Korean Job Discussion Forums

[12ax7]

There aren't as many overt expressions of xenophobia anymore. It's much more pernicious, or at least it is unless you have a kid in school, in which case it will be painfully obvious.

[joelove]

^

I believe the word you wanted was 'insidious' not 'pernicious.'

[sligo]

Speaking for out of Seoul...

Food: Milk and bread are about 30% more expensive than 4 years ago. Wine is no longer elitist (well the supermarkets have bottles for all budgets athat are drinkable - 15,000 - 30,000). Most supermartkets will sell beer from around 30 countries - the ale selection is still small, but growing all the time.

Transport: Almost all taxi fares have risen a great deal. Now, the starting price in most cities is 2,800 - 3,000 Won. There are even more cars, so the roads are getting busier, and the drivers are getting worse (due to hating waiting in queues, most will run red lights, drive on the sidewalk, or just abandon their car in a carpark to save time). Busses are slightly more expensive, but still the best way to travel.

Attention: The old "Hi, nice to meet you, where are you from?" from almost every child seems to have stopped. Slight stares from the kids is the most to expect, but not many disturbances. The old guys still stare with fixed gazes, but don't really bother people like they used to.

Money: Private classes are becoming the new standard of wealth. Hiring a private teacher for home is becoming more and more common, and pays more to the teacher. The money to be made from in house teaching is massive.

Cuisine: Almost every style of food is now available in Seoul. Before, there was many, but now, almost all bases are covered. From Brazilian beef places in Itaewon, to Tibetan curry in Hongdae, it's all there to find.

Corruption: Hagwon bosses seem to be becoming worse (from all the posts on forums about legal help). It seems that the market has reached a point where a hagwon doesn't guaruntee money, and a lot of teachers are complaing about not being paid, or being fired in their 11th month. This has always been a worry, but i have not know it on this scale (i'm coming up to 7 years here). I believe the rise in home teachers has lead to a drop in hagwon students which has lead to loss of income for all associated with hagwon teaching.

Uni: 3 years adult experience use to cut it, but now most want 4 years without a masters and 1 year with one. Most people believe that in a few years, a BA (regardless of expeience) won't count for anything.

These are the main differences i can think of. If you come back, i wish you well.

[cj1976]

More young Koreans speak English now. All those hagwon and after-school classes are paying off, I guess. It is becoming more common to meet English-speaking people in retail and service roles.
There seem to be more foreigners than ever before, so perhaps that's part of the reason too.

[Mr. BlackCat]

The subway lines have expanded quite a bit. Not sure if you were still here for Line 9 (I believe it opened in 2009). Goes from Gimpo airport to Gangnam, planned to go further east soon. There are express trains for it.

Airport Train runs from Incheon to Gimpo to Hongdae to Seoul Station. Very convenient if you don't have many bags or just to cut through the city.

Line 7 expanded and now connects to the Incheon line.

The yellow Bundang line goes up to Wangsimni now, and I noticed it apparently goes all the way down to Suwon to connect with Line 1 now.

There's a red SinBundang line that runs from Gangnam station to Bundang that is an express line.

The Jungang line splits off out of Seoul and goes way out there to the East.

There's a new yellow line for that new "global city" down south of Incheon, I forgot the name.

Fares have gone up a bit to 1050 with a card.

As others have said, Itaewon area changes so much I'm shocked if I'm gone for just a couple of weeks. Some guy burned down part of the Hill and now there's a big fancy hotel there which has gotten rid of the gas station on the main strip as they will use it as a parking lot. Odd that some prime real estate just so happened to burn down with a fire station literally right next to it just as prices in the area rose and this hotel was able to snap up the land so quickly....

Foreign food and beer is much more available, not just in the usual spots. Emart even had pesto one of the times I went there! I remember when you couldn't even get cheese or Sprite or bread without cream inside.

With the Olympics coming the Eastern resort areas are being built up and a KTX will open eventually out that way.

And I have to add to the chorus saying dyed hair and tattoos are everywhere now. Like, in the last year it's just exploded. And yes, prices have gone up quite a bit. Foreigners aren't the exotic animals we once were, and many Koreans will just speak to you in Korean and treat you like a normal person, which can be good and bad (haha). Can't get away with as much dumb foreigner stuff anymore (anjou? What's that? No, I don't understand, just bring us beer!).

[joeteacher]

The beer selection has been the big one for me. Itaewon and the surrounding areas have given us some real nice tasty ales when there weren't any 4 years ago.

Better selection of western food across Seoul, even in my poorish neighborhood.

Bigger boobs.

[12ax7]

[Gravity Wins]

[World Traveler]

Inflation in the United States is 1.5%. Inflation in Canada is 1.3% That's almost nothing. (Some places on earth see higher price rises than others; not every country gets it equally. The rate of inflation in Korea is higher than the rate of inflation in the West.) Obesity in the United States is leveling off. In Korea it is skyrocketing.

[Julius]

PC bangs are vanishing rapidly.

Korean guys actually work out nowadays and have muscle.

Casual wear and sneakers have gradually replaced the grey and brown formal shirts and shoes

Police have started patrolling on foot in groups. Instead of just cruising about in cars and avoiding trouble.

Overall noise has increased. People seem to talk even louder at street level than before.

Immigration actually has a database, and keeps records.

Overall levels of misery and stress seem to have gone up.

[sligo]

1 more thing, the Jesus door knockers have all but stopped (only once in the past 3 years, whilst living in 4 different apartments have i been "god bothered")

[robbie_davies]

[caniff]

^ cheers!

Thanks for all the info from everyone. The flight leaves at 6am (ouch) on Nov. 1st, and I've been in the process of selling furniture and stuff. It's amazing how much you can accumulate in a few years.

Over here I have a Verizon HTC smartphone, but I gather it'll be worthless over in Korea (Verizon's service is okay, but they're overpriced). What's the lowdown on getting a phone in Seoul? Any suggestions and do you know what I might expect to pay, roughly?

[Ginormousaurus]

[12ax7]