Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Koreaboundandgagged]

Hello everyone,

Well, we've finally done it: we accepted job positions at a foreign school and will be arriving about the second week of August in Jeonju. I was curious as to whether anyone could fill me in a bit about the city of Jeonju. We're especially interested in learning about the climate so we know how many of our Northern Minnesota winter clothes (if any) to bring!?! We would especially be interested in meeting any other expatriate familes living in or near Jeonju. Anything out of the ordinary that we should be aware of or bring?

Thanks.

[alexh]

I know just about everything there is to know about Jeonju, except the hagwons. The winters there are very cold, but the summers are extremely hot and humid. Watch out for April-May seasons as it will rain some days pretty hard, but other days will be filled with this yellow dust from the desert in China/Mongolia. It is so bad somedays the sun will seem blocked out by the sand in the air. There are two basic entertainment districts in Jeonju. One is downtown, and the other is by ChonBuk University (ChonBuk Dae). There is a nice Arts Center in Jeonju, it is on the outskirts of town and next to the zoo. There is a nice park in Jeonju called Dukjin Park. One of the World Cup Stadiums is in Jeonju. There is a big Korean Army Base in Jeonju too. Jeonju is famous for Bibimbap which is a rice dish with various vegetables and hot pepper paste. It is also famous for a specific type of hand fan. Hmmm...population is around 500k, but it has a small town atmosphere compared to Seoul. Real Estate in Jeonju is very cheap compared to Seoul. People are nice, but are more suspicious of foreigners, who are all language teachers. That's about it.

[Koreaboundandgagged]

Hi Alexh,

Thanks for the informative response. We're not actually working at a hagwon; instead, it is a very small school designed for ethnic Korean children with citizenships in other countries. In fact, we'll be teaching all subjects. Ever hear of Jeonbuk Foreign School?

How cold is "very cold?" I come from what I'd consider one of the coldest areas on the earth--well, not quite as cold as Antarctica, but week-long streaks of temps. in the - (yes, negative) 20-30 degree Fahrenheit range. On the other hand, how hot does it get? How long do these dust storms last? Should I bring my North Face winter coat with 700 grams of down?

Anything else we should be bringing from home?

Thanks again.