Korean Job Discussion Forums

liehtzu · Joined: 24 Mar 2003 Location: the sticks, Korea

Hi folks. As many of you know, it's a risky venture to try to find a job in Korea when one is in another country and can't see the school, meet the higher-ups etc. I've been looking around for jobs and resigned myself to probably only getting a hagwon job, but I've insisted on trying to find a good location. Someplace small and nice but not too far from Busan or Seoul for the occasional spree.

So far I've settled on three possible offers in three cities that sound nice (I've been to Gyeongju so I know it's nice, the others I've just heard/read). Pay/benefits are pretty much standard at each of them. Despite three years of experience looks like I'm getting 2.0 mil again. Fine, I don't mind. One hopes for more, but...

I've talked to a foreign teacher from each of these academies and administrators for two of them, and they all seemed stand-up folks. The schools each sound nice but each has its quirks:

Wonderland Chuncheon: teaching seven 40-minute classes a day four times a week. Yes, the class times are shorter than average, but 7 classes a day?

LCI Kid's Club in Suncheon: four foreign teachers, no Korean teachers. First time I've heard that. Reckon that's a good or bad thing?

Herald English Institute in Gyeongju: I'd be the one foreign teacher there.

Any info about these cities (or better yet, schools) would certainly be appreciated.

Cheers

rainsong23 · Joined: 19 Oct 2004

gyeongju's nice, lived for a year. mellow, not so big place. not the place to go if you are the type that craves big city life though. then again trains and buses are dirt cheap in korea.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

This is Suncheon in South Jeolla province? I went there for the first time lately. It's quite lovely if you are used to Jeolla people in general. And the food is great! Definately my second choice of city in Korea.

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

bulgogiboy · Joined: 12 Nov 2003

lived in Gyeongju for 1 year, and i've been in Gwangju for almost 4 months. Gyeongju's alright, though reputed to be one of, if not the most conservative city in Korea(ouch!). I can believe it. People are fairly friendly there, but generally people are the same in Korea no matter where you go. I'm not sure that women can be 'more beautiful' in one city/province than in another, except perhaps Seoul where they might have a higher percent of girls who have plastic surgery?

Gwangju is really nice, a good sized city but not too big, some decent western restaurants like outback, as well as some Italian, Mexican and others. Got a few lively bars too surprisingly, and quite a few little hip-hop clubs.

I would say both experiences wouldn't vary too dramatically, maybe the weather would, Gyeongju is one of the hottest places in the summer.