Korean Job Discussion Forums

rayjoy · Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Location: Dynamic Busan

I just poised this question on the EPIK orientation list, sorry to repost but I leave for K tomorrow and need to answer my school today.

I'm living with my boyfriend and they asked if we wanted a 36.3 apartment + 300 won a month or a 49.5 apt with no extra money.

I'm assuming I want the larger one but they said they both might be studios which I really don't want.

Can someone give me an idea of what a 36.3 and a 49.5 sized apartment would look like?

Rumple · Joined: 19 Sep 2007

rayjoy · Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Location: Dynamic Busan

The more I'm looking into this, it seems that it is not pyong, it is what I assume to be square meters.

So if a pyong is about 3.3 square meters, the 36.3 sq m would be 11 pyong and the 49.5 would be 15...

So these are shoeboxes right?

Le sigh....

Imrahil · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 6:11 am Post subject:

Yeah pretty much would be the size of shoeboxes, the 15 would be alright if you were living by yourself.

oskinny1 · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Location: Right behind you!

If you are both working for the same school tell them to shove it. No way someone should have to share such a small place (especially since they will be saving money). Ignore me if it is in pyong.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

Yeah, if those measurements were in Pyung, they would be massive family units with 3 bedrooms plus.

jellobean · Joined: 14 Mar 2006

If this is meters, you should just ask for the whole amount in cash and find your own place... You can get a pretty decent place for $1000-2000 down and $300-500 per month in the Itaewon area if you are in Seoul... In other places you might need more money down but in rural areas you can sometimes negotiate to pay 6-12 months rent up front and forego the deposit.... Even if you don't have deposit money now, you can get a cheap goshiwon for a month or two and save up.

jadarite · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:09 pm Post subject:

I don't recommend the goshiwon thing if this is your first time out. I have a goshitel in another city for weekend trips, and they are NOT suitable for living on a regular basis.

Secure the biggest room you can, get pictures, and make sure it is nice. Then, when you have spent a few months you can determine if you can do the goshiwon thing or not. Not all goshiwons are the same.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Those are probably sq meters, not Pyoung, so those are way too small for a couple. Tell them you need at least 22 Pyoung if you're going to live together.

KoreanAmbition · Joined: 03 Feb 2008

I disagree with a bunch of the above comments.

My wife and I live in a 17-pyeong apartment.

We have 2 bedrooms, and we put nothing in the second bedroom but a big standup mirror and a yoga mat. My wife uses it exclusively for yoga and I don't even go in the room.

In the main bedroom we have TONS of closet, dresser and bookshelf space as well as as a nice big desk.

Our kitchen is ample size with tons of cupboards, and we obviously have a full-size fridge. I put a microwave, coffee maker, and large water boiler on the counters. We even have a huge oversized sink.

The living room is big enough (open concept and shared with the kitchen), and we have a nice couch and a big tv stand with a 27-inch tv on it. We have tons of room to walk around.

The only thing that's small is the washroom, however, I honestly have no problems with it at all.

I am VERY comfortable in this apartment, and if it was larger I wouldn't have anything to do with the extra space.

The official size of our apartment is 56 meters squared. We have a balcony that runs the length of the entire apartment.

tonyvu · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:03 pm Post subject:

So what would be considered adequate space for a single individual and couple, respectively?

Is 7-12 Pyeong about right for a studio apt?

Colorado · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:32 pm Post subject:

My wife and I lived in a 12 pyong apartment for two years and it was pretty cozy. Now we're in a 15 pyong and it seems pretty spacious by comparison. I would't want anything smaller.

nomad-ish · Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:40 am Post subject:

last year my studio apartment was about 8 pyong. it was fine for one person. i also didn't have much furniture so it felt larger than it was

skconqueror · Joined: 31 Jul 2005

We have a 17 Pyeong, but I think 22-24 would be better Very Happy

KoreanAmbition · Joined: 03 Feb 2008

The university I currently teach at has both single and family housing here on campus. The individual housing is 7 pyeong in size.

To be honest, if I was single, that is just about all I would need to ask for in an apartment. I wouldn't mind it moving to 8 pyeong just to make it a bit easier to put in a couch.

For the first week that I was working here my wife and I had to stay in singles housing, in the 7-pyeong unit. It was small, but we still survived temporarily.

The more room you have, the more money you spend to furnish the place. If not, you just stare at a lot of empty space. Smile