Korean Job Discussion Forums

[eternalescence84]

Hello everyone,

I recently got a job working for the Jeollabukdo province in a public school in Gochang. I was wondering if any of you could share your experiences working and living in Jeollabukdo, especially in Gochang. There seems to very little information on the net on Gochang that isn't in Korean.

Thanks!

[Cohiba]

[crash]

I lived in Jeollabukdo for about three years, in Gunsan. I did visit Gochang once to check out the ruins of the castle there with some Korean friends. Also, we ate at the best eel restaurant in Korea (IMO) and that dish is especially popular in that region.

Besides the mud flats that was passed off as a beach it's just a typical Jeollabukdo town. Not much going on at all. I expect that is what you wanted if you decided to be placed there but definitely don't expect a lively night life etc. I guess it will be what you make of it and if you're more of an outdoors person it will probably be a good fit.

Jeonju, Jeollabukdo's biggest city, is probably about an hour away to meet any of your needs that Gochang won't have. So,...basically...everything.

Good luck!

[chris_J2]

http://culture.gochang.go.kr/eng/

http://wiki.galbijim.com/Gochang

http://english.tour2korea.com/03Sightseeing/DestinationsByRegions/depth02.asp?konum=1&kosm=m3_1&Address=36071&Address2=34816

I use to go into Seoul nearly every weekend last year, & quickly got bored with it. Miss the place now, though. If you do your research, you'll find plenty to amuse yourself. Some good links above for starters.

[eternalescence84]

[Ekuboko]

you should PM xtchr

[waynehead]

Start studying korean now...

[Ethan Allen Hawley]

As much as I'm adverse to giving and receiving advice:

1.) learn the language

2.) learn the local dialect and slang

3.) learn to love the food

and you'll be fine!

Seriously, enjoying the outdoors is great, but you'll need to have a mental challenge apart from work. My biggest regret after (*mumble*) years here is that I ended up drifting from being focused on the language in my first year here and going to taekwondo classes instead. Sure, I learned a bit in those classes, but not enough, and I'm still struggling through basic conversations and still taking too many of the other various opportunities the country offers, even in the countryside.

Every word you learn will come in handy sooner or later, and life will seem so much easier whatever you're doing and wherever you are this time next year.

[fusionbarnone]

How far are you from Gochang-gun? Schools around that area can be in the middle of nowhere. You really are in the true Korea(breadbasket of old Korea). Get co-teachers to show you around as your the new language instructor and they want to practise and will pay for your supper as well.

The eel is outstanding so get the staff to take you there saying you heard all about poongchon eel.

I think it is the boonies but you will see some really rare sites(a school amongst age old buildings, fortress, beautiful ponds with lotus lillies, old water wheels, etc)

It gets really hot there so I hope you have an airconditioner. Mosquitos are aggressive with stings that fester in Jeollabukdo so buy a mosquito net(3/5,000 won)

Gwang-ju(visit Soul Train bar, Blue Monkey) is near going south about an hour from the terminal and Jeonju city is an 1hr 3o mins to the North. Deepin is the foreigner bar to visit in Jeonju. The "local" bus from Gochang to Seoul is very reasonable and handy. Jeong-up city is 30 mins away and has a foreigner meeting place called Pepper tree.

There are surprising beaches and holiday places from Buan called Geyeok po beach.

Students/kids are good and teachers are fair.

If you are in a boonies school it could get lonely. Get cable, cellphone, get internet and download movies from Limewire(everyone does it on the ROK). Don't be afraid about bargaining for anything after doing your homework. Get help from co-teachers in scoring a lounge settee, table etc if you don't have those already. Buy international phonecards. Itaewon in Seoul on the corner and near the subway exit has good deals so trips to Seoul buying cards could save you money. What you buy can be sent home via surface mail at 20 kilos for 35,000won(cheaper than 800 bucks excess baggage on a flight) so collect your souviners.

Gals in the country areas are very conservative but doesn't mean you won't be misunderstood if you ask to "meet" in another city. I used to hire taxis after midnight missing the last bus(expensive but cheap if you share with as many people going the same way) from other cities to hook-up with some of the "lively" girls down there.

You will need to travel to get your dose of KFC, TGIF, McDs, etc though.

PM for more details concerning Jeollabukdo/Jeollanamdo if you want.

Good luck.

[fusionbarnone]

How far are you from Gochang-gun? Schools around that area can be in the middle of nowhere. You really are in the true Korea(breadbasket of old Korea). Get co-teachers to show you around as your the new language instructor and they want to practise and will pay for your supper as well.

The eel is outstanding so get the staff to take you there saying you heard all about poongchon eel.

I think it is the boonies but you will see some really rare sites(a school amongst age old buildings, fortress, beautiful ponds with lotus lillies, old water wheels, etc)

It gets really hot there so I hope you have an airconditioner. Mosquitos are aggressive with stings that fester in Jeollabukdo so buy a mosquito net(3/5,000 won)

Gwang-ju(visit Soul Train bar, Blue Monkey) is near going south about an hour from the terminal and Jeonju city is an 1hr 3o mins to the North. Deepin is the foreigner bar to visit in Jeonju. The "local" bus from Gochang to Seoul is very reasonable and handy. Jeong-up city is 30 mins away and has a foreigner meeting place called Pepper tree.

There are surprising beaches and holiday places from Buan called Geyeok po beach.

Students/kids are good and teachers are fair.

If you are in a boonies school it could get lonely. Get cable, cellphone, get internet and download movies from Limewire(everyone does it on the ROK). Don't be afraid about bargaining for anything after doing your homework. Get help from co-teachers in scoring a lounge settee, table etc if you don't have those already. Buy international phonecards. Itaewon in Seoul on the corner and near the subway exit has good deals so trips to Seoul buying cards could save you money. What you buy can be sent home via surface mail at 20 kilos for 35,000won(cheaper than 800 bucks excess baggage on a flight) so collect your souviners.

Gals in the country areas are very conservative but doesn't mean you won't be misunderstood if you ask to "meet" in another city. I used to hire taxis after midnight missing the last bus(expensive but cheap if you share with as many people going the same way) from other cities to hook-up with some of the "lively" girls down there.

You will need to travel to get your dose of KFC, TGIF, McDs, etc though.

PM for more details concerning Jeollabukdo/Jeollanamdo if you want.

Good luck.

[eternalescence84]

[fusionbarnone]

Sorry about the gender mix-up. That's me being a typical male with above average experience with search techniques.

If your contract say's Gochang-gun than it probably is Gochang-gun proper. If you are going to be working at "another" school as well as your contracted school, check to see that it has been included on the back of your foreign resident card and that immigration has been informed otherwise you'l be fined for no fault of your own.

I did a quick visit to Gochang-gun(that's the village;too small to be a city but reasonable size all the same) in sept.2007 to meet the EPIK person assigned to the area/ She'll be there until sept. 2008 if she hasn't decided to renew her contract for a further year. She's located at the Goghang Ofice of Education Gore chung Ku yook chong(romanized it for you). You could drop in if she aint busy as that's what I did. On the bright side, ther seem to be more native ELTs around the area these days.

The Moy young fortress festival(one week long) is really famous and you should attend this. You will see the current Korean pop acts perform for free and experience true korean culture(I got my grass shoes there. I'd like to see other foreigners find such rarities. Gochang is also well known for Celedon pottery. When you can buy this and send it home; it is real) I had to tell my mom that it(Celedon) wasn't cheap chinese but the real Korean deal.

Gochang is pronounced Gore chung. The English names on road signs etc are so wrong you could find yourself in the wrong part of the country if you don't pronounce names correctly when buying bus tickets.

As far as I'm concerned, Gochang is one of those hidden gems in Korea. I was told(by locals) that the North(North Koreans) would always wander down to Jeolla in the bad old days to pick fights because of the areas agricultural productivity. It seems people from the East Coast of Korea are still at regional odds with the Jeolla mob and try not to tell them this when passing through.

Jeolla people are considered "so country" by Seoulites so those that move to the "big smoke" try to disguose their accents. Seoulites also see Jeolla folk as shifty, good for fruit vegetables, gangsters(they take their martial arts seriously), and Tae Kwon Do players. I personally think the best looking girls come from this region as I've worked in other parts of Korea and am always blown away by the vast difference elsewhere. My wife and I are sure it's probably because of healthy living(clean air) and good food/nutrition.

Chuck Norris trained in Jeolla, the Korean boxer who won the bronze medal at the Barcelona olympics could teach you boxing if you are assigned to his school. Mas Oyama(founder of Kyakushin karate; movie made about the guy) isn't from Gchang but he is from North Jeolla. Thus there are famous mentions connected to that place.

In that county, you will be the "talk of the Town" and treated like a female rock/pop star/princess. Some of those young gals would scream in the street when meeting me like I was pop icon(got really sore ears) They will shower gifts on you majorly especially on Peppero day and Teacher's day. Those kids can be really sweet and kind(well, most of them). All in all generosity is quite common.

If you need books for language study or teaching materials, than Top Book Shop in either Kwang-ju or Jeon-ju(go to, Gear kuh sa at the intersection you'll see a backery on the opp. right hand corner. From the bakery walk along the road and turn left on a side street walk 200 feet and you'll see the green frontage of the store; it's modern looking) is the place to go.

Food is really cheap there so eating out aint a problem. The standard of restaurant food is outstandingly good. I'd get a private room and for 4,000 won I'd get a complete table full of food; soup, main and 10/12 side dishes(peck-barn) read Time magazine and generally take things easy. I reccomend Core dong ah jig gear(Mackeral stew) across the road from the bus terminal where the buses enter cheap and good sit down meals for real cheap(colorful orange joint)

There's a bath house in the Hotel beside the Bus Terminal. So if you like saunas, steam rooms, lounging in hot baths it's 4,000 won.(BTW: the working gals go there too as my wife would never get crap there because of her tattoos, she enjoyed it actually. She told me they were real lookers with lots of gold chains(real).

You should do an online search about the area and plan to visit those places. Youtube has some videos of Gochang and Jeonju(famous for Pan sore ree music, Be bum pup, dole sut be bum pup(steaming hot rice with marinade,excellent if you find a good place with great side dishes; ask the waegooks/expats in Jeonju).

You can get a Black Belt in anything in one year(standard in Korea; 3'4 years in the west) so you could do this in your spare time provided you don't have too many Korean friends wanting to meet for dinner(don't be definite about appointment making unless you really do have free time; say, "I'll get back to you on that soon, ok? Koreans take broken appointments personally so arrange leeway for yourself").

Make the most of your pending Korean experience by putting yourself first .
Gochang is far from a boonie location like some towns(I'd get depressed myself even if I'd been offered a villa with 3 bedrooms and no place to go)
Many people I'd met there stayed on average 3 years if that says anything.

Have fun.

[eternalescence84]

Wow, thanks fusion. That was the most helpful information I've found yet. After spending hours upon hours looking I couldn't find any information like that.

I can only hope I'm teaching in Gochang... my paperwork only says Gochang. It doesn't specify if it means the town or the county. I'm not big on the idea of running all over an entire county... so so I'm hoping for the town. In either case, I'll find out shortly, because I arrive on Sunday.


After what you've told me though, I feel a second wave of excitement!

Thanks you!