Korean Job Discussion Forums

lemak · Joined: 02 Jan 2011

Agree with happyinhenan. Korea is a good place to go for newbs, those looking to either pay off school debts or stuck there as a result of a wedding ring.
China takes a bit more mettle, but is infinitely more rewarding, much richer culture, far more hospitable -if sometimes unrefined- people, better working conditions and housing, significantly more open and cosmopolitan (in the Tier 1 and 2 cities at least) than anywhere in Korea, much better stocked supermarkets and a cost of living around a third of that in Korea. A lot more potential for privates in China too (paying a comparable amount 30-40 bucks an hour) to Korea.
The average Korean seems somewhat scared and bitter about the outside world, frequently retreating into some tribalistic defense of everything local regardless how crap it is (be it Korean mosquitoes, sick people coughing in the faces of others, neng myun etc.) while the average Chinese tends to be positively curious about foreigners, and people and things from outside the country.
China wins hands down.

Chaparrastique · Joined: 01 Jan 2014

Brooks · Joined: 08 Apr 2003

Me too.
I was on a train going to Wangsimni.
Chubby young woman gets on, sees me and says:
Hello!
points at herself - KOREAN!
I love you!

I say anyong haseyo and she walks away.
Harmless. I prefer that type to the men who sell useless products on the train.

Died By Bear · Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2015 5:03 am Post subject:

Brooks · Joined: 08 Apr 2003

On the train? That isn't good.

Died By Bear · Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 4:25 am Post subject:

creeper1 · Joined: 30 Jan 2007

[quote="lemak"much better stocked supermarkets and a cost of living around a third of that in Korea. A lot more potential for privates in China too (paying a comparable amount 30-40 bucks an hour) to Korea.

China wins hands down.[/quote]

This is the biggest load of garbage I have ever read in my life. China is actually a more expensive place to live than Korea.

Lets examine the facts. No-one in China trusts their milk. China has the lowest food safety standards in the world. If you want to drink milk you have to buy expensive, imported milk. The same goes for all foods. There is a supermarket here I do my shopping in called BHG. I think the quality of their food can be trusted. Is it cheap? Is it hell!!! Its more expensive than Korea.

If you have a baby then costs go sky high. I think no-one trusts the baby products here. Everything must be bought as expensive imports with a special tax incorporated.

The same for electronics and clothing. Ever wonder why Chinese go to Hong Kong and Korea to shop? Its because the same products are incredibly expensive in China. Like crazy expensive unless you want to buy something that breaks the first time you use it.

Also accomodation in Shanghai and Beijing is extremely expensive and you have to pay for it yourself. China is expensive as can be.

Maybe this guy Lemak eats street food all the time cooked with gutter oil. Maybe he lives in the middle of nowhere in a tiny apartment. Sure then you have a low cost of living but for anything approaching comfort double the prices you pay in Korea.

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

Here's a helpful link for anyone interested:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/gmaps_rankings_country.jsp

Put your cursor over a country to see its CPI. (The higher the number the more expensive; the lower the number the less expensive.)

http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/seoul/beijing?

Here's another interesting comparison:

Current air quality:

Seoul: 157 ("Unhealthy")
http://aqicn.org/city/seoul/

Beijing: 48 ("Good")
http://aqicn.org/city/beijing/

But..that is an anomaly; Beijing is usually much worse...in the unhealthy range. (Overall, both Beijing and Seoul have air quality far inferior to what is typically found in the West...meaning, London, New York City, Vancouver, etc.)

happyinhenan · Joined: 01 Feb 2015

Weigookin74 · Joined: 26 Oct 2009

Wow!

Daegu has 59 and myeongjang dong Busan has 634

http://aqicn.org/city/korea/daegu/dalseong-gun/

http://aqicn.org/city/korea/busan/dongnae-gu/

Strange as Busan is far away from China. It must just be the air that traps this garbage in. Fortuneately, there are cold winds tonight that will probably blow this stuff away. Still, as I said, North China looks better than coastal China. Beijing and areas around are probably the worst. Don't teach in those areas or if you do, get a good wage and a good filtration system for your apartment. Get a good mask when you go out.

Weigookin74 · Joined: 26 Oct 2009

Tell me again why Koreans open the windows? Best be closing your windows and getting an air filtration system? I'm guessing the Chinese do the same?

Weigookin74 · Joined: 26 Oct 2009

Ah, back home. Closest I can get to reading the maritimes is this reading from Maine near the New Brunswick border.

http://aqicn.org/city/usa/maine/sipayik-me/

Air quality is 15.

creeper1 · Joined: 30 Jan 2007

north China? That covers a large area. You aren't thinking inner Mongolia are you? I am no expert on the place but I cannot imagine that being an easy place to live. in nor clean. There is.a lot of industry there.

If you really want China minus the air pollution then I would go for Shenzhen or Hong Kong. Shenzhen probably has a decent expatriate community. obviously Hong Kong is great but a tougher job market.

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

Shenzhen's air is really polluted. (So is nearby Hong Kong's.)
It's almost always always in the unhealthy range.
http://aqicn.org/city/shenzhen
To breathe clean non-toxic air, one should head to a place like this:
http://aqicn.org/city/all/#United%20Kingdom
Too bad the ESL jobs in Scotland (teaching immigrants) pay so little and/or are so hard to get into. C'est la vie.

Chaparrastique · Joined: 01 Jan 2014