Korean Job Discussion Forums

[decolyon]

I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say there's going to be a gap of a month or two between my current employment and my next. I'll just be drifting ghostlike about the city in those 6-8 weeks with nothing really to do except go to the gym and study perhaps. Without employment, there shan't be any accommodation provided. Hotels are pricey and even the lowest love motel is too expensive and simple out of the question.

I've stumbled upon the goshiwons and residence style places before. I've even seen a few, and if I'm willing to sacrifice space (which I am) and the possibility of an audience while I attempt to cook grandmas duenjanjigae in the shared kitchen, they don't seem like a bad option.

So, my question to you, oh wise and gentle forum, is "Have any of you gone for a long stretch in a goshiwon/residence/goshitel?" I'm guessing a few weeks, perhaps a month or two might be a grand new experience... or have me running into the arms of the first hagwon that will sign me on.

What would it be like for one of us, foreigners, to live in one of these places for an extended period?

Thoughts?

[goniff]

think steve mcqueen in solitary confinement in 'papillion '

and you get the picture

[Son Deureo!]

I was looking for mid-term accommodations, and checked out some goshiwons. I doubt I could even last a week in any of the ones I saw. They were tiny, depressing, and shady.

Love motels might be a bit pricey, unless you're in a smaller town, but have you checked out any yogwans? I found a few that were willing to rent me a room for 350-400,000/mo. I wound up just getting an apartment a bit earlier than I'd originally planned, but for a month or two a yogwan seemed doable.

[dongjak]

I have never stayed in a goshiwon, but my youngest sister came and stayed with me two years ago when I first came to Korea.

Since I was living in a studio apartment and she wanted to stay the whole summer, i rented her a room in a goshiwon that was next door to my apartment. Since I am a very nice person I paid extra for a window and her own shower/toilet.

Her thoughts were that it was very quiet and she said in the two and a half months she lived there, not a single person talked to her or made eye contact with her. They would just look down and shuffle by when she passed them in the hallways.

I visited her a couple of times and as I was waiting in the communal kitchen, I made small talk with a couple of the residents. They were friendly enough as soon as I made the first move. But since my sister never made the first move, no one ever acknowledged her.

Which area will you be staying in?

[Ice Tea]

Once, because I had to get rid of my apartment early, I shacked up in a Goshiwon for a week or so. It was the lowest of the low in Goshiwon standards. Tons of mosquitoes, a shit kitchen, no hot water, not even a real shower. I had a small bed. That was it. But damn, for $10 a night, what can you really ask for?

Needless to say, I didn't spend much time in there. I went out as much as I could. When I was there I would just surf the web and study. That's all you can really do. Interestingly, despite living in close quarters with societies most downtrodden, people were amicable. No one made too much noise. I felt safe. There were even some women, surprisingly. Sure they smoked. It is Korea.

So, yeah, interesting. I wouldn't want to stay there again, but if you gotta, you gotta, it won't break the bank. However, I would shoot for one of those goshiwons near a university. You might be in with a younger crowd. It could be fun.

[Vagabundo]

[crossmr]

I've stayed in one before. 350k/month got me:
air conditioning in the summer
internet
full cable package and a small TV
my own shower
laundry access with free soap
kitchen with basic food (kimchi, rice, noodles, eggs, random soup)
keypad entry
security cameras in the hallways
a reasonable sized room with a bed, closet, desk, and several creative storage areas.
a gyopo who crawled home once a week carrying-on on his cellphone to his buddies about how broke he was because he spent the weekend and all his money on hookers (that kind of repetitive entertainment has to be worth a few bucks a month)

This was a clean place, the managers were cleaning for hours everyday, and about the noisiest thing that happened was the alarms in the morning.
Most of the time they're okay, it's when you get someone who could apparently sleep through a war that you run into a problem. Once or twice I heard the managers pounding down a door because someone had let their alarm go for 30 minutes and wouldn't turn it off.

They can be a useful low-rent solution if you need something in a pinch. Some of them are not great, but poke around and you might find a decent one.

[highstreet]

I stayed in a fairly upscale one for two weeks. 600,000WON a month.

The rooms were slightly bigger than the average goshiwon. Own bathroom and shower. Full sized closet, A/C, bed, desk, 22inch LCD tv. Most of the people staying there were foreigners for some reason, I suppose cause it's in Sinchon.

Also the food was great. Had about 13-14 or so side dishes everyday in the fridge. Restocked everyday. And free coffee sticks, ramen, etc...

But it does wear on you if you plan to spend a lot of time in your room. Try to get one with a window, that way you'll at least know if its night or day

[normalperson]

I'm staying in a $450,000 goshiwon right now, with bathroom, tv, fridge, in the middle of Gangnam and... I seriously couldnt be happier, I love it. Like the person above said, no-one communicates, but because I'm anti-social I feel at home. I spend $600,000 a month on accomm and food and couldnt be happier. Of-course, the small lifestyle might not be for you.

[grant gerstners]

I have been wondering about this, too. I appreciate all the information on goshiwon possibilities.

Off topic, but related:

If you're between jobs, I assume you finished a contract and the visa expired. How do you get to stay another month or two while waiting for the next job?

The only way I can think of based on the little I've read is that you leave Korea (say, go to Japan) and re-enter as a tourist.

Is there another way?

[BoholDiver]

You can go to Immigration and ask. They usually want to see an exit ticket. You can extend, then when you get a job and a new visa, you are changing your visa status so it doesn't matter.

If you have no exit ticket, the cheapest trip out of Korea is

a) Boat to Fukuoka via Busan
b) some Chinese flights (if you are American, visa is too high)
c) The odd seat sale from AirAsia to Malaysia or Cebu Pacific to Philippines.
d) Taiwan.

[tman88]

Do most goshiwons provide pillows, blankets or bed sheets?

[BoholDiver]

There is minimal bedding ona cheap-ars bed.

The biggest issue I had with living in one (I did once for a month) is the manners (or lack there of) of the other tenants. Normal Korean culture when dealing with strangers. Pretend you're the only person in the whole world.

Smoking in the bathroom, taking 20 minute showers, being noisy in the hallways at whatever time they feel like, etc.

[rickpidero]

I stay in one in Sinchon now. Similar situation to you maybe, just needed a place to stay for like a month.

It feels like I live in a hostel, sharing a lot of space, walls paper thin, a tad bit on the messy side. But, I can handle it for a month. It's not that difficult. I haven't seen any bugs/rats or anything. So, that is a plus. I also have a shower in my room. I pay 330,000.

I would suggest going to places near a university.

Only issue, last night I had a girl over and we were just watching TV, I guess we were talking a bit loud and they made her leave. So, I guess it's sort of like living in the dorms.

Good luck.

[Smee]

I stayed in one near Olympic Park for a month, and it was fine, clean, and safe. 270,000 won plus a refunded 100,000 won deposit got a small TV with cable, free wifi, small fridge, and a small bed in a tiny 7 x 7 room. I made sure to get a room with a window, having seen enough stories of the buildings turning into death traps. Communal kitchen with free rice, tea, and instant coffee. It was during winter break so hardly anyone else was there, meaning hardly any time waiting for showers or laundry.

For a month of nothing but sleeping and studying, it was fine. The only hard part with the tiny room is having practically no place to store anything. I came with a suitcase, something that took up a large chunk of available room. If you're between contracts and have a ton of stuff, you'll need to find somewhere else to store extra clothes, books, and whatever else you've collected.