Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gyopochris]

Hey just wondering if you can recommend some websites for housing?
I'm looking for a place as I will be arriving at the end of the month. I have already checked Craigslist.

Area: Hongdae or Gangnam
Price: No more than 900k a month everything included (internet, utilities, maintenance fees)
Length: 3 months (minimum)

[myenglishisno]

Your best bet is to go with a Goshiwon or Goshitel. They're cheaper than what you're asking and come with everything included. They're just really small and not meant for long term stay (though I know some English teachers who have lived in them for years).

You also pay per month and can move in/out at any time.

http://wiki.galbijim.com/Seoul_goshiwons

I found one in Gangnam:

http://gowith.co.kr/type2/index.html?dbn=gn

The rates are 250 to 450 per month. Not too bad, if I do say. Probably extremely centrally located as well.

[gyopochris]

Thanks my cousin told me about the goshiwons but he didn't recommend it to me.

Thanks for the other link!

Keep them coming!

[wishfullthinkng]

my apartment is in the same building as a goshiwon and i wouldn't wish that kind of living upon anyone. the rooms at this particular one are TINY and they charge something like 300k a month.
yes, that's not bad, but when real apartments can be had for a small bit more then it starts not to make any sense. plus if you have any worldly possessions at all then you will have to store them and most likely pay to do so.
if you have an active dating life you also have to consider that taking a guy/girl to a goshiwon isn't going to earn you too many respect points, especially with some of the more materialistic koreans out there.

keep hunting CL until you find something in my opinion.

[gyopochris]

Thanks for the insight.
I didn't know it was looked down upon. I probably will NOT be staying at one of those places then

[wishfullthinkng]

don't get me wrong, i'm sure your buddies won't care at all where you live and you always have the option to take someone to the always popular love motels. but if she ever wants to see your place and is of the typical materialistic mold, then you would probably need to start looking for a new girl to date.
plus i'm sure love motels would get pricey after a while.

most of the rooms in the goshiwon near me don't even have windows. those cost 50k more a month.
of course take what i say with a grain of sand. it's all based on what you are looking for and your lifestyle. if you are out to save every penny and not wanting to even spend money on dating and want to live in seoul, a goshiwon could be a great idea.

[gyopochris]

I've always had people in and out of apartment when I was in Korea from 2009-2010. The school provided me with a nice pad, but this time I plan on getting my own place.

I would like a presentable place that I can take anyone back to, whether its a girl, friend, co-worker, etc. and not be embarrassed by it

[War Eagle]

craigslist.com

nearsubway.com

Both foreign, as finding somethig Korean is almost non-existent. Koreans don't use the internet to find housing.

[gyopochris]

Thanks for the link.
Keep them coming!

[highstreet]

There are tons of websites Koreans use to find housing/roommates

One is called Peter Pan iirc. I'll post the link when I'm on my comp.

[War Eagle]

Ok let me rephrase: There might as well not be any websites to find housing in Korea, because Koreans, at least my fiencee, my friends, and my adult students, would not use them to find housing. The reason being simple bait and switch tactics.

Have you seen the pictures of the schools they use when posting open positions in the job forums? Do you think that the schools really look like that? The same with housing. It is well-known that most Korean websites do not use actual, or in some cases, recent photos of the apartments they are trying to rent. They will use photos taken when the apartment was first built, or other units in that building or sometimes just completely different apartments in order to get you to call them (the bait). Then they will take you around and show you what is actually avaliable (the switch), which is never as nice.

This is why Koreans (almost) always first choose the area they want to live in according to price range, distance from work, family, etc. and then go in person to the realtor office in that neighborhood and see what they have to offer.

[myenglishisno]

I wouldn't be so hard on goshiwans. For starters, a lot of businessmen live in one in Seoul during the week and return to their proper home outside of Seoul on the weekends. Secondly, why would people judge you based on your living accommodations provided you could explain why you lived there? I think if I met someone who was only going to be in Korea for a short time, I'd assume they were either at a hotel or a goshiwon. If you're planning staying longer than six months though, I'd say get an apartment.

As for what the last poster said, I totally agree. Don't use the internet. Go to a 부동산 in the area you'd like, ask what they have, let them show you around and if you aren't satisfied, go to the next 부동산 (which will probably be right across the street). You skip over a lot of BS that way. Take a Korean friend with you as well.

[yoja]

No offense, but my experience in Korea totally contradicts WarEagle's claim that there are no (or no *good*) Korean housing websites.

You just have to know Korean, and know where to look to find them. Below is a website of people who are trying to find someone to take over their leases for a variety of reasons. The pictures are actual pictures of the apartment--it's really not that much different than the craigslist concept, although it's only for individuals to post, not realtors or brokers.

http://cafe.naver.com/kig

There are tons of other websites, too. But this is the one that I like the best, so I use this one. You need to have a basic knowledge of Korean, and you need to call ASAP when something is posted, because places go quick, even though there are literally hundreds of postings every day.

[War Eagle]

No offense taken Yoja. Again, I probably should have clarified: my fault. That information pertains to relators, not sublets.