Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Intrepid Voyage]

Hello! I'm a twenty-five year old female (currently living in the US) and I'm looking for a great place to live/work in South Korea.

My question is: Where do you work and do you like it?
Also, how did you hear about the position and how do you like the area (good expat community, etc.) Right now, I think that I might be leaning toward a more "suburban" location, but I could possibly be swayed over to Seoul.

Thanks in advance for any advice or input!

~Christianna

[Milwaukiedave]

IV,

In terms of the city you want to live, it really depends on what your looking for. Many people here will say that Seoul is the only place to live. I honestly don't buy that. I've lived in Seoul, Incheon, Daegu, Jinju and now Gwangju. All of them offer very different things to do and see.

In some places the expat community is stronger then others. Here in Gwangju it seems to be really good. There are lots of big stores and even a specialty store where you can find western food that may not be available at the regular stores.

Jinju was a very beautiful place, a bit smaller then the other cities I lived in. Many things to do and see in terms of mountains, temples, etc.

Daegu is pretty big and there are lots of teachers there. I lived on the outskirts of town and it was quite. On the weekends I'd venture downtown. There are plenty of bookstores, theathers, department stores etc.

Incheon was a bit closer to Seoul so it was possible to go there on the weekends. You also are closer to the airport in Incheon or Seoul in terms of if you want to take a vacation. It gets cold there (and in Seoul) in the winter. Depending on where you live the pollution can be moderate to bad (but so can Seoul, a point those who claim it's the only place to live fail to point out). The expat community wasn't nearly as strong there though.

I've been to Pusan a few times, many people say living there is great so you might consider that as well.

In terms the job I have now, I work at a university and it's a good gig.

[spliff]

Ho hum... This is really your attempt to find a job here...LOL!

[Adahma]

I'm trying to figure out where I'd like to go as well ... I had a friend who was in Busan ... he seemed to like it pretty well

[PRagic]

I'm in Seoul, and I like it. The first few years here, people were coming and going, but over the past few years, we've established a good group of permanent expat friends.

I think it would be tough to beat Milwaukiedave's input, though. He really has lived around the penninsula. Over the years I've traveled extensively around Korea, and I still visit other cities for work, but I've only ever lived in Seoul (going on 15 years now).

Good luck to you on your move over. Korea is a great place to live and work.

[Intrepid Voyage]

Milwaukiedave ~ Thank you so much for the very thorough reply! I've heard similar reports about the pollution level, especially in Seoul, and I think I'd be willing to sacrifice the availability of western goods/services for better air quality.

Adahma~ Good luck to you. I've heard good things about Busan as well.

PRagic~ Thanks for the report about Seoul. I've heard mixed things from people living there. Some love it, some hate it.

Thanks again to everyone! (and to that one generous soul who sent me the PM... I'm still working on my 25 posts in order to reply to you!)

~IV

[yingwenlaoshi]

[twg]

[makemischief]