Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pangaea]

I have applied to a school in Osan and I would like to get an idea of what it's like to live there. Is getting around fairly easy? Is it relatively painless to get to Seoul and spend the day there? What kind of things are there to do in Osan? I would like to meet people but I'm not a heavy drinker so bars are not the first thing I would think of. I'm more interested in beaches, parks, museums, restaurants, shopping, etc. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

[0ju]

Good stuff:

Fairly little traffic and congestion, compared to Seoul. Osan is small so walking around is easy and there's a city bus system which will take you anywhere you want to go (or just grab a taxi).

It's relatively easy to get to Kangnam as there is an express bus that leaves from the central bus terminal every 20 minutes. There are also express buses to other parts of Seoul but I haven't bothered to check them out yet. You can also get to Seoul by subway but that takes longer.

It's about 30 minutes from Suwon & Cheonan, two other major-ish(? I guess) cities.

You're also quite close to Songtan, which is like a little piece of America. There's also some good ethnic food there.

If you like golf, there are about a million driving ranges in the city and also some golf courses nearby.


Now for the bad stuff:

Culturally, Osan is a void. There is *nothing* to do there. Unlike Seoul, there are no interesting cultural monuments (although there are some near Suwon), no mountains nearby (so no hiking), and there are the normal Korean entertainments (bars, although you said you aren't much of a bar person, movie theaters, noraebangs, etc.) but these are the smaller, crappier, and generally more run-down versions of what you'd find closer to the big city.

There aren't any good places to shop either.

Oh, and there aren't any universities in the area, so good luck trying to study Korean while you're here unless you want to schlep up to Bundang or Seoul. Also no universities = less young professional types.

[wylies99]

I've had a few friends who have lived in that town. There are enough stores and vendors that you won't have to shop in Seoul unless you need to shop for some things at Costco or Hannam Market for some food/spices. You are close to a subway line (#1 line) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul_Subway_Line_1 That helps you a great deal. Being close to the Seoul subway line opens up many options for you with shopping, traveling, and tourist sites.

You are also close to a number of nice places close to you like: Suwon, Anyang, and Songtan.