Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yoyoyo]

I've seen a fab job with a nice apartment (double bed!) but it's in Incheon. I can't really find much info about living there with regards to nightlife and expat community. Was wondering if there's anyone currently living there and what their experiences are?

Cheers!

[huffdaddy]

Where in Incheon?

[europe2seoul]

Incheon is Dead. go to Seoul OR go to a place nearby seoul so its an easy subway ride or taxi when you are plastered or brining a pu.ssy home to fuq.

[huffdaddy]

[PBRstreetgang21]

I think it all depends on what you're looking for. Ive been living in Yonsu-gu in Incheon two weeks now and its not bad, but there is shit to do. As far as living goes, there are good resturants and tons of korean bars, there are a few expat bars, but they arent anything like what you'd find in Seoul. More like Korean style bars that happen to have expats.....I know a number of people living here much longer than me and they all say the same thing. If you dont mind working during the day and having a low key week night and then taking the bus/subway to Seoul for a friday or saturday night.... then Incheon is actually a somewhat nice place to live. But if you need constant nightlife... or more to the point, people who speak English, then avoid Incheon. (No one speaks English here). To be completley honest, there are so few foreigners and so few foreign amenities that you'd be suprised your only and an hour and half from Seoul.

Although there is a cool bar in Bupyeong that has 1,000W drafts.

I dont mind just taking it easy on the weeknights and religating my nightlife to friday and saturday, so Incheon is good to me.

[yoyoyo]

I think the school was in Mok-dong if that means anything to you?

I didn't realise Seoul was an hour and a half away from Incheon, I thought it looked much closer. Think I'm gonna take a job near Jamsil, it seems a good place to live and great transport links too.

I don't mind having quiet week nights, I mean I won't be getting pissed every night but I would like there to be cinemas, department stores and sthings like that to while away the hours.

Roughly, how much is a taxi from Incheon to Kangnam please?

And as for the *beep*, I'm female so I won't be bringing *beep* back!!

Thanks!

[crsandus]

The only Mok-dong I know of is slightly closer to Seoul than it is to Incheon. I usually visit Mansu-dong, which is in the western part of Incheon, when I go to Korea and it's about a 5-10 minute bus ride to the closest subway stop (Song-nae). From Song-nae, I'd say it little over an hour to get to downtown Seoul/Kangnam (someone can correct me on this at any time).

There's plenty of bars/shops/stores all over Incheon but fyi, I've seen maybe one white face when visiting Mansu-dong.

[PBRstreetgang21]

A touch hazy on Mok-dong's whereabouts but if its the one I and the previous poster are thinking its on the number five line on the Seoul subway and is actually closer to Hongdae than it is to Incheon.

I will say there are plenty of department stores and the like in Incheon, thats not a problem at all. I live in the far south end of the city and have no problem if I wanted to get to a Shinsegae, New Core, or Lotte Department. Plus the underground shopping Mall in Bupyeong is enormous with tons of clothes and and electronics and such. There are theatres here that show some newer american movies too. As far as simply LIVING goes, (eating shopping, movies, etc) Incheon is a good place.... its just when you want the extras (people who speak english, english books, cheddar cheese that isnt 8,000 won for small block at Emart) that the city lacks..... the farthest Ive ever taken a taxi was from Guro which is about halfway between Bupyeong and Yongsan and it took me about a half hour (woulds taken an hour would it not have been that hour taxi driver went 140 in a 60 and ran every red light no exceptions--- I love cab drivers here) and it cost us 30,000W total (woulda been 45 but it was way late and we negotiated a good deal).

Its really a nice place if you'e looking for something a little more low key, but dont want to sacrifice too many amenities

Also like the previous poster said, its kinda eerie how few foreigners there are here considering how large the city is, its proximity to Seoul and the fact that it has the damn airport. I see maybe one white person or one Indian person every day or two. Thats not to say there arent waygooks to be met, after all there are a couple (mediocre)expat bars here. But Im not the type out looking for a whole new social circle and my trips to Seoul are just that--- trips--- so I cant really compare social scenes except say, Ive met more english speaking foreigners and Koreans in one night in Seoul than in two weeks in Incheon. But since Im not really looking for that.... Im not complaining.

[yoyoyo]

The school is in Samsan in Bupyeong! Sorry, Mok-dong was another job.

[PBRstreetgang21]

Well if you're in Bupyeong you should have not much trouble finding what you need in Bupyeong. Bupyeong is the largest and most "happening" part of Incheon. Its probably 45min by subway/ bus to downtown Seoul (seoul Station). Its much closer than the rest of Incheon. Plus there are lots amenities there, aside from the Underground shopping mall, there are areas of the city that have decent streets for shopping in their own right. Plus there is a very large outdoor market that selss everything from Angler fish to mittens. There is also more expats in that part of the city than just in about any place else Ive seen here (although it still doesnt hold a candle to Seoul, but who does?). Bupyeong also has a few good foreign resturants, including a pretty good Indian place.

[Milwaukiedave]

That are has quite a bit of access to Seoul as you can hop on an express train from there and get to Singil in less then 30 minutes.

People say Incheon is "dead", but yet again I say it depends on what your tastes are. If your in your 20's and you like to party everyone weekend, yeah find a job in Seoul. If your older and don't mind being a little farther out, then Incheon isn't too bad. I live quite a way from Seoul as I'm not far from Juan Station. I've been here almost 10 months. I'm going home after that.

[yoyoyo]

Is Bupyeong less pricey than Seoul?

[kprrok]

I like Bupyoung. It's a nice place. It's not dead as some people say it is. Yes, there aren't thousands of whiteys walking around, but I didn't come over here to hang out with people I could see in my home country. There are enough foreigners that I don't feel isolated, and that's good enough for me.

I'm not in Bupyoung, but just north of it by Jakjeon station and I like it here. True, my apartment is in kind of a seedy area, but that's the only gripe I've got. I can find almost everything I want and need at E-Mart or in Bupyoung. And Costco is a short ride on the 1500 express bus away.

Back to one of the questions asked earlier, a cab from Bupyoung to Gangnam would probably be about 15 to 20 quid (30 - 40 thousand won). You can get on the Yongsan Express and be at Yongsan from Bupyoung in about 35 minutes or so, with Line 1 and the Yongsan line from there to anywhere in Seoul. Also, there are express buses that run from Bupyoung Station into Seoul and the airport. Another nice thing is the new Gimpo/Incheon Airport line will be stopping at Gyeyang station on the Incheon Line and that makes travel quicker than a cab or bus to the airports.

Personally, all things equal in the jobs, I'd pick Bupyoung over Seoul b/c it's a little cheaper I've found, plus you won't spend lots of money boozing it up every night.

KPRROK

[aldershot]

imagine the surface of the Death Star and you've got incheon.

[twg]