Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kraggy]

...and if so, how do the 2 compare?

I'm in Seoul at the moment.

Is there much to do in Busan?
Is it a lot easier to get around Busan?
How does it compare re cost of living?
Any other info you might have.

Thanks a lot!

[qcat79]

i've lived in both.

when people ask me this question, i say that i like them equally but for different reasons.

Busan highlights:

seaside ocean breeze
bikinis in the summer
3 hours to japan by boat
tons of foreigners (like Seoul)
more apartment space for the price
better weather
less air pollution

Seoul highlights:

more culture (concerts, sports, theater, clubs, bars, food, etc)
more job opportunities
something for everyone
always something new to get into

depends on you. if you're already in Seoul, you're in a good place. the grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side.

[The Floating World]

Seoul for 3 years, been in Busan 2 weeks.

Busan has EVERYTHING Seoul has to offer plus more laid-back Korean people and the ocean and beach. And better food.

[bobbyhanlon]

if my work didn't require me to be in seoul, i'd go to busan in a heartbeat.
in terms of getting around, its fairly similar, and the cost is a bit lower.
but like others said, you've got the sea, friendlier people, better weather, and all of the modern/international stuff that seoul has, especially if you're near haeundae. don't think twice about going to busan, its great.

[toby99]

[Garciua]

[The Floating World]

[Garciua]

[Garciua]

Thanks! [/quote]

[big_fella1]

Busan is amazingly fantastic, but with lower salaries and less extra work available, why wouldn't you go to Thailand if that's what you wanted?

Driving in Busan is far worse than Seoul and the bus drivers in Busan are generally even worse than in Seoul.

In Seoul you can live and socialise in a small geographical area. In Busan it takes an hour to get anywhere.

I love Busan, it's a perfect retirement city, but if you want to work and make money Seoul is the answer.

[The Floating World]

Lower salaries? I'm on a decent salary (above 2.3mil, not saying how much on here..)

As for shopping it has it all. It has been developed aggressively and the downtown, central business areas of Jungangdong, Seomyeong etc make gangnam look small these days. I kid you not and it surprised the heck out of me. A couple of the big lotte mega dept stores I've been to here make shinsege in city hall look dated, small and quaint. I kid you not and again all this surprised the crap outta me.

It has it all PLUS the ocean, as I said before.

As for the an hour to travel and socialise quote, not so. I live in jungang and it takes me 45 mins to get to kyungsandae area (like the shinchon nightlife area of seoul.) When I lived in haebongchon in Seoul it would take me the same amoount of time to get to gangnam or Hongdae.

Seriously I wrote this absurdly long email to my friends in SEOUL (where I loved for 3 years) gushing about how much Busan kicks Seoul's butt. I'd visited before as I go to the Pusan film festival almost annually, but hadn't really seen much of it.

I am close to Russian, phillipino, thai, Japanese restaurants etc, so great for food too.

Guess you'll get different opinions on here, so only way to judge is to check it out for yourself. And of course some areas of the city might not be as good to live in, just like with Seoul too. That's what I did. I was a perosn that had to be as close to Seoul as possible and got the interview for my job. Was not working and was bored, so really just thought 'prob wont take it, but might as well check it out and have a day by the sea whilst I can.'

Man I should get a job with Busan tourist board. Now there's an idea..

I fear the off putters are busan-ites themselves, trying to keep Busan a secret so as for it not to get ruined, in which case I need to s.t.h.u lol...