Korean Job Discussion Forums

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

So I decided that I want to work in Gangwon-do. I contacted a recruiter about PS jobs and she said their overstaffed.... so now that leaves me with another hagwon search...... based on my current experience here in Busan, my last search did not prevail so great. So, any suggestions on cities and/or hagwons to contact/avoid?

I was in Donghae this last week and Gangneung! Great places. Didn't make it to Sokcho or Chukcheong. Love the area, but I want to know more about work availablilty there.

anyangoldboy · Joined: 28 Sep 2007

Stay in Gangneung if possible...There is more to do there than Sokcho...Sokcho has the mountains and some beaches but apart from that you are in the sticks...Stay in Gangneung which is only just over an hour away from Sokcho

sojourner1 · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:02 am Post subject:

Wow, EPIK Gangwon-do over recruited? I don't see or know very many teachers out here so it's low population. We were teaching at about 5 schools each, but now they got us on 2 schools each. If they really wanted a FT in each school, then they have more room to hire, but many of the country schools are so tiny each grade is only like 7 students while main schools FT's are assigned to tend to have 30 to 35 students per grade.

I second Gangeung as a choice town. I go there some weekends to stock up on groceries. You have Seoul buses and airport buses that take only 3 to 4 hours direct route and an Emart as well as a couple small foreigner bars. The buses to Seokcho are nice large seaters with direct 50 minute trips each hour all the way up until 10PM. You can easily go to Samcheok to shop the only Homeplus in Gangwon as Homeplus offers the best deals and selection and beats the pants off of any Emart. There are many other things available such as gyms, restaurants, stores, services, and English speaking Koreans you can be friends with to go hiking, eating, and drinking or just people who can speak such as a banker, post officer, and other service providers.

OP, I would take a job with EPIK in another province, before going to a hagwon.

The problem with getting a job in one of the cities is teachers usually have to pay their dues of at least 1 year to transfer. I was originally going to Taebaek, but when I arrived, it was changed to a tiny town with very limited intercity bus services. I can go to Gangneung, but last bus is 7 and I can go to Taebaek, but the last bus is at 5PM either way. I met some new teachers at our 1st county meeting that are in even smaller towns than me and I don't have a clue how they will cope with the really severe limitations and isolation they face.

You want to be in a college town like Gangneun or Chuncheon where there's progressive outgoing people who will associate with you and try their English while giving you free tours to the mountains and other places.

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

Thank's for the advice Soj.

A long story short, 2 day's before I got a job here in Gyeongsangbuk-do, the EPIK head in Gangwon-do was replaced with someone new and immediately stopped taking new teacher's. Hence my chance of getting in was slim to none.
Fortunately I was using ESl PLANET, which I highly reccomend. I got the next best thing. I requested the three most northern counties in Gyeogbuk which are Yeongju, Banghwa and Uljin. Day's later I got the word I would be in Uljin.
I have been here about one month and am enjoying every minuted of it. I wish I had all the Gangwon vacation time, but as for location I'm pretty set.