Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PBRstreetgang21]

Just curious about what people think. I was wondering if a lot of the Korea fatigue among foreigners has more to do with City fatigue or not.

[Cohiba]

I would say absolutely not. If it wasn't for my close proximity to
civilization, i.e. Seoul, I would go absolutely nuts. I sometimes
get fatigued, but I can go to Itaewon and have a choice of excellent
food and drink in an atmosphere that approximates a world standard.
I can buy books, or get free books at the Wolfhound booh exchange
and then have a pint of Kilkenny. Ahhhhh, bliss. I would write more
but I'm heading into Seoul now to have REAL Chinese food at Ho Lee
Chao and then going for multiple pints.

[MrRogers]

I live in a rural town, working for a school district which controls many public schools out in the mountains and rice paddies - and I go to these schools.

The children in these schools are precious and a delight to work with...

...however, dealing with the ignorance of the men in charge of the district and schools is a huge problem/obstruction...and the old state of mind

...the people in power in these areas need to open up to the rest of world or forget it...the state of mind in the rural area, dealing with educational theory, teachers, contracts, psychology, is quite ignorant and backward...the district office is like being in the 1950s in the U.S.

...it seems that Seoul has some good, young energy in it....I voted that people must be happier inside Seoul area...it seems that, from these forums, that is the case

[Neil]

I think it depends on length of stay, if you are a long termer a year outside of Seoul is pretty cool as you save loads and get to learn more about the language, culture ect before heading to the big city.

For someone just here for a year or two I reckon most would be very unhappy outside of Seoul or Busan.

[red_devil]

Seoul is awesome, i love the big city. It's pretty crowded but it has a vibrant, busy feel...i like Seoul better at night than during the day though. Maybe that's just me.

[bundangbabo]

I lived in Changwon and disliked it - I know people who live there and loved and fair play but I love live around Seoul. I couldn't imagine living in rural Korea!

[ajuma]

I've lived in rural Korea for 9 of the 12 years that I've been here...and I love it!! Clean air, beautiful views, and all of the shop owners, restaurants and the people in your building know you. Don't have quite enough cash? The store owner will let you pay later. The restaurant people know you, and calling for food is no problem.

Seoul is the LAST place I'd want to live. Bad air, rude people, and lots more expensive. I KNOW I couldn't deal with the stress of living in Seoul.

Busan...well, maybe. It has a much better vibe than Seoul does.

[jcan]

[nomad-ish]

i love going into seoul, i feel really comfortable there; the people seem to be more open to foreigners, there's less staring, less people bothering me on the street. i can actually go about my day in much the same way as i could back home

[DrOctagon]

I spent a week in Seoul and it smelled so bad. I just couldn't deal with the amount of people, heavy traffic, smog, and stench. How can you be happy there? I come from a big city (Chicago), and Seoul just doesn't compare.

I prefer more rural areas. I'm very happy on Jeju. There are a few good Western restaurants here, but I'd rather just cook at home or go to Korean restaurants because Western dishes are so expensive. There is also a huge English bookstore, nice bars, hot girls, and many leisure activities. Hunting season begins on Nov. 1!

[earthbound14]

i'm 50/50

i like seoul for international people and products, and the best selection of producirts period. i like it for the night life.

i prefer the country for nature, fresh air, greater contact with korean culture, mountains, skiing, beaches, riding motorcycles.

[earthbound14]

i'm 50/50

i like seoul for international people and products, and the best selection of products period. i like it for the night life.

i prefer the country for nature, fresh air, greater contact with korean culture, mountains, skiing, beaches, riding motorcycles.

[VanIslander]

I AM much happier outside the big cities. Any place with subways is zombie hell on a daily basis imo. They just don't look happy and aren't as friendly.

As well, I have met plenty of happy foreigners in rural areas. And for sure the GRUMPIEST foreigners I've come across live in Seoul.

[Bryan]

I'm happy in Seoul. I chose the city because I doubt I could find an MMA gym to train at in the country.

I see no reason/proof that Seoul is more expensive than the country, just that there are more temptations for self indulgent people who cannot exercise choice on their spending.

I am a university student and always on the university campus, which is like a mini-community within Seoul. I don't encounter rude people, bad smells, etc.

Seoul is a big city and to characterize it by saying it has bad smells just means you should have stayed somewhere else in the city. I smell a tonne of bakeries on my walk to school in the morning. In the same way, Harlem and Manhattan are quite different despite both being in "New York City."

I would also be happy in the country if I didn't train MMA, or if there was MMA training out there. Happiness is probably more about your attitude in regard to your environment, rather than the environment itself.

[xingyiman]

Seoul is the place to be if you are a newbie teacher. You can get a GF without much effort, and there are loads of places that foreigners are known to hang out. After a few years you may want to settle into a life in the country. People rave about Pusan all the time but I used to live in SE Korea and I still got that racist attitude from the locals when I went there.
Seoul is much more accepting of westerners even if it may just be superficial, it still beats rural or SE korea.