Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CaliUSA]

Hello, I was lucky to find a teaching job in Seoul. The employer--a private company--will either provide housing for me, or give me 400K/month for a place that I find myself. I suppose going with employer housing would be the easiest thing, although I expect accommodations to be rather small. Also, I need to clarify whether I'll be by myself, or living with another person.

My question is, how wise is it for someone who's never lived in Seoul to try to arrange housing through, say, Craigslist beforehand? It seems the advantages are: one has a bit more power in choosing where to live; also, it might be fun to have a roommate familiar with the city. If you live all by yourself, you might get a bit lonely and miss out on a lot of interesting friendships. Finally, I really would want to find something fairly informal online--i.e., a room to share in a preexisting rental--as I'm not in a position to come up with a lot of key money for an official lease.

Any advice/experience to share? Also, where's a good online place to find roommates, if Craigslist isn't necessarily the best? Thanks!

[jizza]

The supply of housing on CL is extremely limited and narrow, catering only to foreigners who actually check CL.

If you can, I'd advise getting a Korean friend to help you find and negotiate the contract for an apartment of your choice.

Also, keep in mind that 400,000 for housing somewhat limits your options, as some studios are 500,000 and up.
My apt in Jamsil was 600,000 including key money, which is a bit expensive compared to other parts of Seoul but quite standard for the area (Sports Complex).