Korean Job Discussion Forums

duderdude · Joined: 08 May 2003 Location: Jamsil

getting ready to move there and wondered if anyone can tell me what it's like...do they get AFNetwork?...what's the bar scene like? thanks[i][/i]

mo · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 4:14 pm Post subject:

Give Holyjoe a PM and he'll let you know.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 4:18 am Post subject:

Bar scene: Very Korean?

AFN: Yea, it's on one of the channels.

I wouldn't go there if I didn't have a reason to be there, but it does have a few nice places tucked away. Suwon Castle is there(not bad), Everland and Songtan are both a short bus ride away.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

I lived in Sowon for a year a long time ago, and Seoul will pretty much suck you up there for entertainment. That is true for all the satellite cities around Seoul, with the exception of Incheon which as being huge itself has its own gravity or central place activities. Indeed all the satellite cities have much of what Seoul has, but Seoul is Seoul after all. The Nam-moon area of Suwon is always busy, but since I left there have been some new communities built within the city that might have somethings to offer. It is fun once you get to a new city to explore. Get out and look around, visit places.. Make it yours.

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

I'm living near there now. Suwon is huge. What part will you be in? It's pretty lame here compared to Seoul. There's some nice new modern areas, but not a lot of happening nightlife. I took a bus ride to Homeplus the other day and was astounded by the thousands and thousands of new (and identical of course) apartment building going up. Looks like some kind of alien city.

One thing, there's quite a population of South East Asian people in Suwon. I'm not sure if that will be the case after this month's crackdown on the one's staying illegally though. I never actually hung out with any of them, but it's kind of interesting to see different people around. I actually feel a little bad when I see them. I know they have to work their backs off for 1/4 of what I make and Koreans look through them as if they are invisible.

Squid · Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Anyang

I work in Spewon, so (re)named for the morning dance around piles of rice and kimchi chuck, especially challenging on the steps of the bouncy new bridge from the station across the main drag.

"The people are friendlier than in Seoul"... 4 months in and so far so good on that, though from last year I can avoid most of the traps for young players... hof drinking etc.

Plenty students too, curiously not seeming to be the producers of the aforementioned... so some nice eye-candy.

I'll stay there a while.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 5:10 pm Post subject:

A note on commuting from Suwon to Seoul: I can commute just as quickly from Cheonan to Seoul. The Suwon-Seoul commute is plagued with awful slowness. If you want to get to the north side of the river, you're probably looking at a good 90 minutes of travel time.

CaptPorridge · Joined: 17 Oct 2003 Location: Saudi Arabia

I'm moving there in January, and to be honest after living in a 1 Lotteria town for 11 months, anyplace with a Mcdonalds and a movie theatre is fine by me! Gonna miss the mountain air though

Zyzyfer · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 6:16 pm Post subject:

It also has Bennigan's, Outback Steakhouse, Burger King, Chuncheonjip Dakgalbi, KFC, and about a bazillion different other kinds of restaurants. Aju University area has a couple of real winners, most notably the Jjimdak and Hasuabi(sp?) tonkatsu places.

Patong Dong · Joined: 06 May 2003 Location: On Nut

Be careful where you are going in Suwon though, I was told I would be living in Suwon and technically I am, however it is a far flung suburb called YeongTong Dong and it sucks. On foot it will take maybe 30 minutes to see all of it and it is isolated from the rest of the city. I like Suwon proper though, it has intereseting little neighbourhoods and markets. Yeongtong dong has a lot of new hagwons and can't be more than 5 years old. I curse my recruiter to this day for sticking me out here.

CaptPorridge · Joined: 17 Oct 2003 Location: Saudi Arabia

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

Commute time to Seoul: "Hanil Town" (northwest Suwon) to Sadang station... average 30 minutes. Not busy.... less than 30 minutes.... same thing coming back. Depends where you are in Suwon. I'm in Yongin now. Can get to Gangnam in 45 minutes. Never mind the naysayers. Bring a book on the bus! A good one, and time flies!

"Patong Dong"... you baby.... never been in the boonies before? I go to Young tong now to buy groceries... it's a lot more lively than my area in Yongin. Give me a break. You merely grab a bus wherever you want to go. It isn't far. God, some people are just complainers I guess.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 5:38 pm Post subject:

Patong Dong · Joined: 06 May 2003 Location: On Nut

No, I have never lived in the boonies before and I was clear to my recruiter that I did not want to be placed in a small place. I guess jajdude that's fine that you are from a one horse town and YoungTong is excitement central for you (although I cannot quite understand how the fact you come to YoungTong to buy groceries equates to it being an interesting place) but my 2 fellow teachers live in Yongin and they echo my sentiments exactly. I do not want to have to grab a bus every day to find myself in a stimulating area. And by stimulating I only mean Korean neighbourhoods and outdoor markets in winding alleyways type of thing...not an Itaewon or Hongdae.

CaptPorridge · Joined: 17 Oct 2003 Location: Saudi Arabia

Hey maybe I'll liven the place up a bit, I'm really quite nuts as the mods have no doubt noticed,

What I saw of the place I liked, but yeah as I said I've been living in a small town, plus its been a crazy last few months.
So I'm just happy for a change, and really anything a bit bigger and more lively and less nutz than this place will do my fine,