Korean Job Discussion Forums

[carnivalbeauty]

Ok, im thinking of coming over to changwon (near pusan) in march. It was the best city based public school position...i could find. So before I sign the contract loool

There seems to be so little information on changwon, Just want an insight into what is like. The general age group (i'm in my mid twenties) is there a selection of activities to engage in.....is this likley to be a decision i'll regret?? (i'm a sociable and moving to korea from a big city), do you give changwon a yay or nay and why?

xxx

to add interests wise, im very interested in fashion, arts, photography, samba/zumba/salsa dancing....

[Rutherford]

Changwon is nice. I didn't live there but had some good friends who did so I visited several times. The city feels new and has good infrastructure due to Government projects (it's the backup capital if Seoul is threatened by the North) and a good local economy (lots of manufacturing nearby means the city has money to spend on development).

In the city center they've built a lot of parks and bicycle paths so you'll have no problem finding green space. Changwon attracts a lot of young families since there are many jobs nearby. Because of this there are good shopping and eating options and nice, new apartment buildings.

You're not going to find a lot of nighlife, though. There will be plenty of options for eating out or grabbing a drink with friends, but if you're a big partier you'll find yourself visiting Busan nearly every weekend. Fortunately Changwon is not too far from Busan. From the downtown it can take as little as an hour to get to KSU/Haeundae, but when the traffic is bad it can take much longer.

Overall if you're going to be in a smaller city Changwon is a good one. I prefer to live in a bigger city but if I were married or had children I would be happy living in Changwon. One thing to make sure if you're taking a public school job is if your school is located somewhere in a distant neighborhood or outside the city make sure they get you an apartment in the downtown so you will be close to shopping options and transportation.

[carnivalbeauty]

thanks - I'm slightly scared. I would have preferred a bigger city, busan, daegu etc...but before I knew it EPIK has filled All their met city positions and only really had the countryside/rural areas left...which just isn't a risk I was willing to take.

So I went through a separate recruiter and she has a position in an elementary school in Changwon. I kind of want to take it, because I've prepared and set my mind on coming to korea and told everyone lol.

But I'm in my mid twenties and quite like socialising/activities/buzz. Im not really one for the sleepy-town feel. I beginning to think I may have to accept defeat/korea might not be feasible this time round

[ttompatz]

[carnivalbeauty]

Does it have an artsy/retro-ish areas..... how much are buses to busan, are the buses 24hr. Is there any sort of creative scene? - is there a younger adults 20-28 scene there....i just don't want to find myself socially isolated/bored. I'm quite an open minded easy going person, i've just never lived in a small town before #somewhat nervous

[ttompatz]

[carnivalbeauty]

looool

[sulperman]

The op made me smile. Reminds me very much of this onion article:

http://mobile.theonion.com/articles/i-cant-seem-to-find-the-moline-gay-district,10847/?mobile=true

You are thinking about it all wrong, buddy. Seoul has what you are looking for. Busan has it too, but to a much smaller degree. Every other place in Korea does not. Why not try to spend a year enjoying something different, rather than looking for the same stuff you are doing now.

And what on earth is a retro area?

[globusmonkey]

I moved to Changwon from Seattle about a month ago, and so far it's going well. I've already met a few people who are creatively minded, and we're setting up a group in January for museum visits, writing workshops, and other artsy stuff. A lot of moving to a new place involves simply getting out there (and in Korea that means bars) and meeting as many new people as you can. Most of the people I've met so far are in their mid to late twenties, but even as an elderly man of 35, I find there's still a lot going on as long as you are open-minded and sociable (which seems to be the case for you).

When I was applying for jobs (I work at an academy), my first choice was Busan (I grew up in NY, and have lived in Chicago and Seattle), but jobs there are harder to get, especially for first-timers. I chose Changwon because a) it's a green, well-planned city that has an active foreigner community b) the locals seem friendly and helpful so far, and c) it's a good place to start off for a year, learn about Korean society, and then you can travel to the larger spots and see if you'd like living there. It's easier to find something for a second year if you already live here and make connections. As ttompatz said, it's a city of a million people, so there's stuff to do, you just have to find it. If you can't PM yet, let me know on this thread and I'll send you my email address if you have any further questions. Good luck!

[dmillika]

I've been here about two months and the city is pretty nice.

As a foreigner, your nightlife (if you want to spend time with other foreigners) is going to be based around O'briens and the bars around that.

I've been to O'briens a few times and it's a really laid back, chilly place to hang out. I've gone by myself multiple times and have had no trouble meeting other people.

On top of that, there is a good amount of hiking around the nearby mountains if that's your thing.

I live about a 5-10 minute cab ride from downtown, and it has been all good so far.

I was nervous when I accepted Changwon, but it's been good so far.

[Skipperoo]

Been living here for almost a year now - it's a good city. Very friendly and tightnit expat community and the korean populace here are typically very friendly and welcoming. Plenty of restaraunts, shops and whatnot. You might find yourself a little culture-hungry as there's no history here at all, I think there is an art gallery but I haven't got around to visiting yet.
Lots of parks and hiking right on your doorstep.

It's also only 45 minutes from Busan so you can easily go and spend the day there if you fancy a change.

[BigBuds]

I've lived in Changwon for over ten years now. I can't be that bad if I've stayed, lol. And I'm from a big city too, Sydney.

When most Koreans say countryside/rural they just mean it's not a huge city like Seoul or Busan. You won't be stuck out in the sticks, and to get to anywhere in the country is easy and cheap. The public transportation system here is really good that way.

There is plenty of stuff in Changwon to do. You'll be fine.

Like someone said previously, get out to the foreigner bars, even if you don't drink or it's not your scene, just to start meeting people. O'Briens and IP (International Pub) are the best 2 in Changwon with plenty of social activities organised through them. You can find them both on Facebook and ask people that live in Changwon questions.

[Malislamusrex]

When I went to Changwon my initial impression was that it is the best planned city in Korea, it's a nice place to walk around, and it's a nice place.

As far as the city goes, it's like any other city with 1 million people.

The bonus of Changwon is you can get from the bus station to Busan easily. If you live near the bus station in Changwon you are closer to the centre than some people who live far away from the subway or major bus stops in Busan.

If I was coming to Korea for the first time I think I would have liked to live in Changwon

[tanklor1]

I live here. It's okay. Seems kind of small if you live in the centre but overall not a bad place to live.

[supermouse]

Changwon proper is not bad. However do not fall for the infamous recruiter trick i did and many others do. Next to Changwon is Masan and Jinhae, they merged to get a tax break and in name, but they are all nothing alike.

There are jobs advertised for Changwon, and it really means the outskirts of Masan. This includes public school placement as well, i know this, i used to live there. Find out exactly where your public school is.

There is nothing in Masan, and to get to Changwon which is OK at best, its a 40 minute bus ride. I should also mention there is no subway, but the bus system is decent.