Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Vision]

I am hoping to move over soon and would be delighted if anyone could give me good advice on nice locations to seek an EFL job. Thanks.

[Harpeau]

I've been here going on 8 years. If I had to do it again with what I know now, I would go to Sogwipo (Jeju Island) or Seoul or Busan.

Seoul is awesome!
All the best!

[Homer]

Busan is a good place to be.

Seoul has its advantages too.

Smaller cities such as Daejon are also nice from what I hear.

[Vision]

Thanks for your help.

[chronicpride]

[Grotto]

Suwon gets my vote. Close enough to Seoul to enjoy it but not have to live with the insanity and many great amenities without having the travel glut of Seoul.

[Son Deureo!]

I liked Incheon and Bucheon for the same reasons. In general, the bedroom communities of Seoul are a bit less crowded than Seoul, but you can still enjoy Seoul on the weekends. Make sure you're near a subway station if you go this route, though.

[kelly]

It depends on what your looking for, I mean if you come from somewhere small town at home, you're hardly going to want to be living in a huge overcrowded city, but the again, maybe you would, I mean I come from the middle of no where in Ireland, but in all honesty I find more things to do at home, than I do in this small little city I'm in here. It depends on what facilities you want, and what kind of environment you want to live in. Where I'm at now is Ichon in Seoul, and I love it, right next to the river for walking and cycling, in a really nice area, and close to everything. For me its prefect but then again...everyone is different!Good luck!

[sistersarah]

like others have said, it all depends what kind of person you are. in my last contract i lived in central seoul, in a so-called happening area near shinchon and hongdae....i was great for about 2 months and it got old. my neighbourhood was old and crowded and dirty. i didn't like it, but some people like being in the middle of things.

i now live in ilsan, a suburb, and prefer it to seoul. i'm still on the subway line, and there are plenty of buses headed in every ten minutes or so. ilsan is a new city, well laid out, pretty clean, nice wide sidewalks, several parks, bicycle paths, ultra convenient. some people might find it boring, but i like it and will likely return here.

[Dr.Caligari]

I would like to stress that the quality of the job is sooo much more important than the location. If you can find it, of course take a great position in a great spot, obviously. but all my searches in towns i was interested in turned up shady jobs, and a great job turned up in incheon. Thanks to advice from Son Deureo and others, I took it, and you know, I'm having a great time. My apartment is comfy, and my coworkers are easygoing.

Remember: a lot of times it's going to feel like your job takes up most of your day. If your director is a loser, it's going to drag you down, no matter what's available after work. I'd take a solid job with nice people in a second-rate town any time. (and on that note, Incheon doesn't really deserve the flak it gets.)

[Demophobe]

Give me the country any day. Chuncheon is my place....any city with more than 400,000 and I don't want to live there....to visit is fine, but living?! No way.

I said it before and I'll say it again....

See Korea. Get out of Seoul.

@ Homer: "Smaller cities like Daejon"....hehehe......

[agraham]

I can't believe nobody mentioned the Textile Capital of Korea: Daegu!
We just got a new museum of industrial machines and machine parts!
Visit the fabulous sewing machine street or sock street!
We also have a big tower on a hill in the middle of the city.
I challenge you to name even one other city in Korea that has a tower on a hill in the middle of town!

[nev]

Agraham, it's also got several McDonalds and Burger Kings - don't try and sell it short.

[sadsac]

Daegu, nice to visit wouldn't want to live there. Yes, they have a big tower in the middle of town, it is part of an amusement park. Lived in Ulsan for three years, love the place, now in a rural community and it is great. Miss some of the smaller luxuries though, good cheese and a variety of imported foods. I do agree with a previous poster though, it's not only where you live but who you work for as well.

[Derrek]

Bundang is nice. Within 20 to 40 minutes of Seoul, depending on traffic on the bus. Very clean and new. Lots of teachers here.

You'll want to get out for the nightlife, though. Head to Kangnam or somewhere else.

It's sort of a family-atmosphere kind of place.