Korean Job Discussion Forums

kantoi09 · Joined: 02 May 2009

OK...TODAY I WAS ACCPETED INTO THE EPIK GANGWON PROVINCE. BUT I AM NOT SURE IF IT WILL BE TOO RURAL FOR ME. IF ANYONE HAS EXPERIENCE THERE CAN YOU PLEASE INFORM ME ABOUT GANGWON? I AM LOOKING FOR A PLACE WITH ALOT TO OFFER WHEN IT COMES TO NATURE BUT I WANT PLACE THAT I CAN SOCIALIZE WITH OTHER EXPATS AND LOCALS. I DON'T NEED ALOT EXPATS AROUND, BUT I STILL NEED TO SOCIALIZE. AND WHAT IS THERE TO DO BESIDES HIKING AND STUFF? I AM REALLY INTO THE ARTS , POETRY/WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHY, GALLERIES AND CAFES THAT PEOPLE GO TO HANGOUT? SHOULD I ASKED EPIK FOR ANOTHER LOCATION OR GO WITH A PRIVATE SCHOOL? THE REASON THAT GANGWON APPEALS TO ME IS THE HOURS AND VACATION TIME. IS THERE ANY OTHER PROVINCE THAT MATCHES THE HOURS AND VACATION TIME BUT HAS MORE TO OFFER SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY? I KNOW THAT I AM ASKING ALOT BUT I AM MAKING SURE THAT I COVER ALL MY BASES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OH YEAH I ALSO APPLIED TO SMOE AND GEPIK. BUT SEOUL IS NOT REALLY MY FIRST CHOICE. MY FIRST CHOICE FOR EPIK WAS BUSAN.

Surfer Rosa · Joined: 24 Mar 2009

HAI GUYZ WUTZ GOING ON IN THIS THREAD??11

thinkblue · Joined: 15 Apr 2009

hey kantoi09

Was Gangwon any of your choices with EPIK? I applied to EPIK too and just waiting for placement and I was wondering if I'm going to get any of my top choices of location to teach at. Hope you can reply to this. Thanks!

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

Go with it. If you get Gangneung, Wonju, Chuncheon, Donghae, Samcheok or Sokcho then socializing will not be a problem. Anything else will most likely have some foreigners but not many. The least dense county in Gangwon is Inje and even there there are 5 foreigners. I've visited there many times and it's my favorite province. Don't worry too much about being too rural. Buses go everywhere and you'd be crazy to pass up 5 weeks of vacation. As far as EPIK is concerned it's the best province imo.

I tried to get in last year and it was full. I took Gyeongbuk... blah.......

Good luck!

Robot_Teacher · Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Location: Robotting Around the World

Oh, please don't type in full caps as it won't be well received by many on this site.

You're like me. You want to enjoy nature and fresh air, but you also need the arts, culture, and intellegent people to associate with. That's a tough mix to collaborate all togethor into a lifestyle here, geographically speaking, because Seoul is for culture, arts, and people, but Gangwon is for nature, hiking, fishing, camping, etc.

In Gangwondo, it's tough to socialize with foreigners as they're thinly spread out as well as being indepedent loner types who want to imerse into another culture and locals typically, rarely, and I mean rarely, speak English or associate with you unless you speak Korean correctly. Two old man in my small town speaks English, but they don't associate with me any more than asking me why I came here due to a 20 to 30 year age difference. I have 2 female co-teachers that speak English, but they're married women raising small children. If the men did associate, it would involve drinking the worlds worst brew which I have no interest in their bland white light restaurant drinking parties with no music nor high quality anything. It's cheap and basic styl. We're so spoiled in the West with music, stylish atmospheric culture experiences, and high quality products as well as a full variety of people, products, and things to do and see.

In the small towns and rural areas, there's an absence of young to middle aged adults with the exception of teachers, police, firemen, and bankers, but they don't normally associate with us. You can request to go to a city such as Chuncheon, Wonju, or Gangnueng where you have access to some of amenities cities offer while having quick access to the country as well as not having the heavy air and water pollution Seoul suffers. It's not guaranteed on getting the specific city location you choose as location preference for 1st year EPIK teachers is only pin downable to the province which usually is a rural/small town assignment and then they let those with 1 year under their belt transfer if they want. That's what I'm told anyhow. I thought I was going to a smallish city, but ended up in one of the most rural parts of Korea where it's 2 hours each way to a big box store and Korea's smallest foreigner bar, the Bumpin' bar in Gangnueng. They also have a nice italian restaurant in Gangnueng too as well as a McDonald's.

oldtactics · Joined: 18 Oct 2008

I live in Chuncheon and I'm insanely happy - great city, everything I need, great expats, good transportation and good nightlife. I realize that I'm biased but I think that Gangwon is the best province in the country. The bus system here is reliable so even if you're in a smaller town, you'll be within an hour of a city no matter where you go.

There have been a few other threads about Gangwon-do recently so keep an eye out for those, and feel free to ask questions here if you've got any.

And to answer your question about cultural stuff/arts/cafes/etc, there's LOTS of that in every city in this province, and probably lots of it in the smaller towns as well. Rural in Korea doesn't mean the same as rural back home - everything is much closer together and in my experience, there's no shortage of socializing opportunities if you want to meet people.

kantoi09 · Joined: 02 May 2009

Thank you guys for the response. I am so sorry for writing in caps. I won't do it next time. I did not mean anything about it. I just sometimes do that because it is easier just to type that way for me. I was typing it up pretty late at nigh. I did not mean to offend anyone. But thank you Robot Teacher for the heads up. Hey thinkblue, I applied for EPIK between late April to early May. And Gangwon was my second choice. My first choice was Busan but that filled up pretty quickly. However, the women that interviewed me for EPIK said Gangwon does not fill up too quickly so I don't have to worry about going to my third choice, which I can't even remember what it was. I hope that helps. When did you apply for Epik and with which recruiter?

thinkblue · Joined: 15 Apr 2009

hey kantoi,

I applied directly with EPIK and applied late April and early May as well but I just submitted my documents in around 2 weeks ago and I'm just waiting for placement now. Busan was also my first choice but I guess that's gone and Daegu is my 2nd choice. Hope I get that and hope Daegu fits me well. Don't know much about Daegu but from research, it sounds like a good/fun place to teach at. Thanks Kantoi for your reply.

Robot_Teacher · Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Location: Robotting Around the World

zxion · Joined: 08 Jul 2009

Triban · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station

HAI I HERD KANYE WEST TIPES IN AL CAPS ON HIZ BLOGZ.

soyoungmikey · Joined: 29 Jun 2009

Hello,

Wondering about Gangwon-do. I currently live in Chuncheon and it's not a great city to live in. The transportation is not that great unless you want to wait for an hour for a bus, or you can take a cab so i guess that's no problem. Not much of a nightlife if you're into that. There are a few good spots to see in the downtown (walk 5 mins and the downtown is done). Yes there are wonderful mountains and lakes to see, but if you have no car then your out of luck. If you don't mind early nights and clean air then please come on on down. If you expect excitement and alot to do then you are in the wrong place.

oldtactics · Joined: 18 Oct 2008

No offence soyoungmikey but how long have you lived in Chuncheon? Have you spent any time around Kangwon University or in 2Top City? The restaurants/bars in those two areas stay open past sunrise every night - I'd hardly say there's no nightlife, I think you're just looking in the wrong place.

kantoi09 · Joined: 02 May 2009

i decided to go for it. i am leaving in august

Morgen · Joined: 02 Jul 2008

Gangwon is generally a good place to be, but you need to reconcile yourself before you come to the fact that you'll probably be in the country. Country jobs tend to need to be refilled every year, whereas city schools either keep their teachers or have already signed someone for their second year. Renewing teachers have first dibs on the six main cities where everyone wants to be, which sucks for you now but is good news if you can make it through a year wherever they stick you. And unless you have a serious dependence on social interaction, you can make it. It's just a year and you'll be on vacation for like two months of that, and high-speed internet goes everywhere. It also helps to be near the beach.

Speaking from experience, though, the main drawback is the lack of variety of foreigners. If you don't happen to click with the ones in your immediate area (or there aren't any) you either have to suck it up and smile through your teeth, or spend hours on a bus every weekend going somewhere else.