Korean Job Discussion Forums

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

Anybody have and experiences about life in JeollaNamDo they'd like to share? What cities are good? I just looked at some photos of Yeosu on Google and it seems very clean and countrified (hopefully in a good way).

Presently I am in Busan and thinking about next year's contract.

Thanks.

normalcyispasse · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:05 am Post subject:

I'm living in Yeosu and have been here for two years now. I rather like it here. The only downsides are: A) It takes a long time to get to Seoul by bus/train; B) the attitudes here are slightly more "provincial" than elsewhere due to limited exposure to foreigners.

I really do love Yeosu. It's the best city I've seen in Korea, and, as far as Korea goes, it's a great place to live. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

mikekim · Joined: 11 Aug 2006

Jeollanmdo is completely run by gangs. So its not uncommon for a rural town to have ferraris and Lexus'. God I even saw a Skyline yesterday.

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

If I do say so myself, the best information on Jeollanam-do is on galbijim: http://wiki.galbijim.com/Portal:Jeollanam-do

Most of what you read about the Jeolla provinces is garbage, spread by people who have never set foot outside of a Wa Bar or TGIFridays, to say nothing of leaving Seoul or the comfort of foreigners. I've spent just over two years in Korea, half of which has been in Jeollanam-do. The people are very friendly, provided you make an effort to learn the language, participate in the community, and not be a complete dickhead. As far as gangland activity . . . you can say that about any part of the country, and in fact many Koreans would say the same about the Gyeongsang-dos. The current trend toward looking down on Jeollanam-do comes from movies and stereotypes associated with the poor and dark-skinned. Likewise, people who look down on anyplacethatisntSeoul are just buying into the same stereotypes that Koreans themselves hold. Jeez, maybe some of you folks met a rude cab driver during your three hour stay in Gwangju, but I'd suggest you hold off on commenting about a region/culture you know nothing about. I've enjoyed myself here so far, and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Cities like Yeosu, Suncheon, and Mokpo are pretty comparable to small-to-medium-sized cities anywhere else in the country. I just happen to think they're a little more scenic. For those who crave civilization-- Rolling Eyes

--there are department stores, Wa Bars, and enough foreigners to make you comfortable. You can also, believe it or not, speak to the locals. Though Koreans can be a little obnoxious with the "my hometown is FAMOUS FOR ____" crap, they'll love to show you around town. There's also excellent hiking, plenty of beaches, temples, scenic drives, islands, parks, festivals, and very friendly people. If you're still in Busan, it might be worth it to visit Yeosu before the weather gets too chilly.

Again, check the galbijim link for information about places and things inside Jeolla/Yeosu. Also, if you have a facebook account you can join the Yeosu group and ask Yeosu-specific questions there. Good luck.

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

This post interests me, as I'm planning to move to Korea for fieldwork for my PhD program for a year (or even two). I have spent about 6 months in Seoul for language study, and while I recognize that Seoul has all the resources, I also know that I am NOT a big city person. I just get stressed out in big cities far too easily and the stress takes a physical toll. Also, I lived in rural Japan in a town much smaller (just 20,000) than places in Korea I am considering moving to, so I know I can deal well with rural life.

I also need to choose a city that will work for my husband. I'm proficient (not fluent) in Korean, and he doesn't speak Korean. He's not thrilled with the idea of a hagwon, so I'm hoping to help get him set up at a university.

I have travelled for about a month all over Korea and these are the places I liked and am considering doing my research (on families, so it's important that there are at least some kids, not just old people!):

1. Jeonju in Chollabukdo, about 600-700,000 people.
2. Jinju in Gyeongsangnamdo, quite a bit smaller at 300-400,000.
3. Yeosu (I thought it was the most beautiful city in Korea!), at a mere 320,000
4. Suncheon (?) at 270,000
I would also consider Gwangju- I didn't find it to be the prettiest place, but there was something interesting about it.

Any other recommendations or insight?

Alyallen · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:35 am Post subject:

vox · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Location: Jeollabukdo

saw6436 · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon, ROK

I lived in Suncheon in Jeollanam-do for 6 years. I must say that of all the places I have been in Korea (10 years in country now) South Jeolla province is by far my favorite place. Great Korean food. Nice people (a bit country). Little or no pollution. Not to far from Seoul-Pusan-Gwangju if you need a "city" fix. Good fishing and hiking....

And as an aside. About 4 years ago Suncheon was rated as the #1 city in Korea to live in.

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

Why go to Jeolla DUMB Do? Its Korea's most backward region. Go to Seoul. Go to Kyeongsannam-do, go anywher ebut jeolla dumb do

normalcyispasse · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:47 pm Post subject:

Jeonnam really is beautiful. Yes, there are gangsters here, but they're pretty much invisible. Yeosu is absolutely gorgeous; it's spread out across several islands and is an amalgamation of several cities so the population figure is pretty misleading.

There definitely IS the small-town atmosphere here, and this does, unfortunately, include attitudes towards foreigners. We're definitely stared at here. That said, the locals are often quite nice. Yes, you have to learn more of the language to get by. No, it's not much of a problem.

Yeosu's warmer in the winter than practically anywhere else. There are TONS of hiking trails. Yeosu's also a bit cleaner than most places, and we don't get the yellow dust to the same extent as in the north.

I've traveled a fair bit around Korea and am always glad that I live in Yeosu. Yeah, I do wish I had the conveniences of Seoul or Busan but you learn to live without. If you don't mind shelling out the cash for a flight, you can catch a plane to Seoul; the cost is 70,000KRW (Asiana and Korean Air), there's an airport just ten minutes outside the major part of the city and the flight to Gimpo takes 45 minutes.

Traveling around Yeosu's quite nice. We have several beaches, there are lots of neat islands to explore, ferries run regularly, etc. There's rock climbing on some of the cliffs, too.

Okay, yeah, there are only about 60-70 foreign teachers in the city. Dating can be rough (it was for me until I met the woman who I married). However, we're a very close-knit community.

Yeosu's trying really hard to be a big city. They're bidding for the 2012 Expo and so they're really trying to present Yeosu as a destination in its own right. I'm quite serious when I say that if I have to live in Korea, I want to live in Yeosu.

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Thanks for the information- please keep it coming. Suncheon sounds interesting. Any other recommendations?

I was reading the post by someone who said their car tires were slashed in a small town. This doesn't surprise me. It upsets me more that police in Korea seem to generally be incompetent and biased against foreigners. In my town in Japan there were certainly some backward hicks and isolated racist acts (usually, but not always, directed at male foreign residents rather than me). However, even the small town police were pretty decent. Terrible provincial doctors, though, I'm used to- all the doctors in my town were arrogant, worthless quacks, minus one (who luckily saved my life when I was very sick).

So, those of you who live in Yeosu, Jeonju, or other small cities- are people generally welcoming and easy to talk to? Are there any formerly big-city Koreans that moved to a smaller city to change their quality of life? (In my experience, there are often surprising characters who do have a broad range of experience hiding in small cities). I can deal with some provincial folks (how can they be expected to understand foreigners if they have very little exposure?), but general town/city friendliness is important to me.

Pligganease · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: The deep south...

Alyallen · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:28 pm Post subject:

Kimchi Cha Cha · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: was Suncheon, now Brisbane

I've lived in the Jeolla provinces for four years now: Jeonju (one year), Gwangju (six months) and Suncheon (two and a half years). I find the food, the people (although a bit yokel at times) and the countryside and (relatively) fresh air, the biggest drawcards for me. The great thing about this country also being that you're no more than a few hours from any larger city if you need to get away for a weekend or a few days, which you sometimes will to get a fix of foreign food, etc.

The people are pretty down-to-Earth and quite friendly. I don't feel the hostility here that I sometimes feel in larger cities (especially Busan and Seoul), and my personal experiences back them up as the only two times I've been assaulted whilst minding my business - though both relatively minor - have been in Seoul.