Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ejjones3]

Hello,

I'm considering a public school teaching position in Tongyeong. I am under the impression that this is more of a remote area. I was originally hoping to work somewhere near a large city like Seoul because I like the idea of having lots of things to do during my time off. I'd like to hear about your experiences in this area.

Thanks!

[sigmundsmith]

It's been almost 7 years since I lived there so obviously things would have changed. But yes, Tongyeong is a small place yet it has its charms. Night life when I was there consisted of the beer bar, bowling and noraebang.

They have great seafood restaurants there (as it is a fishing community) and you have access to many small, quaint islands close by.

It's not too remote though as you have Geoje island about 30 minutes by bus. This is a big ship building place that has many great South Asian restaurants (due to foreign workers from that region) plus other international restaurants as well. Also, some great bars that cater to the foreign community as well.

North from Tongyeong (almost an hour) is Jinju. Another great city that has a great river running through the middle. At night it can be quite a nice place. Changwon is also close by. Nothing too exciting but a nice place to explore.

Heading east is another coastal town of Masan. It's worth exploring. And about 2 1/2 hours by bus (depending on the traffic) is Busan. I would usually go there once a month for partying.

If this is your first job in Korea I would take it. Because you will more than likely do a lot of exploring if you live there. The bus system can get you anywhere in the country quickly. Even to Seoul it's a little more than 4 hours.

Enjoy the charm. I did.

[Rutherford]

I haven't lived in Tongyeong but visit several times a year. It's a fun town to spend a weekend. Cheap raw fish in the port area. Lots of hiking and islands to relax on. There's a marina where you can find sailing lessons as well.

It's out of the way but it's a nice small city.