Korean Job Discussion Forums

[damian]

hello

i am thinking of taking a job in changwon - does anybody know anthing about the area?

thanks

[sheba]

It's the only city in the country that was planned before being built. Half of the city is industrial, the other half is for living. There are rows and rows of apartment buildings with malls, schools and parks every few blocks. It is a very nice clean city with plenty of parks and trees.

Im not sure about the social aspect though. I didnt go to any bars when I was there (nor did I meet any foreigners).

[Ya-ta Boy]

Changwon is far enough south that winters are reasonable. Major point in my book. It's about 45 minutes by bus west of Pusan.

It has an E-Mart and a Home Plus...and a Wal-Mart just down the road in Masan. (Changwon, Masan and Jinhae are really all one city, with a big mountain stuck right in the middle.) There is also an Outback restaurant.

There is a largish number of waygookins around. A couple of foreigner bars.

All in all, not the worst place (by far) in Korea to live.

[BigBuds]

My wife and I live in Changwon (I'm Australian, she's korean). We own a hagwon and a recruiting company here. I've been here over 4 years now. There's a few major departmnet stores, several cinemas, an Outback Steakhouse, TGI Fridays, and a Benniggans. As well as plenty of other stuff. It's one of the best cities to live in, in Korea. Not too big, not too small, just right.....lol.

Here are a couple of links for you to check out. The first is the official Changwon city website in English and the other is the website for 'O'briens bar' (Foreigner bar, also owned by an ex-foreign teacher) where there is a chat room so you can ask questions to people who actually live and work here. Just go to the website and click on Changwon as there is one in Busan as well.

1. http://www.changwon.go.kr/foreign/english/
2. http://www.obriens-bar.com/

If you PM me I'll send you my phone number, if you want to call, and I can answer any questions you have about Changwon or the school you're thinking of working for.

[damian]

Thanks for your help everyone...think Im Changwon bound!

[Cymro]

http://www.aledpowell.com/korea/changwon

I stood for a couple of minutes in front of a huge poster of Changwon at a Seoul subway station last night reminiscing the great times I had down there.

The city's growth is amazing. Much of what BigBuds refers to wasn't there as recently as when I left this year. I think even the city mascot I have on my Changwon page has since retired and there are now two - Chang and Won!

[Hollywoodaction]

My buddy used to live in Changwon way back in 1999, so I've been there many times. Besides the fact that they have the worst drivers in Korea, or so I've been told, it was a nice enough place to live. What really struck me was how deserted the street were during the holidays. I'm talking about large avenues with not a single car in sight. You see, nobody really is from Changwon, so it's a pretty relaxing place to be during the Korean holidays.

[just because]

Another long term Changwon resident(I know the other 2 fools in this thread that live(d) there personally ) and i can honestly say i would not live anywhere else in Korea...

Have lived here 4 years, the problem is it is so hard to get a job here as a lot of people that come here don't want to leave and the ones that do are always trying to come back to Changwon only....

Nicest city in korea, and i have found the drivers in other parts of Korea much worse than here, mainly due to the fact that the roads are wide and the street layout is well planned unlike most Korean cities....

The ex-pat population here is very friendly and if you feel like a bigger night busan is just up the road...

Hope to see you here...where di you get a job???

[Dysupes]

hey,

I've been here in Changwon for two years and am doing my best to convince my fiancee that we should be in Changwon until we leave to head back to Canada. I have to agree with those who have commented before me and say that Changwon is far and away the city I would choose to live in here in Korea. Why? Well, like other posters have said you have all the major department stores either in downtown Changwon or nearby in Masan. You have a cinema that shows English movies on an almost weekly basis (you don't tend to get a ton of great movies but it still gives you the option) and there are even bookstores here that have English books (though for a wider selection I tend to hit Pusan). And that's the other thing, Pusan is not far away and only costs you 3100won to get there. Plus there is a very decent sized foreigner community here, a free Korean Class if you're interested in learning Korean, and plenty of things to do. Changwon residents, for the most part, are friendly and I definitely endorse Changwon as a great place to come live if you get the chance.

PM me if you have any questions as I'd be happy to help.

Dysupes

P.S. - I think I may have my fiancee convinced! Woo hoo!

[Hollywoodaction]

[damian]

thanks for all the replys

i feel better about changwon. i am looking at teaching at E2. does anyone know anything about this institute? sounds good from what i have heard

maybe see you locals soon

[just because]

E2 is one of the better hagwons in the city and you will have no worries with being paid on time...

However they do work their teachers quite hard and expext them to teach and not babysit like a lot of hagwons which is good...I've known a couyple of people that have worked there and they said it was Ok..

Although one of the girls that worked there said the boss is a pretty sexist pig so i suppose if you are a girl it might not be so good

[just because]

[Dysupes]

Since we're talking about Changwon anyway, I figure I'll float out this question of mine and see if anyone has any info: My soon-to-be-wife and I are seriously considering grabbing an apartment here and are wondering what apartment prices are like. Anybody have any clue how much your standard 16 pyeong apartment would go for (Key Money/no rent)? Or even barring that, just your standard one bedroom apartment with stove, fridge, and washer?

Thanks!

Dysupes

[just because]