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| Best liveable Korean city? |
| Seoul |
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50% |
[ 17 ] |
| Busan |
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14% |
[ 5 ] |
| Incheon |
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2% |
[ 1 ] |
| Daegu |
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8% |
[ 3 ] |
| Other - city |
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17% |
[ 6 ] |
| Other - country |
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5% |
[ 2 ] |
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| Total Votes : 34 |
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joltaxt
Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:48 am Post subject: Any Korean cities you don't recommend? |
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So I just got back from Tokyo where I was living previously. Loved it there, and am definitely the big city type and am excited to try out Korea next.
I've never been to South Korea, and I've done some reading on South Korean cities and soon will look for a position in preferably a large city. I'm looking to save money but have somewhere nice to go if I get bored on the weekends (i.e. bars, clubs, live music venues). Somewhere with parks so I can play guitar or just have a nice jog in the morning. And if this is at all possible, a place where they sell American food products as the only thing I didn't like about Japan was the fact that I wasn't eating (I LOVE Korean food though I just love American more).
My top choices are Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Daegu (surprise of the century).
However, there are plenty of large cities in Korea I'm sure recruiters will recommend me. I'm honestly not that picky, and I'll probably only end up choosing one of the aforementioned cities or a town that is no more than an hour away from them. Having said all of this, are there any cities that YOU would out right not recommend? I appreciate the input, thanks!
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Dude Ranch
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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I would stay away from Daejeon then after having just spent a year there myself, and especially if you are use to the big town feel of Tokyo
there is nothing wrong with it, but nothing great either. Foreign food choices are limited,no Mexican resturant in the whole city. There are a decent amount of foreigners and foreign bars but not enough to entertain me for a whole year. after awhile it became the same places and people over and over. The korean people there are pretty conservative in dress and attitude. Like I said there is nothing really bad about Daejeon but nothing great either. You can at least save some money (except for paying to get to Seoul on the weekeends)
I am interested in living in Tokyo though one day, what was that like? |
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Olivencia
Joined: 08 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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Gunsan for sure.
Out in the middle of nowhere nothing to do - too many people. That is there should be more to do there with that many people living there. Not much to see and visit...mountains temples a few others blah blah. Seoul is too far away. Boring boring boring. |
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beercanman
Joined: 16 May 2009
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like you'd probably be best off in Seoul or one of its affluent suburbs (Bundang, Ilsan), or maybe Busan. I doubt you'd like Incheon or Daegu. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Seoul, Busan, or nothing. That's what I say. |
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youtuber
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: Any Korean cities you don't recommend? |
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| joltaxt wrote: |
So I just got back from Tokyo where I was living previously. Loved it there, and am definitely the big city type and am excited to try out Korea next.
I've never been to South Korea, and I've done some reading on South Korean cities and soon will look for a position in preferably a large city. I'm looking to save money but have somewhere nice to go if I get bored on the weekends (i.e. bars, clubs, live music venues). Somewhere with parks so I can play guitar or just have a nice jog in the morning. And if this is at all possible, a place where they sell American food products as the only thing I didn't like about Japan was the fact that I wasn't eating (I LOVE Korean food though I just love American more).
My top choices are Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Daegu (surprise of the century).
However, there are plenty of large cities in Korea I'm sure recruiters will recommend me. I'm honestly not that picky, and I'll probably only end up choosing one of the aforementioned cities or a town that is no more than an hour away from them. Having said all of this, are there any cities that YOU would out right not recommend? I appreciate the input, thanks!
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I think you are going a couple of steps down from Tokyo. Why would you leave Japan? |
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joltaxt
Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Dude Ranch wrote: |
I would stay away from Daejeon then after having just spent a year there myself, and especially if you are use to the big town feel of Tokyo
I am interested in living in Tokyo though one day, what was that like? |
Hey, thanks everyone for the input.
Tokyo is really awesome. I lived in NYC for four years and it feels a lot like the city, only bigger, more crowded, replace all of the rude people with friendly ones. Not to mention it's a huge city yet so CLEAN. Only drawbacks are that there are tons of foreigners and English speakers which makes it significantly less "Japanese" than the other cities and harder to learn Japanese (i.e. you ask for directions in Japanese and they respond in English), and the cost of living. A lot of the people I talked to said NYC and Tokyo were their favorite cities.
youtuber, I left Tokyo because I simply couldn't afford to live there on a teacher's salary. I still have loans to pay and South Korea seems like the perfect place to save some money, learn about a new culture, and actually eat for once 
Last edited by joltaxt on Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Captain Obvious
Joined: 23 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Watch out for the coastal cities. Except for Busan they're not all they're cracked up to be. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:14 pm Post subject: Best & Worst Korean Cities |
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I wasn't fussed on Daegu. Apart from Haeinsa, it has few noteworthy tourist attractions in the region. Plus it's spread out, & you really need a car. I'd agree with Seoul or Busan as your best choices, but research the area well as there are good & bad areas in both. Daejeon, Changwon & Andong are nice, smaller cities, but all of these would still be a big step down, after Tokyo.
Ulsan used to be cited as one of the worst Korean cities, but has cleaned up its act of late. It's an industrial city, & the Detroit or Pittsburgh of Korea.
Last edited by chris_J2 on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dude Ranch
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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be really really careful OP about going to a smaller city in Korea
I lived in London two years ago and then moved to Daejeon for a year. Boy was it different! I thought I might enjoy something a bit smaller but I found it sucked. maybe if you are a bit older and are looking for something a bit less fastd pace after years in tokyo and nyc, but if you still want to have fun watch out!
remember the rule
take any city in industrial asia and divide the population by 3. Daejeon is 1.5 million people but it feels like a city of 500,000 at most
I think Seoul and Busan are the best options |
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Bloopity Bloop
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Location: Seoul yo
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| Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:46 am Post subject: |
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| Just curious... how could you not find good food in Tokyo? I just cannot understand how that is possible at all. I had a hard time not spending money on food when I lived in Tokyo. SOOOOOO much good food. And Korean food cannot even compare to Japanese. I prefer Japanese convenient store food over most Korean food, actually. |
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joltaxt
Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:19 am Post subject: |
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Interesting post Dude Ranch. I've never been to London, but I'm sure London to Daejeon was quite different as NYC is from there as well. I'm 22 so maybe I should just stick to Seoul and Busan or a suburb.
| Bloopity Bloop wrote: |
| Just curious... how could you not find good food in Tokyo? I just cannot understand how that is possible at all. I had a hard time not spending money on food when I lived in Tokyo. SOOOOOO much good food. And Korean food cannot even compare to Japanese. I prefer Japanese convenient store food over most Korean food, actually. |
I can't stand Japanese food. Too much of that seaweed flavor, nori, noodles got old real quick, and it's never spicy (I was practically raised on spicy foods). We ate mostly Mexican, American, and Italian food growing up and Japanese is honestly just way too out there even though some stuff like shabu shabu and yakitori are really good. The majority of it I just couldn't stomach. We went to a Korean restaurant a few times and I was blown away every time (I had never tried Korean in the States). I'm actually really looking forward to the food in Korea, I found myself cooking American meals quite often in my Tokyo apartment and literally going to McDonalds about every other day.  |
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Dude Ranch
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:15 am Post subject: |
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| joltaxt wrote: |
Interesting post Dude Ranch. I've never been to London, but I'm sure London to Daejeon was quite different as NYC is from there as well. I'm 22 so maybe I should just stick to Seoul and Busan or a suburb.
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London was diverse (people, food, culture) tons of stuff to do, people from all around the world were travelling through (either working there or visiting). felt great to spend some time there. Daejeon was almost completley opposite after living in London. Very homogenous culture and food, all the other foreigners are english teachers for the most part (who are a pretty homogenous group anyways). In london I could go out and act like a complete lush on the town and no one would remember, whereas in Daejeon everyone knows everyone elses business, lots of gossip, almost feels like high school all over again
If you are 22 T=then definitely go to Seoul or Busan, there really is no other options if you are that young. Maybe if you stay in Korea for a couple of years when you are older and married etc or whatever then check out the smaller cities but for now you would be bored out of your mind
In Seoul you can still take weekend trips out of the city and save up enough money.
as for food try the Cal meggy sal BBQ, this is my fav.
I would be interested more in hearing what Japan was like. I've always thought about teaching there but I really don't know much about it. I know more about Korea |
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benji1422
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Location: Los Angeles & Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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Ex-New Yorker here.
Your only choice is Seoul. Every other city (Busan) will feel provincial and you will tired of it in a couple of weeks.
Seoul is not NYC or Tokyo, but it has the vastness of a big city so you can never feel like you've done everything for at least 6 months. |
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oskinny1
Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Location: Right behind you!
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| Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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If you want to live in a city that is just like every other city you have lived in go for Seoul. Lots of foreigners for you to meet so you can avoid those pesky Koreans.
Not sure how you couldn't find good non Japanese food in Tokyo  |
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