Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cubic09]

Is there anybody out there that has lived (or is living) in Busan and would care to share their thoughts on the city and region? From a lot of postings here it seems that Seoul is ugly, dirty and expensive...could anyone suggest a place with easy living for someone who cares less about bars and nightlife and more about their physical environment?

[Cohiba]

Remember "Cohiba's Rule" (Now better than ever!):

Think twice before you live outside of Seoul. "In Seoul" and
"outside of Seoul" are like two different countries. Seoul
is an interesting place with variety and venues for most
tastes. Outside of Seoul you will find a homogeneous Korean
culture. I don't mean this in a bad way, but you will never
find things like: French, Greek, Indian or any other ethnic
foods. Markets that sell sherry, pate, pastrami, ricotta cheese.
Specialty shops that sell Cuban cigars, European pies, cold
cuts or rye breads. Just to name a few things. Also clubs such
as photography, drama, public speaking, sailing are 99% in
the capital city. If you want to experiment with a very Korean
culture, which unfortunately means "closed", then choose the
countryside. If you want to make money and have the lifestyle
choices similar to a western country, then there is no other
choice than Seoul.

The FFF RULE: FFF=Fun For Foreigners.

If FFF in Seoul = 100, then FFF decreases at
1/distance. So 2km from Seoul FFF=1/2(100)=50;
10km from Seoul FFF=1/10(100)=10. This rule is
a rule for nightlife, food and foreign products only.
Nature etc. is on a different scale altogether.

This means you will be wasting a lot of time commuting
to Seoul. This is especially a drag if you have been
boozing on a Friday night and there are no buses or
trains.

I, unfortunately, live near Seoul where the FFF factor
is almost in the negative range. I know!

[Skippy]

I think think the place your looking for is called the countryside.

Come on Dude. Pusan is another city that is crowded, dirty in places, and expensive.

If you do not want the city tell any recruiter that and he will have 50 jobs lined up for you in a minute.

[conbon78]

I have numerous friends that live in Busan and absolutely love it. You have the beach plus a great nightlife and the weather doesn't get as cold or snowy like Seoul. I live in Seoul though and I absolutely love it. It's not dirty and it isn't that much more expensive than other areas. I used to live in Daejeon.

Hope that helps.
My friends work at KJC and seem really happy with it. They only work from 2-8.

[uhfotis]

I've lived in Busan, Seoul and now Wonju and Busan is by far the best. It has all the big city-ness of Seoul plus better weather and beaches. Busan is far less westernized than Seoul (so take that as either a good thing or a bad thing) and with the KTX you can shoot up to Seoul very easily any time.

[oskinny1]

I live in Busan. My backyard is forest and my alarm clock is cicadas. It is a 5 minute walk to the beach (stone, not sand) and I have great restaurants all around me. It takes me 30 minutes to get to Seomyeon (where a lot of good bars and restaurants are) and 90 minutes away from Haeundae, which is still too close.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

I live in Daegu right now and enjoy it, but I first lived in Busan and still have a soft spot for it. The city is a little gritty but I find the people more down to earth. The weather is milder than Seoul, costs are lower, and it doesn't feel so crowded all the time. There are lots of beaches and parks.

It depends what you are into. There are admittedly very few western amenities in Busan. Basically, you'll eat Korean food and like it. I didn't mind because you can always take the train to Seoul for a day trip or order western groceries over home shopping.

Ken:>

[oskinny1]

[Cubic09]

And is it possible to save some cash? I have heard people here saying they have easily saved one million won each month, which is a handy sum.

[oskinny1]

I make 2.3 million and save 1.5 million with effort, 1 million is easy.

[Cubic09]

[goodsounz]

Depends on how old you are. If you are young and energetic looking for fun then Seoul is definitely the place to be. If you have been there done that then I would suggest Busan. That was/is my experience anyhooo.

[call_the_shots]

[PARAMDUNGI]

Dude, just come to Busan. You'll love it. I've lived there for a year and half and I never met ONE PERSON who didn't love it. Busan is awesome. It's cheaper than Seoul, less polluted, more beaches, more access to Jeju and Japan, its just a great time. By the way, I went out all the time, had two student loans to pay every month, and still saved 1M per month.

[Chris_Dixon]

Busan is awesome, my favorite city in Korea...much better than Seoul

the "rule" stated above is absolutly bs now....