Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wayfarer]

If you could make make as much or more money elsewhere, would you have even considered coming to Korea at all?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

For the time being it would have to get a lot worse before I wanted to leave; but if I was coming to Asia for the first time it would have made a big difference.

[I_Am_The_Kiwi]

Id be surprised if many people said theyd still come here if the money was crap.

Its probably the biggest draw card for anyone. Considering the other 3 countries you listed have so much more to offer except the money thing.

[MrRogers]

ditto

[cdninkorea]

If I could make the same amount of money and have the same amount of vacation (3 months), I'd go to Japan. In a few years I'm planning on moving there anyway.

[Newbie]

Never would have come.

[D.D.]

I would live in India or in Byron bay(Aus) or in a ski village if I could have a free house and 2500 a month.

[fustiancorduroy]

Working in Thailand or Vietnam would totally suck. I'd rather stay in Korea than work in either of those places for the same or even slightly more money. But if I could save as much in Japan as I am saving here, I'd probably go there.

On a side note, many posters here always talk about how great SE Asia is. I've visited there this summer, and it was nice, but I don't see how it's any more interesting than Korea. Anyone care to explain?

[Privateer]

I'm totally over Asia since living here. Once you get used to the crowds and the noise and the strangeness then half the attraction goes. I'd rather go almost anywhere else for a vacation these days.

[i4NI]

Put half of these posters in any other country and they'd still be just as whiny and full of complaints. Guaranteed.

[cruisemonkey]

If I was new, I'd choose K-land just because I like sparkles... still waiting to be sparkled.

[bangbayed]

[Spartacus]

I would probably be in Thailand. Nothing wrong with Korea so far, I like it. But I've been to Thailand before and I loved it and I can tell the culture is a bit different here. On the other hand, I came here to see more of the world, and going back to Thailand would sort of defeat that purpose in a way. Regardless, given the reality of moneymaking opportunities in Korea and Thailand, there was no way I was going to Thailand. Maybe I'll stop there next when I have some bank.

[Gamecock]

god, I'm so tired of threads about how peoples' lives are now miserable because of the exchange rate. Waaaa, waaaa, waaaa. It's a part of working abroad. Exchange rates fluctuate. Over the last year, all you American newbies have enjoyed record exchange rates for this decade, and now it has gone back to what is more normal.

If you came to Korea thinking the Won or Dollar would stay completely consistent, you're either naive or a fool (or maybe you just believed everything your recruiter told you). Perhaps you saw the numerous news stories over the last few years about the declining dollar and gambled that you could cash in big. Well, sorry. If it's that hard for you, I'd stay away from the stock market in the future...

[VanIslander]

Thailand is too hot to live in! I can just handle Korea's hot and humid summers. Thailand is a great place to visit, especially for a few weeks in wintertime. That's it for me.

Japan maybe, though I'm no fan of their food and found their orderliness on my half dozen trips there to be a bit creepy and thought it could be boring to live there.

New Zealand and the european countries of the Mediterranean are the only ones I can think of at the moment I'd jump at living in long term (5 years plus) if the working conditions and benefits were the same.

I have thought it'd be cool to work six months in each of several different countries, but that's something different, that's a sort of extended tourist idea, a working vacation and world traveller fantasy.