Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BaldTeacher]

I have several job offers, one of which is in Buk-gu, Busan. I looked at this on the map and it looks to be pretty isolated from Busan proper. What's it like living here? Is there anything to do, or are you basically living in the sticks? Is it connected to the subway line? If I took this job, I would be living in Hwamyeung-dong if that means anything to you.

[Gaegeum2003]

Yes, while Buk-gu is away from the rest of Busan, like Seomyeong, Haeundae, etc., it has a quickly developing neighbourhood. It has a lot of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and a growing foreign population. I've lived in that area previously and would highly recommend it to anyone.

[BaldTeacher]

That's reassuring, thanks. Are there a fair number of things to do on weekdays? Also, how is the local population? Is there good opportunity for dating in the area?

I read somewhere else that it's fairly modern.

[Gaegeum2003]

I would say that it's definitely modern and has a fair bit to do. I'm not sure about the dating seen.

[sublunari]

The best parts of the city are at least two subway transfers away, but it's not in the sticks/styx; Buk-gu largely consists of enormous apartment buildings, wide roads you can almost never cross, small-scale factories, mediocre Korean restaurants and terrible foreign ones, PC and Norae Bangs, hospitals, a few interesting traditional markets here and there (Gupo smells and sounds like wet dog), insultingly bad clothing stores, and, of course, a omnipresent stench of rotting cabbage, at least when the freezing wind from the Nakdong isn't trying to knock you down.

The place is full of hillbillies, ajummas, and extremely attractive women, none of whom, however, will talk to you, as all of the competent English speakers are either in Seoul or the other side of the city. Good books make the forty minute subway rides go a lot faster. Running alongside the river is nice when it's not so cold. Under Deokcheon, in the "Deokcheon Dungeon", you can find some remarkably ugly clothes, even for Korea. Drunken ajoshis can be found staggering into the street and falling asleep on the sidewalk after 9PM. The mountains all have hiking paths.

I really don't think there's anything left to say about the place, other than that beyond all these complaints it's really not that bad.

[BaldTeacher]

I'm actually leaning towards this place. I see that there's a Lotte Mart right there and a KTX station nearby. Also, Subway access means that if I got off work at 5:30, I could be in the downtown area by 6:3. I can screw around with my iPhone on the subway and just grab a taxi home.

[Gaegeum2003]

I think it's a good choice.

Good luck!