Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tractorboy]

Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone is able to shed any light on a good place to look for short term housing in Seoul. I am going to be around for 2 months this summer to work with accommodation not being provided but subsidised. Have already checked out the gochiwon option and not really interested but it would be great if anyone knew any more options!

Thanks for all help

Tractor

[conbon78]

Have you tried Craig's List? There is always a lot of stuff up there.

[moosehead]

goshiwons might look scary at first, but they really are convenient for short term housing. I've used them a few times between contracts, coming back from vaca while looking for a new spot, etc.

all your bills are paid, you have internet, a kitchen with rice 24/7, laundry, etc. pay a little extra for one near a subway station and everything's convenient.

no deposit, no lease. generally very quiet. cheaper than a hotel, albeit smaller (much).

also a kind of immersion into K culture - not many foreigners dare to try them - which makes them kind of exotic from that perspective also.

[DorkothyParker]

Please tell me more about what a goshiwon is. It sounds convenient. Are they generally very cheap?

[moosehead]

each goshiwon has a variety of prices, from no bed (mat on floor) to a bed; some with private showers/bathroom to those with a public shared.

until recently the ones w/private baths were few and far between, now there are more.

prices range from 200,000/month (no frills, no bed) to about 500,000 or so.

I think all are only advertised in K, so either you need to speak it or have a friend help. they are pretty much everywhere so pick your area then ask someone to help you find one.

they are very very small, barely a room with a bed, desk, small tv, minifridge, if you're lucky, closet (small) and bath. the beds are narrow like cots, little room for a friend

you might be shocked at first at the small space. some have small windows so if you are at all claustrophobic, certainly insist on finding one that does. I've always managed to find them with some kind of window, one even had a tiny outside patio which was great for hanging laundry

they were originally built for law students to come study for their bar exams and later caught on as other students and later still, young singles moved to the cities. you'll see people of all ages living in them.

oh - I forgot to mention - one of their advantages (to me) they are often segregated by gender - women only, men only, or floors in a building separating them. not to say you can't have visitors but some are even strict on that. so as a woman I felt pretty safe.

overall much cheaper than a love motel if your needs extend closer to a month or more. no deposit, unless you want to reserve a room ahead of time, then just put down a small amount such as 50,000 won and it will be deducted from your first month's rent. it's all month by month, no lease.

hope this helps. after this, if anyone wants more info, ask a K friend to help you find one.

[El Macho]

Goshiwons are a great option. I stayed in one for a summer. I paid a bit more for a room with its own toilet & shower, so it was like having a very small studio apartment.
Met some good people there, but most were students preparing for one awful exam or another, so they were very focused on studying and didn't have the time to go out. One of the friends I made there invited me to come back to his village for his sister's wedding...so in sum living in a goshiwon was a great experience!

A friend was able to get a fantastic apartment for the summer through the classifieds on facebook...apparently that's a place not many people think to look, as he was the only responder to the ad and was able to haggle. He sublet a nice two bedroom apartment in Itaewon for W800,000 for 2.5 months.