Korean Job Discussion Forums

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

So I am thinking of switching EPIK provinces to either Chuungbuk or Chungnam. The reason being that I want to be closer to Seoul, but don't want to work with GEPIK or SMOE. So which one is better and closer to Seoul? Currently I'm in Gyeongbuk and 5 hours from Seoul. I'd like to get withing 3 hours from Seoul and live in a mid-sized city. I live in the sticks at the moment.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

Daejeon or a city near to Daejeon.

OculisOrbis · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

Daejeon isn't Chungam or Chungbuk.

You could (likely) end up in the sticks in either province. I went in person to the chungnam office and they told me what towns had positions available and they let me choose the one i wanted.

I suggest asking and checking to see where the towns are located and some of the stats for each place if they are willing to give you a choice. Not sure about chungbuk, but i dont know anyone who was given a choice.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I also vote for Daejon. It used to be the capital of Chungnam Province till it got big enough to be a province of its own. It's a decent sized city and is relatively close to Seoul.

yeremy · Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject: Iksan

I am not sure if Iksan (200,000 plus) is in your stated preferred area but it's really modernized since I first went there in 96. Wonkwang University has a decent-sized English institute for their university students. The foreign teachers there always seemed to have a good time and they are one of the few ELI's which has posted a few pictures of what one of their instructor apartments looked like. The teachers there are mostly younger and a lot of them are from Canada, too, at least the ones I used to know were. A friend of mine worked there for a couple of years and he liked it so I think it's not a bad gig at all. Iksan is about three hours from Seoul, too, and it's an hour to an hour and a half south of Daejeon plus forty to fifty minutes by bus to Jeonju. Good luck.

Underwaterbob · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Location: In Cognito

The biggest city in ChungcheongBuk-Do is Cheongju, which is around 600'000 I think. It's a nice city with a decent expat community. At least it was the last time I spent any time there, which was about four years ago. It's an hour or two from Seoul. The only other options of any size in Buk are Chungju and Wonju (Their respective, ever so inspired slogans are "Good Chungju" and "Healthy Wonju"), both of which are decent, closer to nature than most of Korea little cities. EPIK will place you in the city of your choice if you tell them they have to or you won't work for them. It's not exactly hard for them, public schools in ChungcheongBuk-Do are desperate for wonamin.

mluo84 · Joined: 26 Mar 2009 Location: NJ

One of the recruiters I'm talking to says he has an opening in Chungcheongnamdo. The contract says Chungnam. Are those two the same place? Also will it be really rural like living out in the sticks?

OculisOrbis · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

Yes. Same same. And mostly likely to almost definitely.

Ask for the name of the town they plan to place you in. Google is your friend.