Korean Job Discussion Forums

CdnTeacher · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Where would you go knowing what you know now?

Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

Definitely Seoul.

CdnTeacher · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Butterfly · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait

Katz · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Location: Ulsan

I am in Ulsan, and I have to admit that at times I really wish I had gone to Busan, or Seoul. There are no museums, no art galleries, no real activities. If you are looking to do more than just drink I would say that either seoul or busn will offer you a more eventfull experience.

U.S.A. · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

I love taking care of these things:

No are museums, galleries, or activities? To quote Stone Cold Steve Austin "What?". Question

In bang-o-jin there is an art gallery with free showings every week. There's also an ice-rink open all year. Shocked

Near KBS is the city's art centre. Surprising nice with weekly showings and concerts (I love to repeat this but did you know the Moscow Philharmonic came to Ulsan last year?). Idea

There's a climbing wall in Bang-o-jin. There are hiking clubs all over the city.

Some expats gather weekly for ultimate frisbee while others meet to play basketball.

There's going to be a jazz concert next month in the Hyundai Arts center.

Like windsurfing? There's a club in Ulsan.

Do you run? Try the Ulsan marathon on June 1st. Very Happy

Try a martial art. Think how cool it would be to go home and say to your friends you studies Judo, Karate, Kumdo, or Tae Kwon Do in Asia.

Why not take advantage of living in Asia through photography? I don't know of any 4,000 year old buildings in North America (okay, so I made an assumption about where you are from). Embarassed

Go to Ulsan university and study Korean.

Start something. About a year or two ago there was a writers' group going on. Shocked

Now, for those you looking at Busan, Ulsan, or Seoul, try these sites:

www.pusanweb.com

www.theulsanweb.com
www.ulsan-korea.com

As for seoul, just do a search using google and you'll get oodles of info.

Wherever you live, don't be passive. I'm sure some will complain that many of the above things require speaking Korean. So what? Make a friend.

Katz · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Location: Ulsan

Hey U.S.A
Ease up a bit, don't get your panties in a bunch. I simply stated that you will find more stimulation and cultural events in Busan and Seoul.
Sure the Hyundai Arts center offers many of the things you are talking about. The tiny ice rink that has four concrete pillars in it. The climbing wall, that I and many friends have looked for (and asked about in korean and english) but have neever seen. The one art gallery that is interesting, but also very conservitive. And the Jazz concert you talk about, what you fail to mention is that Bang-A-Jin is a 40 min. drive or 1.5 hour bus ride Shocked

, outside of Ulsan proper.
As for the art center by KBS- there is one or two big concerts a year, and the weekly showings consist mostly of the latest ajuma art club to rent the space so they can show their friends and family which famous painer they are copying. I realize that may be a bit harsh but it is rather geared to amature work.
I resent the way you implied that by recommending a different city I have not taken advantage of what little the city does have to offer, furthermore Seoul and Busan will also offer the ability to study a martial art, take up photography, join a hiking club, run, windsurf (which by the way Ulsan is known for it's poluted waters), or choose to learn korean at your choice of more than one university. But they will also offer a decent concert more than once or twice a year, they have many art events, and offer more choices. Simply put Ulsan is not a bad place, but if I am making recommendations to someone looking for advice lets speak truthfully and not deny reality.
The fact is Ulsan is rather well known for being the most conservitive area in Korea. People here are less openminded than in Seoul or Busan, that is just the way it is. I am not saying it is bad, just know what you are dealing with.

P.S. There is also a group that meets to play hockey ever wendsday, saturday, and sunday.

U.S.A. · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

Katz,

Well, it only takes about 20 minutes to drive from either new or old downtown to bang-o-jin (I will concede, though, that this time depends on traffic). As for the bus, you might be right since I never ride it.

I don't feel that my reading of your original message was at all incorrect. One of the limitations of text based communication is that often writers do not take the time or care to properly craft their messages.

You wrote:

Marathe · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Spider Hole

plus the waygug community in ulsan rawks.

The King of Kwangju · Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Location: New York City

I visited Ulsan a few times under duress during my stay in Korea. It was the only place I ever visited that even the Koreans who lived there didn't like.

Is it not the most polluted city in Korea? Some of the foreigners I met were suffering from premature hair loss because they didn't use umbrellas.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Euroboy · Joined: 27 Apr 2003 Location: not here anymore!!

..........i spent six months in ulsan, and was ready to leave after two.
it is very dull after a short time, unless you love drinking,chasing korean girls and getting a chest infection from the pollution. i know colleagues who did this religiously and are still happy there now after contract renewal.
i also had colleagues who pursued more aesthetic interests........and spent every weekend leaving for pusan, gyeonju or seoul.

i've also been told that the new influx of foreigners that has happened since xmas has mainly consisted of weirdos!

ps i keep saying colleagues coz the only people worth being friends with hated it and left!

Marathe · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Spider Hole

Euroboy · Joined: 27 Apr 2003 Location: not here anymore!!

...........nice one....very pithy!.....s'pose i asked that....doesn't stop 'em being weird tho!!

and it's ok, i'm from the right side of greenwich to get the <jk>!!!

Emma Clare · Joined: 24 May 2003 Location: Anseong, sung, song.

Looks like I'll strike Ulsan off my list of places to live then!

What about Taegu?

I'm put off by Seoul because the population is HUGE. I live in a village in England with a population of around 2,000 people at present. The nearest thing I have to compare it to is London, and that only has 7 million people living in it! Can see why I'm a little daunted by the prospect of living in Seoul? Not too mention all the noise and pollution.

Are the outskirts/suburbs of Seoul fairly clean and pleasant? Any nearby National parks (within 20 miles or so?) Guess it's near-ish to the sea and not so far from the beautiful North-East....

Maybe I'll give Seoul a look!

chi-chi · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

It really doesn't seem that big.
I used the same line of reasoning as you did before I came (although I am not from a tiny village)...I thought that Seoul was just too big.
Looking back now, I really regret this.
It has a much lower crime rate than what you would expect from a city of that size. The people are friendly, and will notice you on the street. You will not just be a face in the crowd.
It's really not that bad, and if I ever went back to Korea, it's the only place that I would go. (I would consider Taejon for a few days maybe, but am sure that I would wind up in Seoul.)