Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Coder1]

I have accepted to an offer to teach at KNU in Chuncheon. It is strange, I have seen very few posts on Kangwon National University, except that many of the foreign teachers get together at a bar behind the University. Chuncheon looks like a nature lover's paradise. Any of you work in Chuncheon or Kangwon National Univesity? Any information would be much appreciated!

Other posters say there is a ski resort quite close to chuncheon! and Seoul is about 90 minutes away. Hope to here from some of you who are around that area or in Kangwon-do province![/u][/i]

[Trevor]

It is amazing how many schools advertised on this website say they are "90 minutes away" from Seoul. Really, like 50% of the schools listed say they are "90 minutes away from Seoul".

Why?

Because if they were two hours away they would say they are near Busan (or Daegu) and if they were one hour away they would say "just outside of Seoul" or "less than an hour by KTX".

What does that mean to the average foreigner? Well, I think it means that Korea isn't a very big country and "90 minutes away from Seoul" can be pretty darned isolated. I strongly advise you to go visit the place first to make sure that you will be comfortable, socially and otherwise.

[Coder1]

they weren't really trying to sell me on it's location to seoul. the fact that it is 90 minutes from seoul is just a small perk. To be honest, I'd rather live in a place like chuncheon than seoul. Seoul is cool, but i wouldn't want to live there. But to each his own. Thanks for the input though.

Anyone out there in chuncheon who wants to chime in?

[Smee]

Never been, but I'm visiting there next week. Came pretty close to accepting a job there last summer.

If I'm not mistaken Chuncheon is now on the Seoul Subway, on the aqua line. It would take forever to get to Seoul via subway from Chuncheon, but it's not as remote an area as people'd think.

It's a scenic area, closeby many other scenic areas. The popular drama Winter Sonata was filmed there.

[sjrm]

I did a year in Chuncheon. And yes, it felt like prison time there. There was only so many times I could go hiking at Samaksan, or go to Soyang Dam. I spent way too much money getting out of there and heading to Seoul, or anywhere that wasn't Chuncheon. Even the "scene" behing the university gets old really quickly. Really isn't much there. But hey, if you like desolate places that don't have much of anything to do, go for it.

[contrarian]

Chuncheon is on the East Coast. Its a least 3 hours from Seoul by bus in good weather.

I love that area though. It doesn't get much better in Korea if you like mountains, trees and the sea.

Cheonan is the one on the subway.

[Trevor]

What I meant by my last post was, I think you should take a good hard look at exactly what your social needs are before you go to a place like Chuncheon.

I happen to like Koreans a lot, but trust me on this: it is really nice to have other foreigners around. If you get into a situation where there is only ten other foreigners around...well, maybe you don't like three of them, and say another three of them don't like you for some reason. That leaves four. Out of the four, one of them is nicknamed "Itchy". The other is nicknamed "Blinky".

You see my point?

I just think you should assess just how much you "love nature" before you committ to a year there.

[Coder1]

[contrarian]

Kangwon-do is the province on the East Coast. I have been there by bus and have driven there. Choncheon is in Kangwon-do.

[Coder1]

[zappadelta]

[pest2]

[Smee]

[just because]

[Smee]

Here's a pic of the subway line extensions. Looks like the Chuncheon station will be open in 2009.

http://photoimg.enjoyjapan.naver.com/view/47/43/enjoyjapan_18/20000/19391.gif