Korean Job Discussion Forums

[OnTheOtherSide]

What's up yall.

I taught in Korea for a while, in Busan. I'm thinking about going back and this time I want to live in Seoul. I'm ready to live in that big machine.

I'd like to hear feedback about which neighborhoods are good. I visited Seoul once, but not for long enough to get a good grasp on it. I saw what's up with the city as a whole. But didn't get to check out many individual neighborhoods a whole lot. I was pretty much on the move all the way through it and stayed on the cities outskirts.

I have a friend who is in Suwon and she could hook up a job. She says it is a fun place. But I see that there is a big military presense there. Is it really noticable there? To be honest, I would prefer to NOT live in a place full of GIs walking around all over.

I hear that Hongdae is popular with foreigners, but i've also heard bad things about it.

What I am looking for..... I'm looking for a fun place that has poppin nightlife, but not too dirty and with some mountains or nature nearby to escape to if I need it.

I don't really need a ton of foriegners around. In a way, I would rather avoid the areas that are saturated with tons of them.

I would love to hear info about these areas: Suwon, Cheonan, Chang-dong, Hongdae, Yongsan.

Generally speaking. What is the difference between, Northern, Western, Southern and Eastern areas of the city?

How is it living right in the core of the city?
I'm sure this question has been asked before. But I can't find it, and the search function on this site is messed up, as we all know well.

[T-J]

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?p=1820587&highlight=#1820587

Check out the "Where in Seoul do you live and why do you love it" thread.

[Ukon]

Don't worry about GI's...I've only seen a few outside itaewon....nothing wrong with Gis IMO...it's not like there are tons of dudes ready to beat up waegookin teachers

[Tiger Beer]

[PRagic]

Worry about getting a good job in Seoul first, then just make sure that you live near a subway station. The rest will take care of itself.

If you want to live near HongDae, look either across the street (on the exit 1 side), or further down toward HapJong Station. If you actually live IN the immediate HongDae area, it can get to be a pain unless you have the coin to live pretty well. There are a lot of university student 'one rooms', but for most, those boxes won't cut it.

If you want proximity to Shinchon down the road, look for places in ChangChunDong (in between HongDae and Shinchon Stations), or a bit farther down near Ewha Station. There are a load of foreign teachers who live near Ewha Station because that area has a lot of smaller, cheaper places. I don't know anyone who actually wants to live IN Shinchon.

Another area a bit off the radar is Yoneidong. You'd have to take more cabs and busses, but it's a nice place to live and very close to both HongDae and Shinchon. Or you could opt for 'across the bridge' and hit marginally cheaper hoods near DangSan Station or YongDongPo Station.

Many people new to Seoul opt for NokSaPyung Station. This is kind of an upscale version of HaeBangChon, the Itaewon neighborhood of last resorts where people who like to think they live in Korea reside. NokSaPyung is a stone's throw from Itaewon, not too noisy, and pretty inexpensive compared to other areas in Seoul. If you want more space for less rent, Itaewon is about your best, if not only, option in Seoul.

You could also try some stops past Itaewon on the number 6 line. These would be fairly centrally located and get you up to Kangnam for work or play. KumHo and OkSu on the number 3 line also provide proximity, and are as of yet still not too expensive.

I've never been a fan of Kangnam, but it you want to live there give it a try. People say it's expensive, but I've priced things around the city, and most KangNam neighborhoods aren't any more expensive than decent areas in other parts of Seoul. It has a different atmosphere alltogether, a lot of posers, and crap traffic virtually 24/7. I lived in KangNam for 6 months, and you'd have to pay me a healthy premium to get me to even consider moving back. Shiite.

Don't bother shopping around on-line. Web-based real estate is crap in Korea. Get a job, pick a neighborhood that suits your situation, then hit the real estate agencies one at a time until you find something you like. They all have different 'listings', and you never know what you're going to find from one day to the next.

Good luck.

[Yaya]

The next place I live in will have more nature around it. I read that living near a nature park or mountains is better for physical and mental health, and if you have kids, they'll be less fat if they have some place to play.

[McSensei]

Cheonan is a little too far away from the action, and Suwon while probably having more parks and green space, is still a good hours subway ride from anything resembling the club type atmosphere I think you are seeking.
Check out the Eastern side of Line 5 around NamhansanSeong, or try to get up in the north of Line 4, around Heywha it's fairly close to Bukahnsan and Dobongsan, while not being too far from Hongday, Shinchon, and Itaewon. and Heywha has it's own dinning, bars and even the hip hop club has reopened recently.