Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mortilap1]

Hi all,

I will be teaching English in SK in August but I'm unsure where to live. I've narrowed it down to Jeollanam do or Gyeongsangnam-do. Which do you guys recommend based on the below criteria:

-Prefer to be somewhere with great nature
-Prefer to be somewhere warmer
-Prefer to be in more suburban area rather than in the middle of nowhere or in a crazy city

Thanks!

[wanderkind]

You can check all those boxes somewhere in both provinces...depending on the season...

You need to provide more information, or specify cities if you want useful feedback.

[mortilap1]

Okay, my apologies. I don't know much about any of the cities or towns in these provinces. Are there any that are in a good location or are known to be nice? Sorry for my total lack of knowledge

[coralreefer_1]

I would suggest gyeongsangnam-do.

Both are decent with weather, none are crazy. With that said, no matter how much you think you want to "get away" or immerse in Korean culture", being in Jeolla-do puts you kind of on the fringe in regards to get anywhere else in Korea.

There are trains of course, but from those provinces often require transit through Dajeon or some other small city and a transfer. From Gyeongsannam-do you are on (or somewhere close) to the main north/south line...so its much easier to move around and explore.

[nicwr2002]

Jeollanam, Gwangju is a nice place to live. There is a nice mountain watching over the city that you can hike. You can take the train to Seoul without having to transfer, but going to Busan requires taking the bus. To be honest, taking the bus in Gwangju is actually a lot more convenient than the train and cheaper.

[wonkavite62]

I am in Jeollanamdo, on the south coast. Yeosu is where I am. Before I came I thought I might really enjoy it here. A friend who just left, stayed 3 years and loved it. But he likes small towns. (I am in a city which is really 3 small towns separated by hills). My friend liked this. But he said he did not like big social groups, preferring to deal with just one person at a time, and you are likely to be dealing with just one person at a time anyway. Here, you are going to find it harder to make friends. There are westerners here, but they are quite distant, and some are in closed little cliques and others don't come out at all. I don't see them often enough to get to know them.
I was at the expat bar last night-AT LAST we have one-but it was nearly empty. I met a teacher who said this place was killing him and he hoped to go to Busan.
The only people who really like it here are those that love small, sleepy towns. There is nature here, though. You can go hiking here, and climb to Hyangiram temple or view cherry blossom. But this town has major logistical issues-the hills are everywhere.
Gwangju is a nice city, and I've visited it. A little confusing but interesting. But you are much more likely to end up somewhere small. Before I came here, I had no idea I would be going to Seoul so often, and Seoul is really about as far as you can get.
If you go to Gyeongsamnamdo you will also have nature and scenery. But it will be much easier to reach the major cities, such as Daegu which is exciting and beautiful. I was there, so I know.
I would prefer Daegu.

[Threequalseven]

I lived in Mokpo, Jeollanamdo and enjoyed it. It's small enough where you'll probably start recognizing people you know on the street, but big enough where there's still enough to do. If you' like nature, you can take a ferry to like 1,000 different islands - Oedaldo and Bigeumdo are fairly popular. Also there are a few "mountains" in town to climb. The part I liked was, despite what people say about it being kind of a backwater, some of my best memories are hanging out with some of the older rural folks. Many love to cook and drink soju with you, and there have been a few ridiculous/hilarious times I won't forget. I think the authenticity of these experiences is lost on people who stay in Seoul.

For the city itself, it's really walkable. It's about an hour to Gwangju and 3-4 hours to Seoul. There are a few foreigner bars, a few nightclubs, and a few big box grocery marts. Enough foreigners where you'll likely make some good friends. I was sad to leave actually, and I still miss it, but if I had stayed in Korea another year I probably would have moved to a bigger city. After a while, it started to feel a bit monotonous... But I don't know if it was the city, my job, or Korea altogether. Still, I'd recommend trying it out for a year if you're just starting.

[Vianca]

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[edwardcatflap]

[wonkavite62]

So it sounds like Mokpo might be a lot of fun. I am surprised that there are SEVERAL foreigner bars, for example, and that you are able to have such a good relationship with the locals in this province.
I used to live in Jecheon in 충청북더. (Chungcheongbuk-do) and it was kind of as you describe Mokpo. The city was small enough that I kept on bumping into people, who became friends and it felt big enough not to be boring. I made friends with Koreans as well as westerners. I know what you mean by authentic. I came to where I am now, and I asked "Why is nobody talking to me?" after several months, because I only had one real friend here. The foreigner bar is often empty on a Saturday night. The western teachers tend to be invisible. Some are getting tired of the monotony. That said there are teachers who seem to REALLY enjoy it.
You might consider Mokpo, or Gwangju. But if it's public school jobs you are after, remember it is possible you will be placed somewhere really small .

[SeoulNate]