Korean Job Discussion Forums

seoulguy · Joined: 12 Dec 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ USA

Would like to hear from anyone familiar with (i.e., actually living and working in Suncheon) Suncheon, as a place to live, and, who has general knowledge of the hagwon situation there. Thanks. Wink

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

Never been there. Got a job prospect. Would like to know more as well.

ashke516 · Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Location: on the beach

I worked in Suncheon my first year and I still go there occassionally to visit friends who haven't left yet. It's not a bad place to be, it's a typical "small" city in Korea (around 350,000 people) with a pretty close foreigner community. A few western restaurants (Outback, a Korean Italian place and of course fastfood) and some really good Korean restaurants (Jeolla province is supposed to have the best tasting Korean food in the country... I think so as well).

I worked for GnB in Keum Dong and it was a good starter school for a newbie but I wouldn't work there after experiencing what a great school is like. I can't give you any specifics on any other hogwans in the area, but there's a yahoo group... not a very helpful bunch online (though occassionally you can pry out some useful informantion other than the next poker night, soccer/football match or the next party), but in person they are a pretty good bunch.

[email protected]

I definitely prefer being closer to Seoul though.

Kimchi Cha Cha · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: was Suncheon, now Brisbane

Suncheon's quite a nice place, I like it here and recently signed on for another year here. The countryside around here is beautful, plenty of mountains and the coast. The people are relatively friendly and laid-back (as much as Koreans can be), and there's quite a lot of Western amentities (Outback, HomePlus, Carrefour) for a city its size. The ex-pat community is pretty tight with two popular ex-pat bars.

The city is known as Jeollanam-do's 'Education' city and there's plenty of jobs available in the public schools and also some jobs available via City Hall where teachers teach classes in community centres and schools around town. The level of English is quite high of a town of its size and it seems to be booming partly due to its proximity to the Gwangyang Bay FEZ.

Good city, if I were you I'd try to seek out a public school position rather than a hagwon. I stuck with my hagwon for another year and am kicking myself now.

krjames · Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Location: Suncheon

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

The food is really, really good. And I love Jeolla food.

The bargain shopping is awesome!

There is a surprisingly large number of foreigners there.

They have a Costco!

And if it's too much country for you, Gwangju is a short bus ride away. (If that's too much country for you, best to stay in Seoul.)