Korean Job Discussion Forums

[morningsoju]

so i lived in the hustle and bustle of Seoul for over a year and decided to give another place a try. i told my recruiter i was open to anywhere so i could see my options. he sent me two offers - one was in Daegu and the other in Gwangju, gwangyeoksi (not Gyeunggi-do). the Daegu school seemed to have an older smaller school and the Gwangju school was larger with more teachers. i already turned the Daegu position down and told them i will think about the Gwangju job. i haven't talked to any of the foreign teachers at the campus yet, but will hopefully do that soon.

can anyone in Gwangju share their experiences there? from what i've heard, it seems like a cool place to live with a lot of touristy stuff. thanks!

[edwardcatflap]

Gwangju, touristy? Are you sure you're not getting confused with Gyeongju? I've been to Gwangju a few times and found it really spread out and dull - apart from the room salon area - though I'm sure people who live there will tell a different story.

[pest2]

Been there... It's big enough to have all the normal Korean things like Homeplus, Emart, movie complexes, standard Korean outdoor downtown shopping strip with the standard 10-15 same "brand name" stores that exist in any Korean city with more than 100,000 people. There is the standard expat dive bar (or two). Standard amount of kimbap restaurants. 2 university areas with the standard people and scene surrounding it..

There's hiking nearby, etc..


It's conservative; moreso than the rest of Korea... all the standard social problems faced by waygookin in Korea 1/2 more.

[superjo2092]

I've been living in Gwangju for about 2 and a half years. I really dig it here. Yeah, there's not all the crazy amenities as in Seoul or Busan, but it does have many perks. #1 It has a beautiful countryside. You can take trips down south to the rad beaches or smaller towns. #2 The foreigner scene here is nice. Everybody knows mostly everybody, and everybody is usually cool with everyone else. There is more than one or two foreigner bars (more like 5 or 6). #3 Gwangju has some cool cultural stuff to see (5.18 park and memorial, Bienalle, other stuff...). Most of the people I know in Gwangju have been here 2+ years. I chock a lot of that up to Gwangju being a chill and tolerable place. Also, the most liberal province in Korea. There are downsides, however, if you're into local music, it's horrible. But to catch a show, you only need take a 3-hour busride. Good luck, kid.

[koreatimes]

[pest2]

You must be joking, calling it the most liberal province in South Korea. It is the most traditional, for sure. Seoul: people wearing all different styles from goth to punk to rap. Gwangju: People wear one conservative church-goer goody goody style. Seoul: International, lots of people speak English. Gwangju: Domestic, hardly anyone speak English. Gwangju: Difficult to date women and men there because traditional conservative Korean families won't allow inter-racial marriage. Seoul: Still difficult to date for the same reason, but not nearly as bad. Gwangju: People hate the Korean government because it "sold out" to Western values too much. Seoul: some people like Western stuff, others hate it, most don't care. Plus, Gwangju massacre is embedded in the culture in a sort of "never forget way" that makes all the people over the age of 40 even more conservative and anti-government insofar as progressive policies..

Not saying all of the above things are bad, but calling Gwangju liberal.. its.. HAHAHAHAHHAAHA....

[morningsoju]

[MoneyMike]

Gwangju is very liberal politically, but very conservative socially. I think maybe people are mixing up the two.

I've been in Gwangju for just over 2 years now. I'd second most of what Superjo wrote. The only thing I don't really care for about the Gwang is the lack of live music. Also there are only a few places that sell clothes my size. Other than that I dig it here.

[philipswoodjnr]

I lived there and I had a good time. Nice western bar called speakeasy.

[No_hite_pls]

Gwangju is fun city to hangout in. I have been there many times. The city has some great restaurants, First Nepal is my favorite.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[edwardcatflap]

[superjo2092]

Yowza, Pest2. Thanks for being such a nice and considerate guy. I was trying to be helpful and giving my impression of a city that I've spent almost 3 years in. And yes, it is very liberal politically. Do a bit of studying on the 5.18 massacre before you jump to ridiculous conclusions. I'm sure you must be a fairly decent and intelligent person (see, it doesn't all have to be mean and snobby).

To the OP, Suncheon is an ok city. I haven't spent much time there. I have a few friends that have also lived there for a couple years. On the plus side, Suncheon is an hour closer to Busan than Gwangju. My opinion is quite biased, however, as I really dig my current city of Gwangju. It's really picking up and there are many activities that you can participate in with other foreigners, international students, and koreans to keep you occupied. Hope you find a place you like.

[morningsoju]

thanks for the input guys. its great to get insight from foreigners actually living there. but i think i may hold out and see if something better pops up closer to Seoul.

[rainism]