Korean Job Discussion Forums

[th3]

Hi guys, I think I already know the answer here, but I just want to confirm...

Gang-won Province is NOT the place to be if you are in your early 20s and want to meet peers that are in the same age group?

I did some research on Google and could not find anything to do in Gangwon other than outdoor stuff. I am seriously considering rejecting the offer from EPIK.

Thanks in advance

[schwa]

If your motivation is happening bars full of 20-something foreigners, you're right.

[th3]

Is there a younger Korean population? 20-30 year olds

[johnny_russian]

it really depends where you're placed. Wonju, Chuncheon, and Gangneung are the 3 biggest cities, and have maybe 20-30 EPIK teachers placed in each. plus there will be a few hagwon people. there are some decent bars in each place, although i wouldn't really say any clubs.

Sokcho is smaller and has a few bars, no clubs to speak of that i know. at least none that are open to westerners.

problem is if you get placed in some small town out in the sticks there won't be many foreigners around and you will have to travel to Seoul on the weekends, or one of the major cities in Gangwon.

if you prefer to be a big city then your other option would be to reject the offer, and apply for a hagwon job.

just note that hagwons can screw you over big-time. i'm a member of 2 legal groups on Facebook and i'm not exaggerating when i say that every single day i'm reading some post from someone about how their hagwon is screwing them over in some way.

[shostahoosier]

It depends on where you are placed in Gangwon-do.

I had friends placed in a county in of about 40,000 people and there were 9 EPIK teachers (though originally it was 12).

The town wasn't exciting but they still had an awesome time together.

Their town was also about hours from Seoul by express bus which isn't really that bad...unless you need to be in Seoul every single night. If that's the case, just get a job in Seoul.

I also live in the country and prefer it to the grind of Seoul, but I know its different strokes for different folks.

[Yaya]

[seala70]

[hellofaniceguy]

You're in another country....and a small one at that....you're no more than 30/40 minute drive from a bigger city no matter where you are in korea...
work during the week and take off during your days off...suck it up for now.
Make connections, new friends and start planning for the following year.
Most of us had to endure a difficult year or 2 or 3...after that....you're in like flin!

Poster seala70 said it best...

[beison]

I disagree with the previous two posters.

Gangwondo is awesome, but its quiet. Bars/Clubs in Seoul, plus the nightlife from the other teachers plus foreigners in the student population are exponentially greater.

Just because you want to move to a place in Korea that is in line with your social preferences doesn't mean you aren't ready to come to Korea. It just means you're better at realistically planning what you need to be happy/satisfied with your surroundings. Nowhere is it written that everyone who comes to Korea needs to have their first year be anti-social and suck.

[wonkavite62]

I might be tempted to reject an EPIK offer from Gangwon Do because of the isolation. I am definitely older than the average teacher in Korea, but I
do like to have a good night out! Contrary to popular belief, it's not just 22 year olds who like to have fun.

A big question for me is: How many hours does it take to get to Seoul by bus? How frequent are bus services? What about trains? I might be prepared to live with it if Seoul was only 2 and a half hours away by bus.

[SeoulMan6]

Best kept secret: most people living in Gangwon actually quite enjoy living in Gangwon.

If you absolutely need to live in Seoul, drop EPIK and go hagwon in Seoul.

[ippy]

I love gangwon. I lived in Gangneung last year and were it not for the fact im back teaching public school again, id have bitten your hand off for that gig. Then again, i love the beach, mountains and snow. So gangneung appeals to me no end. Throw in that the KTX is heading that way in the next year or so for the winter olympics and the place is going to be awesome. Oh, and its like a 2 hour bus ride from gangneung to seoul... not exactly hard.

[Weigookin74]

Rural areas use to be quite slack. They were a great hidden secret for that reason. But, that is prob not the case anymore. When I was in a rural area quite a few years ago, I had very little deskwarming time and lots of extra unofficial days off. In the bigger cities and also the closer you got to Seoul, the moreby the rules things were. I'm in a regional city and have lots of desk warming. I'd love to get away from it truth be told. Might either try a rural area or a hop overto China. Lol.