Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dragonfly121]

Can anyone give me information on Jeollabuk-do? I have been offered an interview with the Ministry of Education and I know this is a public school job. What is this area like? Are the other foreign teachers?

I would appreciate any help you can give!

[sunnata1]

North Jeolla is a province - you could be placed in any town in that province.

Its hard to know more until you get your final placement.

[Hyeon Een]

I lived in Jeollanamdo for years, but never in Jeollabukdo.

If you go there, expect to hear that "Jeonju is famous for bibimbab" a lot. There is a lot of nice scenery there too. And I think there is a US base in Gunsan so maybe some soldiers knocking around. I don't know much else though.

[jhuntingtonus]

Jeonju area: nice natives, good elementary and middle school students, low prices, fine transportation... no Korean classes on evenings or weekends, and a poor GET community if you're older or not into drinking. Very viable, though.

[qcat79]

don't you mean, 'GED'? like 'General Education Diploma' kinda people?

[outkast_3000]

Really depends where you end up in Jeollabuk-do as there are many different districts within it. I was in Gimje for my first 6 months in Korea, and it wasn't bad. I suspect you'll probably have a mix of schools to go to during the week - so each day you'll be at a different school since there's a shortage of teachers out there (at least in 2007 this was the case). You might be one of only a few other native english teachers in the area. In 2007, when I was in Gimje, there were 2 other NETs in the whole city who were with EPIK and we lived close to one another and hung out almost daily. Gimje and Ilsan are near KTX train stations which make living there a bit more bearable since you're only a 2 hour train ride into Seoul. If you're in Jeonju, or near it, all the better (although there's no KTX Train running out of Jeonju, just the regular trains). There's a big ex-pat community there and you can reconnect with a larger city lifestyle out there (if that's what you're after). Of the two other NETs living in Gimje at the time with me, I was always out in Seoul because I had met a lady out there, another was always in Jeonju with his lady friend, and the third, I think felt a bit lonely at times. Basically, 2 out of the 3 of us were almost never in Gimje once the weekend hit - but the one who stayed saved the most money of us all! =) There are a ton of other areas in Jeollabuk-do - so I can only speak for Gimje City. But just be careful, Gimje City is hardly a "city" in the sense that you and I probably conceive of a city. It's fairly small, and rural-ish. No movie theatres, no western restaurants, barely any other NETs/foreigners, no coffee shops, no malls, etc. Once again, I'm only speaking on Gimje, since Jeonju has all of those things. If you're someone that typically enjoys their solitude, I think you'll be fine. I thought I was a solitary person, and I think I still am to some extent - but Gimje definitely tested that threshold! Good luck to you!

[dragonfly121]

thanks for the information!