Korean Job Discussion Forums

[aznguy]

Hey, I have been given the choice of working in either location. This will be my first time working in Korea. I would love to live in an area that is suited for a young chap like myself, basically a lively place that has a lot to see and do or as much to see and do outside of seoul.

I've read through a few threads stating the pros and cons of both areas. The general impression I get is that Pyeongchon has more to do and well suited for a first time teacher looking for a good time.

The impression I get with Bundang is that its full of Korean elites (yuppies), looking for a nice place to raise kids, making it sterile, boring and lacking any kind of character, but the students are better behaved and generally more in-tune with the English language.

So am i close to either areas true characteristics? Which area would you choose? Any info would be helpful.

[Poemer]

Meh, it's Avalon, they will hire you for one location and then decide to move you to the other after you get here, it's their (in)decision really.

You're assessment of Bundang is fairly accurate, add in some nice parks and plenty of puking ajossi on the streets after dark, and you've got it nailed. It is not brimming over with character. Lots of food options though. Lots of foreigners to hang out with if you are worried about making friends, but nowhere to go, except into Seoul.

I am not familiar enough with Pyeongchon to comment.

[suadente]

I have worked in both Pyeongchon and Bundang, though not at Avalon. Both places are similar. They're both New Towns, they both have a similar layout, they both are upper middle class. Pyeongchon seems a little more compact than Bundang, though. I found myself walking more often in Pyeongchon. Pyeongchon has a nice park with thousands of water fountains, and Bundang has a nice park along a small river with running/bike trails.

In Pyeongchon, if you want to go into the city of Seoul, you take the subway usually. Pyeongchon is convenient for central and western Seoul, but the ride might be 30 minutes to an hour. There's nothing in south-western Seoul, that's where I live. From Bundang, express buses are more convenient. You can get to Gangnam in like 20 minutes, central Seoul in 45 minutes, and don't even think about going to north-western Seoul.

The subway is convenient in and around Seoul, better when there's traffic, worse when there isn't. Buses can be a little bit challenging for a newcomer, they're a steep learning curve.

[aznguy]

thanks for the replys, but i'm still on the fence. both areas seem to be okay and it looks like i can't go wrong with either area. i just can't make up my mind.

it was kind of weird that my recruiter kept on trying to get me to work in Bundang, praising it as the place where all teachers want to sign to or re-sign to.

hey suadente, for a new comer looking for a good time, what area would you pick? is it true bundang is a ghost town when 10pm rolls around?

[greedy_bones]

I would recommend Pyeongchon over Bundang. Both have pretty similar feels, but the subway to Bundang is a pain in the neck. In Pyeongchon, you just hop on the 1 or 4 line and can go across seoul in around 1 hour if you want to get all the way up to Nowon or any other Northwest area. In Bundang, you ride the bs yellow line for half an hour which ends on the southeast border, then you transfer to another line and can ride for another 30minutes to an hour to go somewhere other than Gangnam. Just look at a subway map and compare the logistics of traveling between the two areas.

http://www.aroundseoul.com/images/seoulSubwayMap.gif

[gojulie]

I don't know if this helps your decision, but a friend of mine is having some real problems with the Avalon in Bundang (Sunae area)..apparently they are treating the teachers poorly there.

Other than that, I like Bundang as an area, but would probably stay away from Avalon.

[SharkDiver]

Pyeongchon, in my opinion, is a much better location if you want to go out lots as you'll likely be heading into Seoul by the sounds of it. It's really convenient on line 4. You can go directly to places like Namdaemoon, Myongdong, and Dongdaemoon without transferring lines. And other areas of Seoul are pretty accessible. Bundang seems more out of the way. If you need to cab it back from Seoul at night it should be no more expensive and maybe cheaper than cabbing it to Bundang (depending on where you are of course but you may often end up in Itaewon or Hongdae).

Your recruiter is probably pushing you into choosing Bundang because there's something more in it for him/her if you go there. Do what is right for you! Good luck!

[aznguy]

thanks for all the replys, it really helped a lot in my decision. I've chosen the Pyeongchon area, it seems like there is more to offer and basically, i want to stay far away from as much yuppies as possible. I just can't get along with privileged people, maybe because i was never in that category.

I did find it a bit fishy that they would offer me a position in the Bundang area because the Pyeongchon was the first place they offered me about a month ago. It was rather out of the blue because the recruiter called asking if i would change areas the same day he got my E2 docs. It felt like somebody pulled out or got fired or pulled a "runner" and they needed to find a replacement rather quickly.

o and thanks gojulie for the info, it sounds like i dodged a rather messy situation since that was the exact area that i would be working in.