Korean Job Discussion Forums

[HANGRY]

I was trying to get a PS job through GEPIK because I have a friend who lives in Ansan, but my recruiter was telling me that GEPIK won't be hiring until later in the year and that competition would be pretty stiff especially for people who aren't currently in country.

So I was thinking that Incheon might be a good alternative, especially since it's close-by, modern, etc. Also, I'm going to be looking for University positions while I'm in country and heard Incheon has a pretty good English industry.

However, I want to learn Korean - One of my main objectives in going to Korea is to learn the language, but considering Incheon is an "English city" I don't know how that is going to pan out. How much English is really used in Incheon?

Or does anybody have another place to recommend? A place with a lot of natural beauty but easy access to Seoul/Gyeonggi would be nice.

[Radius]

Incheon is not a pretty or modern place overall--I live here, and its actually one of the older places in Korea (in many parts). And I dont understand what you mean by an "English City?" It's no more English speaking than Seoul, Bucheon or Ilsan. It might be more English speaking than rural area, though. But by no means is it considered an English speaking city.

[HANGRY]

hah on Wikipedia it mentioned something about how Incheon was declared an "English City": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incheon which I'm sure doesn't mean much but I thought I would ask.

What do you think about Incheon in general though?

[Radius]

Incheon's alight if you live in Bupyong or somewhere near there. It's considered one of the dirtier cities, and from what I've seen it's true to an extent.

[waynehead]

Incheon is vast, smelly, and largely unknowable, not unlike Jupiter or an aging overweight stripper, and it should be avoided if possible.

[FDNY]

Unlike these people who seem to be able to achieve FTL travel from some places deep in equatorial Korea like Daejon, Daugu or, god forbid, smaller places, Incheon is actually next to Seoul and therefore not a bad place to live for proximity to civilization.

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!

[Vox_Populi]

[rickpidero]

Bupyeong is good as some other posters have mentioned. Also, Art Center is a pretty cool area. Don't sleep on far North Incheon now, simply because you can take the rapid to Hongdea rather quickly, if that is your type of thing.

And, if you want to learn Korean you can do it in any city in Korea, just takes a bit more motivation if there are more foreigners around.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

One thing to keep in mind is that some areas are quite nice. Apartments cost a heck of a lot less, and you can get far more. My friend pays 605,000 a month, had no key money, and has a very nice 1br in a nice tower in Art Center.

From my neck of the woods, it takes 40 minutes to get to Seoul.

Some areas can be very dodgy, though. It's more like Brooklyn in the good places, and more like Jersey in the nasty ones.