Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kingplaya4]

My wife and I are expecting twins and I'd be reluctant to raise them in the air of Seoul. I know most of the times its rated at moderate or even high green, but I have enough students with bad atopy (sorry forgot the real english word) and I don't think its good for young kids.

I imagine you Jeju people aren't looking for a bunch of backpackers to invade your turf, so feel free to give me the negatives as long as they aren't complete bs.

I hate to discuss financial stuff on here, but my wife and I have saved up about 250 million won. Any chance of a three bedroom house their for that - commuting is okay.

Also, the jobs I see advertised in Jeju have pretty low pay, is the market very tight there or is there just a lot of collusion among the hagwon owners to keep salaries low. I'm mid thirties and still look youthful, but I've caught a few stray grey hairs mixing in, so in 5 years I'll probably look like an old guy.

Any opinions positive/negative would be welcomed.

[Stan Rogers]

I understand you completely. You don't want your kids in all that pollution.

Housing depends on where you want to live but you can chunsae a nice place for 250. You probably won't even need that much. It really depends on the location and your tastes. (In married speak your job location and your wife's tastes.)

As for jobs all I can say is apply everywhere and see what comes back to you. Privates exist but nowhere near like in Seoul. I don't want to persuade or dissuade you. I say the internet isn't going to give you all the answers. Go to Jeju and check it out for yourself.

If Jeju had a Costco I would be 100% happy but that's just me. I love the beach and so do my kids. Yours will too.

Oh and congratulations on the twins!

[kingplaya4]

Thanks for the congrats. No Costco might be a dealbreaker. My wife and I were browsing online and found some houses for sale for slightly under 200k. Now they wouldn't be appealing to the average American or Canadian, but I don't think they're any worse than a box in Seoul.

A friend tells me privates are drying up in Seoul, but he may just not be any good at it. Enjoy the weather down there.

[creeper1]

Wow. That's an impressive amount of money saved up. Well done.

I don't know anything about the Jeju job market but I don't think pollution is much of a problem in Seoul.

Unlike the previous poster I just don't get it.

As you said yourself Seoul's aqi is usually in the green "safe" range.

[Stan Rogers]

It's not just breathing the air pollution. Babies crawl around on the floor and that sooty air in Seoul leaves plenty of dust and dirt on the floor. Babies put their hands in their mouths often and personally, I didn't want my kids eating soot. Cleaning becomes nonstop and there are many children in Seoul with skin conditions stemming from the pollution.

That was one of the reasons I left the city.

[kingplaya4]

Yes, the atopy is what mainly worries me. Seoul may supposedly have "good air" but I've never seen so many children with skin problems before.

[World Traveler]

The concentration of fine dust particles hit a record high in Seoul in the past five years as a result of frequent sandstorms and drought

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/04/02/2015040201087.html

The higher the concentration of air pollutants like fine dust particles, the higher the suicide rate as a result of their harmful effects on respiratory and mental health, according to a study.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/04/02/2015040201415.html