Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Nierlisse]

So I'm trying to get PS jobs for myself and my husband, and our recruiter said that it would be difficult to find us jobs in the same area since most schools only need 1 teacher and only have housing for 1 teacher, etc, etc...I sent them 3 locations we wanted and they replied that those areas mostly want experienced, single teachers (which we are not), and then they recommended Osan.

Since my husband wants to be near Seoul, Osan is a little further out than we wanted. I'm not so keen on living in a huge city anyway, but is Osan a decent place to live? I know there is a military base there, so I figure there must be lots of restaurants and such around to keep us happy. I just don't know if it's worth it to try Osan and only go into Seoul occasionally if we want/need anything else we can't find, or if we should ask for somewhere closer. (We don't want to go with SMOE; their pay is even worse than GEPIK) About how long does it take to get into Seoul proper from Osan?

[Leaver]

I'm living in Osan now. Osan is an ok place to live. If you're looking for a thriving city with lots of nightlife, this isn't it. There are lots of restaurants about. The main (perhaps only?) western restaurant is Outback Steakhouse. The main supermarkets are E-Mart and Lotte Mart, which are about 10 minutes walk from each other. There's also Osan markets which are pretty cool. Osan City Hall constantly has events. For winter, they have an outdoor ice rink set up.

The army base is actually in Songtan, which is about 10-15 minutes by subway. There's a black market or two there, more western products and nightclubs and bars. It's like a mini Seoul.

The quickest way to get to Seoul is by bus, the terminal is next to the subway station. It takes about 45 to 50 minutes. Going by subway takes between an hour to 90 minutes, depending on where you want to go.

Overall, Osan is an ok place to live. Not overly exciting, but much quieter than Seoul. Hope that answers your question.

[Nierlisse]

You know, that sounds just about perfect. I don't care about tons of nightlife (I'm not that far out of college but the constant party life does not appeal to me at all) and I love the fact that you say it is quiet, with fun places nearby if we want them. I'll have to confer with my husband (maybe) but that area sounds pretty great to me. Thanks so much!

[Leaver]

I couldn't interest you in taking a hagwon position at all? There are two positions available at my school as one of the teachers contracts has finished and I have decided to move on. The school is really good and everyone is really sweet. They help me so much when I'm clueless about something! I know everybody says this when they're looking for new teachers, but it really is an awesome school. I'm leaving for personal reasons that have nothing at all to do with the school. Also, I'm sure the pay may be better than public schools and the hours are much less. And I'm sure they'd be happy to spring for a nice apartment for a couple instead of 2 seperate apartments for two different teachers.

Anyway, I'll be putting an advertisement on the job board soon with more information. But if you're interested at all, let me know.

[sojusucks]