Korean Job Discussion Forums

[smjstevens]

Hi all,

I just landed in Gumi last night and I'm starting to get a feel for the town and the people in it, I figured this would be a good place to start looking for things to do and people to hang out with. Anyone on here who is or was in Gumi would be nice to talk to. I'm living out by the Sangmo center, so I'm a good trek away from downtown, but always looking for a new adventure. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sean

[chris_J2]

I went through Gumi, on the way to Gimcheon, to see Jikjisa Temple. Well worth seeing. Local bus #11 or #111. The long distance bus station in Gimcheon in on the right hand side of the railway track. All the motels & the #11 busses are on the left hand side, so get a taxi, to a motel (plenty of them all in the same area), or walk through the Gimcheon train station to the other main road through town, & head east until you hit the motels. Maybe 500 metres.

http://www.treklens.com/gallery/Asia/South_Korea/North/Gyeongsangbukdo/Gimcheon/

[jboney]

never lived there but visited... lots of South Africans! Find a place called The Weigook Cook. I remember getting a pretty good steak there, oh yeah, and there will be lots of foreigners there

[That guy over there]

I'm here with my Korean /Canadian wife and daughter....

Ive lived here for 2 years a few years ago, and recently moved back to Gumi and have been here for a few months again....

Gumi is a great town, in my experience people in Gumi have been very friendly. Its a happy medium; its not like living in the sticks where you're being stared at constantly, and its not like a huge city like Seoul where you sometimes feel too anonymous (however some might enjoy that).

Its got about 400,000 people, mainly a factory town, and people who live here have come from all over the country.

There's a foreigner bar downtown (search facebook for Corona Bar in Gumi).. its on one of the side roads between the downtown main street, and the downtown 'walking strip' (for lack of better description), and a few blocks east of the train station. I havent been there yet but it would be a good start to connect with people.

South of the trainstation there is Gumosan, a great mountain for a nice climb.

Plus you're only 30 minutes from Daegu, which is an easy trip to take on a weekend to hit a lot of western-style restaurants.

Other than that, there really isnt too much to do though...hit the theatres, or look at all the pretty LED tvs and clothes that wont fit you at Lotte Mart and E-Mart.

As for lots of foreigners, im not too sure what would constitute as a lot, if Im walking downtown, ill maybe see 1 or 2..

But people are pretty used to foreginers here... when i lived here back in 2003, I would get a lot of stares...people coming up to me saying 'hi nice to meet you!' or waving and saying hello..... But now, at the most I would get a second glance, even the kids dont point and yell anymore.

So all in all, based on my experience I love it here, it feel like my home town. And I've been lucky to never have an overly racist incident here (I still get the subtle passive ones though lol, but thats the norm you have to live with in korea).

Hope the info helps!

[smjstevens]

Thanks for the info, that will really help get me started!

[Palladium]

I lived there in 2001-2002, I'm sure it's changed a lot. Weren't too many foreigners there back then. It's grown a lot since then, too. As I recall, the downtown near the bus station really sucked. I used to go to Dong-Daegu which is about 30 min ( or so) on the train on the weekends when I wanted something to do.

One thing about Kumi, is it's nice and central. Easy to get to the major cities on KTX, Pusan Taegu, Seoul aren't more than 1 1/2 hour away. Sorry, I can't be more help.

[Goon-Yang]

You need to go toa bar named Waegook cook. It's in Hyeong geok Dong. That's where all the foreigners hang out (both owners are foreigners). Meet some people there and everything will snowball from there.

Where are you living/working at?

[tomato]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned a bar called Extra.
I didn't hang out there, but my roommate did.

[smjstevens]

Great, thanks for the responses! I'll be sure to check those places out as soon as I get the rest of my currency exchanged!

Goon-Yang, I'm working at the Talking Club in the Sangmo Center, and living just one street away. I'm about a 10 minute taxi ride away from Waygook Cook, I think.

[goesslry]

ahhh, i used to teach privately at that place back in the day, when I was still teaching english. Good times. Go to the Waegook cook. The bar is owned by a south african named Derik (his wife, soo-ji is korean). Have the burger and fries.

[nuthatch]

How's the factory pollution?

[gelynch52]

[ChilgokBlackHole]

[tomato]

I have never been to it, but my roommate was always talking about a bar named Extra.
That could be the one that Gelynch is referring to.

[chris_J2]