Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Lucky28]

I have the choice to be located in the following cities: Yongin, Bundang, Ansan, Guri, or Suwon. I lived in Korea for a three year stint in Seoul but in Nowon-gu so a little out of the way. No one in Nowon.

I'm curious what your opinions are on what the "best" city is among these in terms of:
1) Things to do in one's free time
2) Size of expat communities and hangouts
3) Distance and ease of travel to and from Seoul

Thanks a lot everyone.

[RACETRAITOR]

#3 is your most important question and supersedes the other two. In that regard, Suwon and Bundang are best. I don't really know much about Guri. Basically in Gyunggido any kind of culture or fun thing to do all drains toward Seoul.

[Xuanzang]

Ilsan, Bundang

[fortysixyou]

Ilsan.

[roadwork]

[Gaber]

Anyang is half an hour closer to Seoul than Suwon. A bit ratty in parts . I'd do another year there though.

[manofwar]

Ilsan

[English Matt]

I'd say Bundang.....it has a ton of restaurants, Korean and foreign, good shopping, is a short bus ride from Seoul, and has a subway line connecting the various bits of Bundang to one another and, further afield, to Seoul. Make sure that you're close to a subway station though. Alternatively Suji-gu in Yongin is quite nice in and around the Jukjeon station region.

Suwon has it's good points and bad points and is where I live....however, if you live in some parts of the city, it can take you a good hour and a half to get into Seoul and you could, IMO, end up feeling quite isolated. I wouldn't necessarily recommend coming here over Bundang or Suji-gu in Yongin.

Ansan and Guri are both really bleak places....I really just feel much better every time I leave them.

[dean_burrito]

I've never been to Ilsan but I lived near Bundang in Gwangju (don't live there by the way).
Bundang offers a bit to do and plenty of red buses to take you into Seoul. Yatap is a bit dirty and shady but outside of that area most of it seemed clean and not so clustered and crowded. And it is home to Dublin Pub. Go there you'll meet plenty of good people.

[SeoulFinn]

Ilsan.

[Oreovictim]

I'm probably about the only anti-Bundang foreigner out there. I don't recommend the city. It doesn't even feel like a city. It's just one big long strip. Also, the air quality isn't all that it's cracked up to be, but I've never lived in downtown Seoul, so maybe it is better.

But my biggest gripe is that Bundang is too far away from Seoul. Just look at a subway map. Bundang is at the end of the yellow line. My girlfriend lives in Kangnam. It takes about 45 minutes to get there, not including the time it takes to walk to the nearest station.

By the way, sure, you can get a job in Bundang, but it doesn't mean that you'll have your apartment there. I live about a two-minute walk to Bundang, in Yongin. (I don't recommend Yongin, either.)

If it's a hogwon job, just talk to your soon-to-be coworkers and find out where they live. Maybe you'll have a job at Yatap, but your apartment will be outside of Bundang in old-school Moran.

I finally made it to Suwon yesterday. I thought it was pretty nice. Has a lot more character than Bundang, but that can translate to "old and dumpy". And I've been to Ilsan a couple of times, too. I liked it a lot. But it is pretty far away from everything else.

[RACETRAITOR]

[dean_burrito]

[crusher_of_heads]

Bucheon.

Of course, you cannot beat Suwon what with all the glass houses down there, if they are still in business after the crackdown.

[Juregen]

Guri has nothing going for itself