Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kbgriffi]

So I am coming start of September to the Mugeodong area of Ulsan to work at a Hagwon near the university there and was wondering if anyone had any advice about the area. Where to eat, shop, how to get around, or any travel tips or sights I need to know. I have read mixed reviews of Ulsan, some good, some bad, but the contract I was offered was really good and I couldn't turn it down. Any info would be helpful thanks.

[Katie26]

Hi I lived in Ulsan for a year and had a great time. Depends on what kind of attitude you bring with you I think, and of course if you make good friends-mine were great and made my time there. Ok so the basics just in case no-one tells you when you get there.
This just applies to Mugeodong and the advice is a couple of months old but should apply. Also all places are central mugeo. BTW I like MugeoDong i think it's the best area of Ulsan to live in. Samsandong is cool and has the big dept stores but Mugeo has a more laid back uni feel and thus cheaper restaurants bars and entertainment.

1) There are lots of foreigners

2) If you want to meet them head to Purple Haze on a Friday night. get there by about 11.30pm, as much later and they may be heading into SamsanDong-beat bar etc.

3) The Uni gym is 55k won a month (approx �30 or $45USD) and is pretty good and well equipped. You'll likely meet Korean friends here too who are students and can speak varying degrees of English.

4)Another cool place to hangout is the English Cafe, (If you want to meet some cool Koreans and also accumulate privates. I'm not condoning them blah blah blah)

5)MCdonald-uh will be your saviour for the first week or so.I can't and won't suggest eating that rubbish however it will provide a dropping off/direction point.
You probably live near Mcdonald-uh and if you can't find your way back from another area of Ulsan just hop in a taxi and direct them there. 'Mcdonalduh, MugeoDong ka joo-say-yo' You can also drop the 'ka joo say yo' as this just means 'take me please' if you can't remember.

If you can print this off and show it to any taxi driver and they will take you to Ulsan University where you can either find your way from or go into the gym and find an English speaker to help you. Koreans are unbelievably helpful if you're polite. I find a lot of 'sorry' and smiling helps.

울산대학교가주세요.

6) You MUST go to 3 pigs Galbi. Again it's hard to direct because a)i'm crap at directions and b)you don't know anywhere else. Ask a foreigner/Korean with English. I love this place and I'm not even a fan of pork/galbi normally. Go in( ideally with a friend) and order seh-gay dway-ji galbi joo-say-yo. If you want a beer say mekju hangay joo-say-yo. the dude in there speaks fairly good English too so you may be able to just order in English. in which case you want 3 pork galbi and ask if he can make you a 'salad bowl' also amazing.

7)The makoli place is alright for cheap drinks and kimchi pajeon (read pancake) You'll recognize it by the big shovels of food outside. Again ask foreigners for the shovel place.

MoMo's (opposite haze) serves Koreanised mexican food. it's not great Mexican by any means but it's pretty tasty if you take it at face value. also should give you a laugh when the insist on calling Fajita on the spelt pronunciation.
Eg. You-I would like a 'faheeta' please
Waiter-Oh silly foreigner you must mean Fajjeeta, look how uncultured you are with food of the world.

9)Where to shop you need to go downtown. Mugeodong does have a Homeplus express near the rotary but it's realy overpriced. go to Lottemart until you can work the bus route. Take the 401 from outside the University (on the opposite side of the road). There are other buses that go but let's just stick to the 401. Hope off when after a rotary you see the big red LotteMart sign on your right.

10) If you want to continue to downtown stay on the 401 bus until you see the downtown area. Should be about 20 mins from mugeo on a regular day. Downtown SamsanDong has more clothes shops and restaurants. You'll probably want to shop here although there are a few shops in mugeo.

11)Ulsan Beach is nice to hang out at sometimes. The pine forest next to it (up the steps) is worth a climb. to get there stay on the 401 (roughly an hour).

I think that's all I can think of right now but have fun and good luck. Ps Drop me a pm and tell me where you're working if you like and I'll see if I know anyone there or what it's like.

[kbgriffi]

Katie26 thanks a lot for all the information, this was exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Unfortunately I do not have enough posts under my account to pm you. If you can I would love to ask you a few more questions. If not thanks again.

[busanliving]

Hey, I live in Ulsan now, I think you can reply to my PM if I have PM'd you first. I've been here for a few years. I don't live in Mugeodong, but I know the area and I can answer questions on the area and the rest of the city.