Korean Job Discussion Forums

PBRstreetgang21 · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:53 am Post subject: Party down in Gumi town!

After having my visa documents suffer from beauracratic snafus that have resulted in my job offer being passed betwixt hagwons like a tawdy harlot. A contract has finally settelled in the birthplace of everyone's favorite Korean-- Park Chung Hee. So my question is.... how is Gumi as a place to live? Any foreigners? Is it just a quiet town with some mountains nearby? Any historic stuff? Friendly Koreans?

aimeecate · Joined: 03 Sep 2006

I think it depends on where you live in Gumi. My husband and I lived in a suburban area that was kind of out of the way. It cost us 10 000 won($10) to get to the train station/downtown area, which I think is expensive for Korea. Downtown is built around the train station and there really isn't much there.

If you like hiking Gumi is a good place to be, but if you're looking for shopping or some other entertainment it's not so good. Luckily you can get to Daegu in about half an hour on the train and it's only about 4000 won($4).

There doesn't seem to be many foreigners. There were so few in the area we lived in that when we walked back and forth from school groups of hick school kids regularly pointed and shouted wagukin(foreigner) at us and laughed. Fun times.

If you're looking for my general opinion on Gumi, it's a small dirty industrial transfer town and that's it. Friendly Koreans? I'd be careful what employer you work for there. We got taken for a ride and it was pretty horrible. PM me if you want to find out if it's the same school we worked for and I could tell you some things to watch out for.

bobranger · Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Location: masan

Gumi isn't great but not horrible. Most people that work in Gumi don't live in Gumi. Beware of the hogwons. They have a strong union of owners. I worked there for a year. Not an expert but not a novice. You have some bars. Blahh Blahh Blahh. Fortunatley, they have a KTK stop, so you can get out quick. The city is pretty spread out and public transport sucks. Be prepared to take taxis. Gumi mountain is OK. My advice, do your time during the week and get out for the weekend.

crescent · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: yes.

Gumi is a factory town. Not much else.

scorpiocandy · Joined: 27 Feb 2008

I lived in Gumi for 2 years and it wasn't a bad place.

It has a tight-knit foreign community - maybe because it IS so small.
While there isn't much to do there you can easily get to Daegu by train or taxi and for a longer trip the KTX is your friend Smile

Shady bosses but your social life won't suffer.

if you want, I can introduce you to some people in Gumi who will be more than willing to hang out and show you around.

Good luck