Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ecattermole]

Hi,
I know this has been discussed in some previous threads but as time progresses, the answers may change. I currently have two positions to choose from, one in Cheong Ju and one in Seoul, the positions are exactly the same as far as pay and benefits, as well as hours. Both are scheduled to start in the end of February. I think I would be happy with both positions, I'm just more concerned as to the lifestyle of each city. I am a 23 year old female, and I enjoy being social and going out. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with both cities that could give me any insight or advice. I appreciate anything anyone has to offer. Thanks.

[sirius black]

You will get the Seoul of nothing else crowd in a minute. The best city depends on what YOU want with regards to your stay here.

Seoul is a great place to go to. Cheungju has its benefits as well. A much tighter foreign community. Its not a small city (about 600k I think). I've been there. There are about 3 or 4 foreigner bars that everyone goes to and they all seem to know each other and are much more open to a new face than say your run of the mill bar in Hongdae which is pretty much like being back home.

Daejeon, a city of about 1.6 million is closeby, about 20-30 mins by bus and has a Costco and much more of a variety in bars and clubs. Seoul is still not that far away. 1 hour from Daejeon by HiSpeed train. I would guess less than 2 hours by bus from Cheungju.

Seoul obviously has far more to offer in terms of entertainment, museums, etc. but is much more impersonal.

Depends on your personality, if you can thrive anywhere, probably Seoul, if you are shyer and need a slower pace, Cheungju may be the better choice. Cost of living is a little lower in Cheungju I would suppose as well. Seoul is a great place, I love visiting it but its not for everyone. You'll get posts saying it is the only place to consider in Korea and they couldn't be more wrong. People have great lives here outside of Seoul. I have.

[jpe]

I've lived in both cities, though I'm relatively new to Seoul.

In Cheong Ju (and probably most smaller cities) you're more likely to experience more "authentic" (that is, relatively non-Westernized) Korea since there's less Western amenities available, and, in my experience, you'll meet people easier since, as the other poster noted, there's only a handful of foreigner bars.

Of course, if you have unique tastes and want to meet people with similar interests you might be happier in Seoul, where you can find pretty much any kind of people you want (you just have to look for them). CJ is a city of 600,000 people but it'll feel like a small town if you hang out with a lot of other expats, since you'll see the same people over and over again (and because the expat bars feel like something out of like Anywhere, Missouri)

Honestly if it weren't for the cultural opportunities and creative contacts I've been getting here, I'd go back to CJ in a heartbeat. I had a blast.

[definitely maybe]

I've always lived in and around Seoul, but I've really enjoyed visits to Cheongju. For a city of its size, you will struggle to do better in Korea.

[sallymonster]

I'd choose Seoul.

Small cities like Cheongju have tight-knit foreigner communities, which is great if you fit in with them. But if you don't like the local foreigner clique, or they don't like you, you won't have a social life. Or, you'll have to travel into bigger cities every weekend in order to have a social life. Or, you'll have to really work hard to learn Korean so you can socialize more with Koreans (which isn't a bad thing, btw).

The above situation happened to me when I lived in Suwon, which is a bigger city than Cheongju. I've also met other expats who went through this when living in smaller cities.

In Seoul, there are many more foreigners to choose from than in smaller cities, so there's always English speakers who share your interests. There's also lots of meetup and facebook groups where you can meet those people who share your interests.

Also, this being your first time in Korea, you will likely find yourself getting homesick and experiencing culture shock. In Seoul, you will find many more of the comforts of home than in Cheongju. For example, Seoul has far more foreign food options than the smaller cities. Cheongju should have major chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut, and McDonalds, but Seoul will offer a much wider selection that includes Indian food, Thai food, Middle Eastern food, basically anything that you want.

After a year in Seoul, if you don't like it you can always move to a smaller city. By then you'll know what you're getting into, and you'll be able to visit your small city of choice to get a feel for the place and see what it's like.