Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BigStan]

This is my second time in Korea. First time was in Busan, now i'm in Seoul.

I really liked Busan. But I heard a lot of hype about how Seoul is the best place to live in Korea, and I wanted to try something new, so here I am in Seoul.

So far, I do not see what the hype is all about. To me Seoul is basically the same as Busan or Daegu in most ways. It's just a sea of PC rooms, DVD rooms, bars, restaurants, massage parlors, markets, etc. It seems like it's the same stuff, just more of it.

So what am I missing out on here? What is it that makes Seoul better exactly? Sure Seoul has a lot more foreigners and more opportunities to meet foreign people, and because of this, the Koreans are a little more used to seeing foreigners but that's about the only advantage i've found thus far.

The nightlife in Seoul is great. But i'm just not really into going out and drinking anymore, it's fun sometimes but it's not something I really love to do. And it seems that since I am not into being a late night barfly anymore, that cuts off about half of what this city has to offer.

And besides, Korea's other big cities have good enough nightlife for me. Kyungsung and Seohyun in Busan were plenty enough for me. I don't need 500 different drinking neighborhoods, just a few good ones is enough.

Here are some major disadvantages of Seoul i've found:
The awful pollution....
No beach access, no access to good nature retreats. Just pure concrete jungle.
The weather is much colder and worse then Busan. This winter has just plain sucked.
The Koreans in Seoul are much, much more yuppie and snobby. The materialism and selfish vibes out here are intense. Almost everyone here is mindlessly running in the rat race. People in other Korean cities tend to be a little more down to Earth I think. In Seoul it's like they don't know how to stop and smell the roses. It's pure workaholic madness.
The western community in Seoul is different too. In Seoul, most westerners seem very yuppie. It's like they are emulating the conservative and materialistic aspects of Korean culture in an attempt to fit in. They can be seen wearing their professional attire, the perfectly folded scarf around the neck, the meticulously styled haircut, the sleek looking man-bag. And when I talk to them they seem to have the materialistic attitude to match their appearance, all about status and one-upping. This is just my opinion, but I prefered the less materialistic, more casual scene of other places. In Busan it was downright gritty at times and I prefer that to this yuppie scene.
Most of all Seoul does not seem to offer anything unique. It just has MORE of the same things. More foreigners, more bars, more markets....yet nothing that stands out among other cities.

So what am I missing out on here? I would love to find something in Seoul that makes me say "Wow, this is awesome!" But so far it's just been like a bigger, more materialistic, more polluted version of Busan, WITH NO BEACH!

I like it in Seoul and i'm happy here, but so far, Busan blows this place out of the water in my opinion. I seriously don't understand why people love this place.

[VanIslander]

waaaaaaaaaay overrated.

great to visit on an occasional weekend night out, some shopping, special events, but really express buses can take one to seoul any weekend you want from most of the country so really there is no reason to live in seoul mtwtfss

[ChilgokBlackHole]

Terrible place. Always under construction. Smells like a sewer. I used to visit there from time to time and I don't even do that anymore.

[jmuns]

yes

[T-J]

No.

[BigStan]

[hugekebab]

A lot of expats like it because if you want something very specific, that's Western, then you can usually find it in Seoul, but not in Busan. Also, it's probably easier to hook up with a Korean girl here as Seoul is noticeably more liberal/modern. It's socially about 1969 in Seoul as opposed to 1960 everywhere else. (sometimes this is alluded to in the 'farmers in suits' comments you hear of the other provincial cities.)

Personally if I could live in either place, it'd be Busan. The beach outweighs it all, and Haeundae and Gwangalli are great areas.

[BigStan]

[Yaya]

Seoul is like money. One often hates what one must do to make money, but money is a necessity nonetheless.

I've been to a few coastal cities and life there seems really great, but of course, there are few jobs there. I recently visited two coastal cities and saw very few people there between the ages of 18 and 34.

[hellofaniceguy]

Come on!! Anyone with half a brain knows seoul is overrated! It's a nice city...if you like big, populated, congested, smoggy, smelly, crowded places! Lots to do in seoul of course....but it's not Paris, Rome, Montreal, etc...

[eamo]

Who ever rated Seoul highly among the big cities of the world?

Yaya is right. Seoul is about jobs and money. Not much else going for it. It's a functional place with a few scattered highlights here and there.

[BigStan]

[the_beaver]

Seoul is the best.

If I want computer parts I can head to Yongsan or any of the other large electronic places for unbeatable selection. If I want a thick Italian style hot chocolate I can go to one of the chocolate shops. If I want French food I can go to one of the French restaurants. If I want to buy a new sink and install it I have all the selection and parts that I need. If I want to go the embassy of any country I can. If I want a Brazilian meat buffet it's no problem. If I want to see museums they're a dime a dozen. If I want to see "Avatar" in 4D it's here. If I want books there are a ton of bookstores. If I want to buy limes it's I know where to go. If I want to go to a buffet with trained chefs who actually know how to make lamb chops and ceviche it's just down the road. If I want to study Korean there are many places offering classes at all different times of day. If I want to specialty tea shops they're nearby.

Almost everything's here and it's easy to get to.

[BigStan]

[the_beaver]