Korean Job Discussion Forums

rnrpaulsen · Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Location: Cheongju, South Korea

I just got an offer from a school in Ulsan, and I'm just wondering about the city itself? I assume since it's a port/industrial city that there'll be pollution, but how bad is it?

And how easy is it to travel out from Ulsan to the surrounding area? To Seoul? Internationally?

thanks!

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

Ulsan isn't that bad and there are some interesting places around here. the pollution situation is better than it used to be but it is not that great. Busan has some international flights but mot many. Maybe just japan and china. I'm not sure.

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Why? It's by the sea, you're right on it. It's 30 kilometers north of Pusan and Kukje market where you can get lots of variety of cheap stuff, like Namdemun/Dongdaemun in Seoul. Go north along the coast highway on a motorbike and it's a fantastic ride along the sea. All the way up the coast if you want. You just can't beat living by the sea. Of course Ulsan is a city of 1 million, and it's sprawl is by the sea. If you have a motorbike it's no problem to explore along it; beaches, fishing towns and so on up the coast.

About the pollution. Certain neighbourhoods have it. There's a huge petrochemical complex. Turning oil into plastics. There's a bleach smell you catch a whiff of when the wind comes in from these industrial sprawls. But it's subtle. Nobody's hacking their lungs out, looks grey, or anything like that. Not at all. Nevertheless there is stuff in the air when the wind's right, there's gotta be.

It's a small city at one million. The countryside isn't busy. Like it would be with city-escapers up towards Seoul. It's very natural. Go south avoiding Pusan and there's the coastal cities of Tongyong, and Goje Island. You can take a ferry from Pusan and be at Gojedo quick.

If you can get around, like have a motorbike or a car, you can get to the beaches. Then there's Kyongju an hour away, the ancient Shilla capitol for a thousand years.

Etc....Ulsan's pretty nice.

rnrpaulsen · Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Location: Cheongju, South Korea

it all sounds pretty amazing.

thanks for the info!

animalbirdfish · Joined: 04 Feb 2004

I think Peemil lives down there. PM him or check out his blog:

wherearemysocks.blogspot.com

thorin · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

Ulsan is the most polluted port in Asia.

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

no it isn't.

thorin · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

Yes it is. Nine of the world's 10 most polluted cities are in China. The other one is Ulsan.

peemil · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Location: Koowoompa

It's still an alright place to live.

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

whoops misread your post. I thought you said city.

Isn't shanghai a port. I would have thought would take top spot.