Korean Job Discussion Forums

endofthewor1d · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Location: the end of the wor1d.

hi all...
well, the job market seems to really blow right now, so i'm thinking of throwing in the towel and settling for a position outside of seoul. for those of you who currently live in one of seoul's surrounding regions, what do you think of them, and how far are they on the subway to central seoul? for those of you in uijeongbu, that's where i spent the last two years, and i pretty well know the score over there. thanks to anyone who contributes.

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

I see no problem in living outside Seoul. What exactly do you need everyday that is in Seoul. Not wanting to live outside Seoul is like saying one cannot live outside New York City. Outside of Seoul has less pollution and traffic, but still has everything you need, including Walmarts.

endofthewor1d · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Location: the end of the wor1d.

i have my reasons for wanting to live in seoul. i understand that i don't absolutely need to, and i'm facing up to the fact that i probably won't. this isn't what i was asking. i was asking for those people who don't life in seoul, but live somewhere just outside of seoul to give me some input on how they like where they live, and just how far from the center of seoul it actually is, preferably by subway.
but, to answer your question, i love all of the conveniences that go along with living in the center of the city, and i don't mind pollution at all.

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

I have lived in the "center" of Seoul, and in the suburbs. I prefer the suburbs because it is cleaner. The apartments are larger. All the conveniences are still there.

I just don't see what conveniences are in the center of Seoul, that are not in the suburbs. Have you lived in Seoul before. Please explain. Exactly where is the center of Seoul?

endofthewor1d · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Location: the end of the wor1d.

you're really not getting this. i don't need to explain myself. where i want to live and why i want to live there are not things i have to justify to you. i think i've mentioned more than once now that i'm probably not going to live there. i'm really not interested in your opinions on whether it's better to live in the city or in the suburbs.

allow me to try to make myself a little more clear. i want to know, from someone who lives in the suburbs of seoul, the following things:

a) what suburb do you live in?

b) what do you think about it?

c) approximately how far away from the center of seoul is it by subway?

here is an example of an appropriate answer:

i live in uijeongbu. the scene is pretty good over here. there is a good solid group of foreigners, some decent bars, a couple of movie theaters, and a good market area. it's about forty minutes to seoul from either the uijeongbu station or the hoeryong station, both on line one. good luck finding a job!

here is an example of an inappropriate answer:

why do you want to live in seoul? it's really polluted, and it doesn't have anymore conveniences than some of the suburbs do. i live near a wal-mart.

if you would like to start a thread about whether it's better to live in the city or the suburbs, by all means do so, and i will be happy not to participate in it, as i am not the least bit interested in that topic. a topic which i am very interested in, however, is where i'm going to spend the next year of my life. so i thought i'd get some useful feedback from some of the folks who live in the places that i'm considering. is everyone clear on this?

Joe Thanks · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Dudleyville

You know. I sympathize with your struggle, companero, but this kind of attitude is not going to help you.

The poster wasn�t offering complete �answers� but they did offer opinions. I agree. Seoul sucks. Have you lived there? It doesn�t seem so, as you haven�t said WHERE in Seoul your ideal places are. If you did, it got lost. Reiterate �em please. Furthermore, if we � the peanut gallery � understood why you are so keen for Seoul metropolis proper, then we could brainstorm WITH you, rather than against you (as it seems you feel that way) and actually help you MORE. I see TONS of adverts for jobs in Kangnam (if that�s not Seoul proper than NOTHING is). Apply like mad to �em.

I won�t. I want noting to do with Seoul as a place to �live� (if you call that living) or teaching (if you call it �teaching�). So that cuts me out, but you � it�s your dream. Apply and I�m sure you�ll get one (unless you don�t have a degree).

Olympic Park area isn�t bad for Seoul (which is like saying �having my eyes gouged out isn�t as bad as having them sucked out�) but it�s a far cry (30-60 minutes on the subway) from places like Itaewon and Kangnam-gu. Ilsan � same.

I think your anxiety in finding a job and wanting to be in Seoul are fraying your ends and you should try to relax and wait it out.

Good luck,

Joe

Gord · Joined: 25 Feb 2003

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

endofthewor1d · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Location: the end of the wor1d.

alright alright...
i suppose my smartass knob was turned a little too high. kangnamdragon, you have my apologies. try to understand, it's been a rough couple of weeks. during the past two years while i was in korea, my family moved to southern mississippi. not only do i not know anyone here, but there is really f--k-all to do around here, and i've been spending every waking hour of my time since i've been home trying to find work back in korea. now, i loved seoul.... the crowds, the bars, the variety of places that are all so close to one another. i didn't specify a particular region because i would have been happy in most of it, be it itaewon, hongdae, jongro, gangnam, even as far up as nowon... however, nowon is an example of something outside of the hazy notion of the 'center' that i gave you that would have been acceptable to me.
so i started this hunt thinking that it would be a piece of cake to find a job in the city.
and here's why i got a little defensive about my reasons for wanting to live in the city... because i know they are a little lame. you know how you have the bars you go to during the week after a tough day at work, and then you have the bars you go to on the weekends in the city to party and pull korean girls? well, i wanted to consolidate them. i've got a few good bars that i like in the city, and i was thinking 'if i lived in the city, all of these bars would be somewhere along the lines of ten or fifteen minutes away by cab. i could go here during the week.'
my other main reason is that i wanted to take a class in korean. i guess that's not so lame.
i'm not really in the market to make friends out of the local yokles around here who i'm only going to ditch in a week or two, so outside of my parents, the only real contact i've had with other people has been mostly on this board. that's bound to put any man on edge. i'm actually homesik for korea. so you all have my sincerest apologies, especially you kangnamdragon, as you suffered the wrath of my stagnant frustration. Embarassed

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

mack the knife · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: standing right behind you...

Here's my two cents:

Why do you want to live in Seoul? It's really polluted and it doesn't have any more conveniences than some of the suburbs do. I live near a Wal-mart.

Anyway, hope this helps.
MTK

Joe Thanks · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Dudleyville

Gord · Joined: 25 Feb 2003

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

You're darn skippy! It's in Chung Dong. If you need to go there for some reason go to Songnae Station and take the 7-1 bus from there to Wal-Mart. Amazingly enough, there's even a Hyundae Department store there. That area is actually kinda rockin' these days. Lots of hogwons around there, too.