Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pixykat222]

Just got offered a job in Busan, and I've read some pretty mixed reviews. Although, most of them were from 3 or more years ago. Anyone with more recent experience have any opinions on the area? Nightlife, shopping, people, ability to meet foreigners? We'd really appreciate it! Thanks

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

Busan is not really Korea.

[Xuanzang]

The beaches are nothing to get worked up on once you`ve had a taste of Bali, Thailand or Tahiti. Dirty, ciggie and broken glass ridden.
There`s many foreigners there. A decent selection of foreign food and a rumored Costco coming in a few years.

However, location matters in Busan. Find out where you will be at and report back.

[denistron]

Busan is the true Korea.

[pixykat222]

Looks like we'll be in Hwamyeong, or at least nearby it. Is that good or bad? The pay is pretty good (2.5mill) and the housing arrangement is pretty nice, we're just really worried about getting there, not being around any other foreigners, and having nothing to do...

[Chris_Dixon]

Busan is one of the nicer places in korea imo, it also has everything...beaches, historical sites, nice hiking, good restaurants etc.

There are alot of foreigners in Busan being the 2nd biggest city in korea...

Imo you got a good city, just make sure your school has other weigooks so its easier to socialize.

[SOOHWA101]

Hwamyeong is a good area. It is a little bit aways from downtown and some of the hot spots (20-25 min), but I always enjoyed it there. The foreign community is pretty tight, so you won't have any problems making friends.

What school are you working for, if you don't mind me asking?

[Sector7G]

[pixykat222]

Wow, such great news! After reading so many negative posts you guys really got my spirits up! Thanks! :D We'll be working for Pagoda Junior. Unfortunately this particular school is small, so we'll be the only 2 teachers there. But it is in a building comprised of many other schools, so there will be other people to socialize with (according to the management). We have a friend who works for Pagoda, and has never had a problem with them. So we figured it would be a safe bet.

[uhfotis]

Busan is by far my favorite city in Korea. It has the perfect mix of actually being Korean and not super westernized like Seoul and still having a lot of foreigners. With the KTX getting to Seoul is very simple. It has good connections to Japan. The beaches are nice, if a bit overrated but it also has really good in-city hiking and a lot of gorgeous temples. That all said as people have mentioned where you are in Busan means a lot... Its a big city.

[denverdeath]

Hwamyeong IS quite far from Seomyeon and other popular places, but as long as you are both working and living in the area, it shouldn't be too bad(a huge commute is what can kill you). It's only two stops from Deokcheon Rotary, where you can get on the newer(line 3) subway which can quickly take you to Gupo Station(1 stop away, if you don't want to walk) for a train(KTX runs through there a bit; check the schedules) or fairly quickly to the PNU area(after a transfer). There's a really nice rink, if you like skating, between the Sujeong and Hwamyeong stops. There's also a pretty good range of mountains on the eastern side where some nice restaurants can be found. Negatives? Bloody far from the beaches, if you like them. Also, almost as far from the Bukyeong/Kyungsung Uni area if that's your kind of scene.

So, in the Deokcheon/Hwamyeong area...

Nightlife: depends what you want. No funky hip-hop foreigner spots like Bukyeong has. Lots and lots of places to drink, but no real foreigner places that I was ever to, although that could've changed.

Shopping: Again depends on what you want. There's Lotte Mart, I think, right in Hwamyeong. And farther down the road, there's a huge Nonghyup Supermarket thingy that I only drove by. There's Gupo Market for fresh vegetables, fish, dog, and more. Clothing? I never bought one piece of clothing in the area, but that doesn't mean that it's not possible. Costco's supposed to be here soon. Maybe in September? Again, it won't be located anywhere near Hwamyeong though.

People: the people are generally fine.

Ability to meet foreigners: I lived in Gupo for six years. Not exactly Hwamyeong, but not far off the mark. I saw maybe three "whities" the whole time I was there, and never really "met" them. As Hwamyeong has grown a lot since I moved, I would say that there are probably a few more foreigners in the area now. I would still say that you shouldn't expect to see that many unless you venture into Seomyeon, PNU, or Bukyeong. Even in those places, the number of foreigners you see'll depend on when and where you go.

[Dwills]

Why Busan is awesome - http://koreanrumdiary.blogspot.com/2009/01/busan.html

Quite simply, I love Busan. Click the above link for more, or be content with my seal of approval here: it is sweet.

[Spryguy]

Busan is really great, we loved our 14 months here. We're leaving in 2 weeks. After seeing the rest of Korea, we wouldn't have chosen another place had we been able to do it over again.


However, you want to be at either

-Somyeon (great shopping and nightlife, right at major subway intersection)
-Haeundae (lost of foreigner friendly things to do all year round, not just the beach)
-Jangsan (see haeundae, only it's close to Sangjan Beach, which is less crowded and just as nice)
-Guanalee beach area (just an amazing nightlife and a great beach with beautiful views at night)
-Kyeongsan University area (tons of things to do and very foreigner friendly)

Forgive me if I butchered the spelling of all those places. But they'd be my top picks.

[tfunk]

[pixykat222]

Well, we're not looking to go absolutely nuts and drink every night we're there, but we do want to have a good time on weekends. Any idea how long it would take \ how much it would cost to get to Somyeon, Haeundae, Jangsan, or the Kyeongsan University area from Hwamyeong? From what the management tells me the school is located right near a subway station (the green line), so I don't think it'd take too long...

I mean, is it not worth taking the offer just because we're in Hwamyeong, or would those other cities be accessible enough via public transport?

I also really want to experience Korean culture, not just eat and do things I could have otherwise done in good ol' California. So for me being a little farther away from the city would be a plus, it's just kinda freakin' out the boyfriend haha.