Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DC in Suwon]

It looks like I might now have to wait until March to make the move to Korea.

The cities listed in the poll are those that I have the option to go to.

Here's what I'm looking for in a city:

-Not Seoul but not a town with no other foreigners.
-Ok night life (don't need tons of clubs or anything like that)
-various shops that may have something that I recognize as being Western
-Proximity to Seoul doesn't matter
-close to nice landscapes/hiking/historical

Either way, just let me know what you think about these cities. I know a bunch about Suwon already, but not much about the others.

[VanIslander]

[DC in Suwon]

[RACETRAITOR]

Why doesn't proximity to Seoul not matter?

I would've recommended Suwon, but I know that Namyangju is a pain in the ass to get to, so you might like that.

[sojourner1]

You won't get tons of night life anywhere, but in Seoul and the other cities are so so similar except slightly varying almost unnoticeable populations as it all really looks the same. It really is more about the quality of the job than the city as Korean cities are nothing like that you'd expect out of western cities of comparable sizes.

I taught a year in Changwon and didn't like it as I lived in a really stuffy, ugly, smoky, stinky, and polluted old people's neighborhood where they just all stared at me and acted unfriendly, but many foreigners claim to like Changwon and stay for years. It probably is a lot better for most than in my experience as I had a crappy set up. You get into other parts of Changwon and it's more affluent younger to middle aged people who don't live and act like those leather faces where I was. Bonggok Dong is yucky, but it's easy to get a cab or bus to go anywhere else. Only 1 hagwon is there to my knowledge and the only foreigners living there work in that hagwon, except the American trout guide man.

I liked how convenient shopping is with large Homeplus and Emart stores and how O'briens Irish pub had good home style cooked meal specials. Really, Changwon has everything you need, except the immigration office is in Masan, but you only go there once or twice though. When you go for a beer at O'briens before 11PM, it's usually US Navy officers and German engineers you chat with who are cool and highly intelligent guys. After 11PM the teachers come out, because most of them sleep in late due to starting at 2 or 3 PM, but I had to get up early for work so I went out early and back home early so I didn't associate with other teachers outside my hagwon. I really didn't go out for late evening drinking party any more than a half dozen times during the whole year so I wasn't a regular. I'm just not too hip on social life and culture evolving around drinking regularly on any night of the week, but that's Korea sorta like in college and military. I only wish we had more in Korea than just bars, drinking, and playing blackjack as a foreigner community to be a part of. Haven't seen many clubs, hobbyist, and other such non-drinking oriented interests as we're all really spread out and most of us don't drive here.

City or not, this job is great for loners living the quiet life on their computers like I do and great for socialite bar goers trying to extend the college life in a new way. LOL Living in a city, you'll also be invited out to Korean restaurants and beer hofs quite often where it's a cheap worst quality alcohol drinking occasion on just any night of the week. I like living in a tiny town where I only get invited twice a year since nothing happens here and the teachers are mostly young women with small children who don't party. he he he A lot less stress for me.

Enjoy the party in Changwon if you go.

[DC in Suwon]

Thanks for the details sojourner. What I do like about Changwon is it's location. Seems like there's a lot to see/do in a 30/45 minute radius.

[IncognitoHFX]

Suwon is closest to Seoul I believe... Yongin isn't close at all, and Daegu is out on the corner of bumf*ck and "you've got a purdy mouth".

I like living in Suwon. It's not as busy as Seoul and it varies a lot. It has a little bit of everything (except GOD DAMN INDIAN FOOD, grrr...)

[RACETRAITOR]

Yeah, of that list I'd say Suwon's the best, but mainly for its proximity to Seoul.