Korean Job Discussion Forums

SCAshley · Joined: 15 Nov 2010

I just got a job in Ansung (GEPIK-Biryong Elementary School) and was wondering if anyone was from this area and could tell me what it's like? Apart from knowing it's about an hour bus ride (faster by a bullet train?) from Seoul, I don't really know anything. Is there a foreign community? Decent grocery stores? Nightlife? Any info would be greatly appreciated-thanks! Smile

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

I am guessing no nightlife outside of Seoul (give a 20 minute border). However, Seoul is too congested in my opinion, and Anseong is one of the cities I was considering.

If you don't mind the age group of your students (ask them to make sure you aren't wiping little kids' butts), then I would take it. Commute into Seoul on the weekends for the nightlife. There's no bullet train, but there are trains and buses. The buses are really good compared to Greyhound in the states. You can go anywhere. I found the trains to be a little harder to work with and being in China I am questioning the safety. Reason being, more locals probably take the bus than the train.

I am not talking about the public buses, but the "highway buses", they will probably be purple with gold or white lettering with 2 or 3 cities that that bus goes to. However, you need to look at the front window in the lower left. The driver will have the destination also there, so you can be sure they are going there and not going away from, in the other direction Laughing

SCAshley · Joined: 15 Nov 2010

Thanks for the info-especially about the buses, haha. I actually already accepted the position, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see about everything...how did you know you wanted to go to Anseong (some of my paperword spelled it Ansung...I guess the 2 spellings are interchangeable?)?

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

In Korean, they have more vowels (place more attention on I mean), so "eo" could be considered more correct. The "u" sounds more like the "u" in "dune" which we might spell as "oo" in English.

This is why Seoul is spelled "eo" and not "Sul". We pronounce it like "sole" or "soul". If you say this to a Korean, they won't understand you mean Seoul.

I moved to Pyeongtaek (Korean girlfriend), and we went to Anseong. That's how I know about the area.