Korean Job Discussion Forums

[StephPoet]

Can anyone elaborate on the differences between Seoul and Jeonju? I can't find anything on Jeonju!

Concerns include:

Air quality
Quality of life (cleanliness, people, decent dining, etc.)
Transportation
Cost of living (I'm sure Seoul is far higher than Jeonju)

Thanks!

Stephanie

[stalinsdad]

Nice city but small in Korean terms.
Still pollution but less.
People will stare at you etc.

[just because]

[zappadelta]

Jeonju is also the home of ��âȣ, the number 1 Baduk player in the world.

[mount real]

Jeonju is not too big, which isn't always a bad thing....my favorite aspect is that 5 movie theatres are clustered together, all accessible in 5 minutes or less....the old area (Hanok Ma-ul) is really pretty, the uni area is a great bar hoppin-norae-bang area....everything is usually within a 3,000 won cab ride distance (usually less)...the food is reputed to be of the best in Korea, and I must agree....however it limits itself to Korean/Chinese/Japanese (not much of the latter two), Outback (yuk), Pizza Hut, McD's and Domino's....I find myself craving Vietnamese or Thai and I'm without luck....also no really good coffee shops or places to buy good coffee for home (my friend brought me some Starbucks beans last weekend from Daejon)....the drinkin scene is pretty limited to one or two hoppin bars (if you want to dance)....

Better than Gunsan (where I was last year), but it sure isn't Seoul or Daejon...depends if that's a plus or minus for you. What are you looking for?

[StephPoet]

I have no clue. Ease of getting around, stuff to do. But I may wind up in Jeonju because the contract is much better. I do love coffee and books, but I'm concerned if I'm in Seoul I'll spend all my money on it and not save a dime.

[crazylemongirl]

The reason seoul has a high cost of living is accomdation and education expenses. Given that you're living in a rent free pad and probably don't have kids that's not a problem.

However the biggest expenses that teachers here seem to let eat into potential savings is their liking for imported booze and food. Stay clear of those and you'll save cash whether you are in seoul or jeonju.

[mount real]

It's really easy to get around, lots of movies, lots of good food, it's a nice mix of old and new...and ok there are good coffee shops but not to buy beans from...all in all I'm really happy with my choice of Jeonju (plus I met my girlfriend here!), but for me the only stuff I don't like as much is the limited food choices (as much as I adore Korean food, sometimes it's nice to get some other Asian fare in) and the limited dancing choices, if that's your cup of tea....but hey then you just hop the bus to Seoul for the weekend, right? Jeonju's a fun city...

[I_Am_Wrong]

I was there for a couple of days in the spring. It's a little more country but the city is decent sized...big enough. The air was nice and fresh and the people were much more relaxed than in Seoul. I didn't notice people really staring that much (except for girls...). I really enjoyed my couple of days there and could probably live there.

[merrilee]

I agree that Jeonju has great food when compared to many other Korean cities. The air quality is pretty good, and I really didn't find it too small. You could do much, much worse!

If you've read on this board about some of the "small" Korean cities, Jeonju definitely doesn't fit into that category, in my opinion. Sure, it doesn't have Starbuck's, but it's not a particularly alienating place, and you won't get too many stares. Plus, I was only asked once in six months, "Lussian?" That's a pretty nice statistic.

The thing you really need to ask yourself is if you're the kind of person to feel frequently tempted to head off to Seoul in search of bigger and better things. In that case, you'll save less money in Jeonju, while you blow your money on weekend trips, transportation, and boarding.

[Aleatory]

There is a great bar in Jeonju called "deepin"; it is near Gaeksa. The bartender, Dee is a good guy to hang out and talk with --his English is perfect. Throughout the week, when it is not so busy, you can go in there and meet some pretty interesting characters.

[mount real]

deepin blows

[Aleatory]

well, everybody is entitled to their own opinion I guess.