Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kelcclay]

Hi There. I have been offered a public school position in Ansan near Banwol Station. I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about this area or knew anything about the location. Any information would be useful. Thanks!

[bombenhagen]

Hey there, lived in Ansan for two years. Here is my take.

Banwol Station, to the best of my experience, isn't in Ansan. I always thought Banwol was a pretty small place with not much happening there. You are close enough to central Ansan that it isn't an issue though.

One drawback of living in Ansan is the distance from Seoul. You're looking at an hour and a half to get to into Seoul center. Not a huge deal, but the crowded subway can be a pain in the rear end if you just spent all day on you feet running around Seoul. An iPod or PSP helps big time.

Also, the pollution is a bit of an issue sometimes but not horrible. Banwol about 4-5 stops away from any factory though. Those are the only negs I can think of about Ansan though.

On the plus side, you can get anything you need in Ansan without having to make a run into Seoul. Loads of western food can be had at either Lotte Mart, EMart, or Homeplus. If you poke around Ansan Station, you can also find loads of Indian, Thai, and Chinese grocery items.

Food is great in Ansan also. Beyond the obvious Korean food and McDo/KFCPopeys/Pizza Hut etc you will find tons of little restaurants featurng grub from all over Asia. Ansan Station is the place to go for that. Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Nepalese and Chinese food can all be had there. Near Hanyang station you should still be able to find some Russian restaurants also.

You'll find all kinds of English teachers in Ansan, no worries there. You don't even have to look for them, you'll bump into one or two and you're all set.

That's my take, I'll be back in Korea in Feb or early March and wouldn't hesitate to go back to Ansan. If you need any more info, let me know.

[kelcclay]

[asc422]

I work in Banwol. It's a really small town with, I believe, 3 foreign teachers. 1 public + 2 at my hagwon. I could be wrong though.

Personally, I'd go insane if I lived in Banwol. It's much better to live in Anyang, Beomgye, or Sanbon & do a 10-12 minute commute to work. That is, if you enjoy any nightlife or waygookin company.

It's not a bad place to work though.