Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Canonite]

Thanks...I think I got Hep shots back when I was a wee lad...I think...I'll see if my family doc has any info on this

[Canonite]

woo-hoo! The recruiter sent my contract/Notice of Appointment yesterday

I just read somewhere that Busan is a 30-minute bus ride from Changwon...this is great news Also just joined the Changwon group on FB

[Canonite]

Random question: do they have wild monkeys in SK?

[ttompatz]

[Canonite]

haha guessing that's a joke...

but seriously...are there?

Also...I'm 29 with a clean (no accidents, just a few tickets here and there, nothing in the past year or so) driving record...how much would it be (roughly) to insure a small car? (I've seen this discussed a few times, but don't remember ever seeing a definitive answer)

[redaxe]

[oldtactics]

[Artris]

I see very little wild life when I'm out and about. The biggest animal I've seen in the 'wild' (other than dogs/cats) would be a herring. I think I've only seen one squirrel in my entire stay here.

They say there used to be big cats up in the mountains here, but the impression I get is that there aren't any large animals in the wild here anymore, for the most part. Maybe Jeju has monkeys? I doubt it, but it is warmer there.

Itaewon is in the center of Seoul and is full of foreigner-catering stores. There is even a Taco Bell, of all things, there now. You should also look into Costco. Membership here is 35k won (about 32 USD). You can pick up many western foods at Costco here. I think there is one in Busan.

When taking buses you have to stand, in addition to pressing the button, if you want the driver to make a stop. Otherwise he will yell something in Korean and you won't know how to respond. They also list the upcoming stop, and the stop after it. If you listen you should be able to pick up the pattern quickly.

Also look into getting a T-Money card. Go into any convenience store and just say T-Money. Odds are they can set you up (there should be a logo on the front of the store somewhere if you want to check first). That card will make travelling by bus a lot easier for you: you just swipe the card every time you enter the bus, and you charge the card at convenience stores or subway stations.

Figured I'd give some random information as a response to your random questions.

[ttompatz]

[akcrono]

[akcrono]

[Canonite]

Wow, thanks for all the awesome advice guys, this is EXACTLY what I've been looking for!

Oldtactics: haha yeah, I know it's about the same climate, but so is Japan (roughly, they may be a little warmer) and they have monkeys...don't ask, why I wanted to know...just random.

That's wicked news about the gas, I heard it's around $1.60/L...1.20 is (sadly) no big deal, I'm paying 1.12 right now! I was thinking about a scooter or a 125cc motorbike, but I really want to explore Korea and I think an actual car may be better for that. (I tend to take a lot of roadtrips and sleep in my car and all that fun stuff). Opinions on that?

Artis: thanks! Lots of wicked info there Costco does sound cheap, I'll look into that (especially if I do get a car, buying in bulk might save me enough to justify the insurance haha). Haven't heard of the T-money thing yet, but that sounds absolutely perfect, I'll definitely get one of those ASAP! Buses are about a buck a trip, right? Do they have monthly passes tehre?

akcrono: thanks for the wealth of info...haha yeah, I was trying to save this thread in the beginning (I really tried searching and either spent 2 hours coming up empty or I'd find a relevant thread that was 9 pages long, had 3 useful posts and even those were 6 years old haha)...but now this thread seems to be humming along rather nicely, and you're right I am seeing the helpful side of people!

Thanks for the confirmation on the power bar, definitely bringing one (I have one that has a built-in surge protector, so in case my transformer goes south, I don't fry whatever's plugged in).

Thanks for bringing shoes back up, I meant to ask a question about that and forgot...can you buy Airwalks in Korea? Are they expensive? Not only do I like the style, I also have wide feet and find them to be the most comfortable. I'm a size 10, so I guess I'll track down a couple of pairs before leaving if they're not easy/cheap to come by there.

Are golf shirts and t-shirts hard to come by? I think I'm set for dress shirts (have about 10, mostly brand new) and pants, so if t-shirts/golf shirts aren't a big deal, then I'll concentrate on shoes.

Definitely going to bring towels, thanks for the reminder. Are western-style pillows still a big deal in Korea? I'm thinking of sneaking one onto a plane with me and saying it's so I can sleep on the plane haha.

I lead a pretty simple life here, my two main passions are travelling and photography. As long as I have my camera and a new place to explore I'm happy. With friends we usually camp or just get together and hang out, nothing crazy, I don't do the club/bar scene, I don't drink, etc.

I have been browsing the Seoul Craigslist for a week or two now and seen some great deals in the "garage sale" section...is there a Craigslist or other similar site for Changwon or even Busan?

I'm cool with small apartments, I've always just rented rooms/shared houses with friends. In the past 10 years I've moved, on average, every 6 months, so I kind of live a very simple, nomadic lifestyle haha. I don't own a lot of stuff and I don't like owning a lot of stuff. My camera, my laptop, a bag of clothes and I'm done. Same with furniture, especially since I won't be there for the rest of my life...if there's a bed, a fridge and somewhere to store my clothes, it'll be good enough for me.

By the way, can I count on having my own kitchen and bathroom there? I don't even care if it has a separate living room/bedroom, but my own kitchen/bathroom would be nice.

Thanks for all the replies, they're really helping!...it's 4 a.m. here, time to sleep

[Canonite]

Oh and PS: I do want to save as much as possible, but not by living like a hermit. I look at this as a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I'll be in a part of the world I have never been to before. Most of all I want to travel and explore as much of Korea and the surrounding areas as possible (planning on ferrying over to Japan from Busan ASAP, and visiting Taiwan and Thailand at least). But, to offset this, I don't drink or go to bars, which from what I hear, can get expensive quickly. I don't plan on staying in my apartment too much, I'm planning on spending as much time walking around and seeing what's out there as possible, though

Body wash...I don't really have a favourite...as long as they have bodywash that's good enough for me. Deodorant...same...I've recently switched from the pit stick to the body spray stuff, again, as long as they have a few flavours to choose from, I'll find something I like. (Though I'll bring some just in case...just not enough to start my own Kwik-E-Mart).

[Canonite]

One last question (okay, group of questions) then I'm off to bed...

I keep reading that it's simple to exchange your licence for a Korean one. Will they actually confiscate my Canadian licence when I get a Korean one? Will I get it back when I leave Korea? I'm planning on getting an international driver's licence here, they said it's good for a year, but I heard it's only good for 3 months in Korea. Is that true? What happens if you get pulled over driving on a VALID IDL after the 3 month period?

If they do confiscate my licence in Korea when they give me a Korean one...how do I get a licence when I come home? Will they just do the switch back to a Canadian licence from the Korean one?

Thanks

[Canonite]

One more...are canned/frozen veggies (mushrooms, corn, peas, carrots, soybeans, etc) easy/cheap to come by?