Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Joe Thanks]

Joe's been in sleepy Ulsan approaching four months. It's a decent city for household shopping, restaurants, etc. If Joe was married or came here with half of his buddies fresh out of uni from back home, but Joe's in his thirties, didn't come to Korea for a Brooklyn experience, and travels alone and doesn't run in too many packs.

Ulsan's serious downsides:

The foreign community is a write off, as it's cliquey and yuppified.

Lack of diversity in electronics and software (games, DVDs, etc.) for a city so large when compared to a city half its sie (Pohang, for example).

The city is sprawling, so getting anywhere is a pain - and bare in mind Joe drives, doesn't have a gripe with the local driving patterns.

Public transit here is crap.

Inter-city travel is basically bus.

No ferry to Japan anymore.

Making friends with locals is a crap shoot. Ulsan is real conservative and as such, for foreinger traveling alone people are not so hospitible .They aren't hostile - simply put, it means few people and few places to have opportunities to befriend decent locals. Pubs are great but Joe doesn't trust "friends" made in pubs.


Joe can survive for an additional 8 months.

However, Joe is definitely going to move when the contract wraps.

He's lived in several spots in Seoul and pretty much loathes Seoul. It is the worst city he's ever lived in. It makes the toughest neighborhoods in Brooklyn (like Red Hook and Gravesend) seem downright warm and friendly.

So, Seoul, overrated dump that it has been, and remains - is not on his list.

Pohang wasn't so bad. Certianly so, when compared to Ulsan.

Provided he find a job to his standards (namely - a 5 day workweek starting Monday and ending on Friday), with a decent pad - what cities have the following:

Smooth, reliable access via bus and train to other parts of Korea?

Decent public transit within city limits?

A decent nightlife with a variety of locals, rather than fresh out of uni Canadian yuppies in the making?

Offers up a variety of opportunities and venues to meet and get to know locals outside of pubs?

Has decent shopping for daily goods (food, namely)?


So, peanut gallery - if you've lived in a few cities - what cities outside of Seoul should Joe begin researching?

He's got the desire and he's got the time, so lay it on 'em.


Joe

has asked

[the_beaver]

I always liked Kwangju.

[Joe Thanks]

[The Lemon]

Kwangju is about to improve more with the subway that opens next month, and the high speed rail coming next month too. It's already a LOT better than it was when I arrived 3 years ago, as far as comforts go. I'm liking it more, or more accurately, I hate Kwangju less.

If I had to stay in Korea for another year though, I'd probably go back to living in Seoul. Matter of taste - I like it there.

[just because]

I like Changwon a lot.I 've travelled around and here is really grassy and open, public transportation is good and there is a good bar to drink at.

[indytrucks]

I agree with Lemon about Seoul. If I had to do it all over again, Seoul'd be it. Why? Three words. Convenience, convenience, convenience. No knock on the fine folks in Busan, but this country is very much Seoul-centric and as a result, all the great conveniences (transport, shopping, nightlife etc.) are measured against Seoul.

I lived in Incheon for a while back in the late 90s. It was kinda like a poor man's Seoul. Most people I knew flocked to Seoul on the weekends. It's changed since ... LOADS more foreigners (not necessarily a good thing) but loads more Western restaurants, a new department store, and improved nightlife.

I also lived in Daegu for a while. Same thing, big city blah blah, but a different feel to the place unlike Seoul or Busan.

I live in Cheonan now. I think it's my favourite so far. Train station, bus, good eats and nightlife and only an hour away from Seoul.

My two cents.

[jajdude]

Hi Joe,

My name is Joe too!

I lived in Ulsan for a year 1997-98. And I spent a few months in Pohang in 1998. God forgive me but I thought Pohang was a mild version of hell. I lived near a sewer.... yum... and got itchy and scratchy when it rained.. and the people ugh were the biggest hicks I ever encountered.

Anyway I din't mind Ulsan. What part are you in? I lived near that University. There was a bar called "Tombstone" where many waeguks went on the weekend. Good place to meet females as well

Otherwise not a fabulous city but in a better league than Pohang by my estimation. Though Postech was a nice place where intelligent life existed.

Also have spent time in Suwon. Not so great in my opinion. Ilsan was nice. Seoul I like the best because it is where all the crap is. Now I'm in Yongin. My recommendation is to not come here. But my job's OK.

[Joe Thanks]

Thanks.

I think Pohang in 98 (I was there 98-99) was hellish. These days it's greatly improved. It's no paradise, but it's not as bad as it was. The train goes most places and runs well - and the busses are the same. Everything is centralized and easy to reach. I was last there two months ago, for a visit.

Ulsan - Tombstone sucks. Bad music, no soap in the bathroom, sausage bar and Joe was never impressed. Going to the University area - alone - just makes one feel more alone.

Joe prefers to make local friends, as expats here are a mixed batch. Part of this ties into the sprawl.

I live in Da-eun Dong. Not much goin' on here. Far from anything interesting. Ironically, I work near Samseon-dong nad near Lotte Departmetn store, but the boss houses me in the middle of nowhere. It's a nice palce to live - quiet, convenience store nearby, bakery, 60000000000000000000000 norae bangs (including one in my basement), pc bangs, a bunch of "hofs" where nobody goes, a medical clinic and post office across the street, a gas station so I can gas up the bike, but not much else.

Tombstone would be the closest "western bar" but it's lame, lame, lame - and has the worst music of all the local bars.

Going alone - a waste of time and dough.

Metting females? Ulsan's changed. Supposedly it was building up and building up and last year was the crescendo.

I'm part of an upstart entertainment rag, but in all honesty I think I'm going to drop out of that since it seems doomed based on the lack of anythign interesting going on here. I mean, look at Ulsan Web and you cna se how there's little going on here. Getting out isn't that much fun either - as it's all by bus. The train station is almost a joke.

None of that matters, but when it's like pulling teeth to make local (i. e. Korean) friends, juxtaposed to Pohang or Seoul where they literally fell into your lap - there's something wrong here. ESPECIALLY compared to Pohang which is geographically smaller, and statistically (i. e. people) smaller.

Of course, had I a posse it'd be easy. For some unfathomable reason if you run with a pack people will come up to you here.

Screw that. 10 months and I am OUTTA here and onto another city.



Ulsan does suck.


Joe

survives

[caniff]

I live in Ilsan. A gov't planned city. Somewhat boring if you don't know where to go, but definitely a richer city than many I've seen here. Growing really fast, too. I can't believe how fast. Alot of celebrities and company presidents and such live here. I go to Seoul sometimes for a change of pace (same subway system), but as time has gone on that has been less and less necessary to get my kicks. Definitely Ilsan is an up-and-comer.....

[Zyzyfer]

damn indytrucks, i didn't know you still lived in cheonan.

speaking of cheonan, i do like it, but it's boring as hell if you don't have a crew to hang with. but it's possible to find people of your ilk generally-i don't know how many of the cats i know would be down for being wrestled as in introduction-but there's a variety of foreigners there. lot of cool people, lot of mellow people, lot of big drinkers, lot of guys with girlfriends, all that kind of stuff. with the right people, you can turn any old run-of-the-mill bar(such as beer cabin) into a decent stay.

if i went back to korea, i'd still consider cheonan, even though i want to be closer to the chica this time around.

[wylde]

jeonnam gwangju

not kyoungi kwangju


i loved mokpo. everything there ya need

[just because]

What about
*Jinju
*Miryang
*Andong
*Sockcho
*Chuncheon
*Gumi
*Gimcheon
*Paju
*Wando
*Jindo
*Suncheon
*Wonju

All cities where i can think of the only benefit is a lot of Korean practice. there you go Joe, stimulate the mind and who knows.

BTW, I've been to all these cities and they all have their charm, and LG25, mandu jib and a Lotteria. What else do you need??

[Joe Thanks]

JB - thanks for telling me where NOT to go.

Saved me some headaches.

I don't care to learn any more Korean. Learned all I needed my first two years here. I know more than enough to get by and since I figure I've got one year after this one (then wrestling school and Japan) that's the LAST thing I want.

This leads me to avoid "language exhanges" since all I want to do is speak English.

I'm not here for the long hall.

Outside of corn salad and shrimp burgers (when they had 'em I'd include crab burgers too) - Lotteria sucks arse.

LG 25 - worst convenience stores on EARTH. One step above the ma and pa dungeons.

Humor was appreciated.


Joe would like to know more about:
Incheon
Ilsan
Kyeongju
Kwangju
Daejeon
and
Ansan

any other suggestions that are nothing like JB's list?

Joe

has spoken

[wylde]

apart from pretty mountain views... suncheon licks balls




mokpo bro.. mokpo

[shawner88]