai foreign language institute, or Yonsei foreign language institute, I would be grateful.

edited for punctuation after reading Mack the Knife's post in the General Discussion forum

[danteager]

Hi peppermint!

I live very close to Kumi(Gumi). It's a small city but there can be a lot to do. I like it because it's not that far from Taegu. Taegu is a pretty big city and has all same attractions as Seoul. Kumi is an approximately 35 minute drive by car from central Taegu. Kumi City itself is actually a quaint little fun city. It has two small cinemas, a few large shopping centers, a train station and a nice hotel with a great big clean cheap public bath in the basement. If you enjoy Korean food, some of the restaurants near the train station and Capital Hotel across the street from the train station are wonderful. There's a good health club(fitness club) close to the hotel as well. There's a long shopping road littered with boutiques and fashion shops that runs from the hotel to a great outdoor fruit, vegetable and meat market. Mount Kumoh (sp?) is nearby too and it's great for long and short hikes. Between Kumi and Northern Taegu is Palgong-san(san) or Mount Palgong that is a great mountain for hiking and taking pictures. Atop the mountain is one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in Korea home to one of the tallest standing Buddhas in Asia. There's also a nice lake there too. It's actually a cool city!

Although I don't know anybody teaching there, the schools you mentioned have a good reputation in the area. I heard that from Korean friends. Kumi itself is an industrial city so large companies like Samsung, LG and Daewoo have large production plants around Kumi city. I don't do any myself, but a friend of mine tells me that she has many private students from the companies around Kumi. She says it really pays!

Cons? Well, Kumi City is small compared to Seoul and Taegu so somethings are hard to find or just not available. There is no subway; you must take the train or bus to Taegu. I'm quite an optimistic type person so it's probably better to ask someone else about the negatives concerning Kumi.

Hope this helps!

Good luck.

[shaun k]

the post above mine sounds a little fishy...

but i do actually live in kumi, and to be honest the city is pretty ugly for the most part, but if you live around the edges its nice enough and about like anywhere else in korea, i guess (except maybe seoul).

the reason there are so many adult classes here is because of the dozens of factories. they are everywhere, and most of the men in kumi work like dogs in them and are never home (UNNIX, LG, samseung, etc).

and im sure english teachers are in high demand here. the place is growing fast, despite the economy.

with all that said, i have been happy here, and though im having a hiccup at the moment, im happy enough to stick around these parts for a while. it is only a short train ride to downtown taegu, where there is plenty to do.

you can PM me if you have specific information you want to ask, though keep in mind i havent heard of the schools you mentioned.

[danteager]

[Howard Roark]

I also live in Gumi. The other posters are right. There is a very clear and simple reason there are a lot of adult teaching jobs here. Gumi is the industrial center of Korea. Most, if not all, of the factory employees can speak English and must continue their studies to get promoted. I myself work at LG Philips. Teaching adults, especially in this setting, beats teaching kids any day! I did that for a year too.

As for Gumi itself. It is an industrial complex, so it's not the cleanest. Not very visually appealing. The population is about 300 000. That's twice as big as my town in Canada. But somebody once said if you knock off a zero from the population of any Korean town, you get what the population feels like! That's so true.

As for ammenities, there is no subway, which is a little inconvenient. But most everything you will need or want can be found here or close by. Daegu is a large city. You can go there easily when you need the big city feel or more western eating and shopping. Wal-mart and Costco can both be found in Daegu.

The bigger cities might be more fun and convenient. If you're young and single, and here for a good time, go to Seoul (sometimes I wish I had). But I've lived in Gumi for almost a year and a half now. It's not great but it's home. If you want more information or have any questions feel free to PM me.

[Anda]

Info on Gumi: http://english.gumi.go.kr/about.asp?title=General