Korean Job Discussion Forums

[daz1979]

Hi

I have recently decided to come and teach in Korea, I am surprisingly inundated with offers but am finding the views on each city very conflicting and confusing and therefore with no experience of the country and culture am finding it difficult to decide which offer to go with!!!

My original choices are Busan, Cheong Ju, Cheongwon and Daeju as I think Seoul may be a little bit too full on for me, I get annoyed queuing and being bumped around and don't like the idea of a full on pollution zone!

I am from a big city in the UK so am not phased by city life but now just want somewhere that does offer the vibrancy to go out if I want to but also I can get away from it just as easy, I don�t want to travel miles for necessities, I do want to go on nice walks, I would like to go mountain biking, I would prefer to be near sea, I would like a gym at hand or a B ball court nearby, I do want access to western food if I feel like it, it would also be nice to meet a few Americans, Brits, Australians etc doing this work also as well as friendly Koreans.

All this and a good school/living accom cant be much to ask can it??


Also anyone heard of:

ALEX's LANGUAGE SCHOOL in BUSAN the guy says he has taught in Korea for 7 years and has made me an offer that I feel is fair and to be honest I prefer as it involves no recruiters, however, I am concerned that I can find no information whatsoever regarding the school! Is no news good news or should I be cautious and go with a big recruiter for my first time in Korea?


One last thing - Considering I know no Korean (Although I intend to learn during my stay) and the fact that I do want the option to go out and drink, eat well and hit the bike/gym! Would you take the time to answer my poll as to which city you would choose im you were me! Yes I know it depends on the school but the city/location is 50% of my decision at the moment which is a large percentage to be undecicive about

Regards

Daz

[daz1979]

Also a library and good book shop would be nice!!!

[just because]

I'll do a 1 senntance summary for each city...

Busan - a seaside port city, dirty but full of personality. However the shoving and bumping you would get is the same as Seoul.

Seoul - the capital so you get the best and worst of Korea right here. It can be crowded but if you get an outlying suburb(Bundang, Bucheon) it could be OK...

Cheongju - smaller and in the country. Has its charms but is quite old.

Changwon - new and green. Lots of parks and gardens and people here are pretty good.

Daegu - basically the shitpit of Korea(But some people love it). Hot in summer, cold in winter and the ring of mountains keep the pollution in. Howevere it is central and with the KTX easy access to most of the country.

Jinju - small but is nice and still has that old style Korean feel. Jirisan and Geojedo are closeby so you have the mountains and the sea. However out of all the cities on the list it has the least amenities of all....

Mountain biking I have never seen here but a good gym and new b-ball courts would be in all the cities....

Hope that helps

[daz1979]

Thanks!

Where do you live out of interest?

If you are in Busan have you heard of Alex Language School??

Daz

[BigBuds]

I'd put Changwon top of your list after reading your post. If you don't want the crowds and hussle and bussle of the big city Chnagwon is a good place and there is a great expat community here. Lot of ammenties, Western and Korean, and it's only a 30 minute bus ride to Busan for a big night out.

Here's the website for the foreign teachers bar (owned by an ex-teacher) here in Changwon. It has a chat room so you can ask people questions about Changwon if you like.

www.obriens-bar.com

Just click on the Changwon link on the front page.

And, yes, I do live in Changwon as does Just Because. We're both Aussies by the way and there are quite a few of your fellow country men here not to mention Kiwis, Irish, South Africans, Canadians, and Americans. There's a large close knit expat comunity here.

[daz1979]

Thanks

Changwon does sound pretty good to me except for transportation issues!!! Changwon is also coastal isnt it? From reading it seems Changwon and Busan maybe more to my taste but I am going blind so as much advice that can be offered from those who have lived through the experience already will be greatly appreciated!!

Out of interest how often do you hit Busan for a night out??


Thanks

Darren

[daz1979]

155 hits 9 poll entries!

C'mon have a vote it won't bite!

Not like you have any spare time on your hands or anything

HELP ME CHOOSE A CITY AND TELL ME WHY YOU WOULD CHOOSE THAT ONE OVER ANY OTHER IN KOREA!! PLEASE!

[Milwaukiedave]

I've lived in Daegu, Jinju and Seoul. By far I liked Jinju the best. It has the atmosphere of a smaller city and it's not too crowded. The downside is there is not as much to do there and getting to Seoul is a trek. One of my favorite places is Jinju Castle. There is a large pavillion that overlooks the river, sitting there with a nice book in the summer reading and people watching is fun.

When I lived Daegu, I was in the outskirts which was nice. The pollution in Daegu is pretty bad, but not near that of Seoul. It gets hotter then heck in the summer though.

Seoul is not bad most of the time. Actually I agree with what someone else said, it kind of depends where you live and how far your housing is from your school.

I also come from a small city. I grew up in Southern Oregon city that had a population of about 16,000, so living here can sometimes be overwhelming. There's nothing like being a sardine on the subway though.

[daz1979]

[Pak Yu Man]

Did you mean Daegu? Never heard of Daeju. If you meant Daegu...that place rocks. Good night scene. Enough foreigners so you won't feel lonely.
The only problem with the place is that it's damn hot.

Hottest city in Korea. You'll feel the hurt in the summer. Just do what I did...get an air conditioner and hang out under that thing for a few months.

I've heard of fan death and I believe in it. Is Air con death even worse than that?

[poof]

If you want outdoors, why not go to Jeju Island?

I didn't vote cus my choice for you is not on the list - most of the places you listed are the same as each other in appearance - little difference at all.

[happygirl]

I love it here. The city is small enough to get around, has great bus system and beautiful parks. My contracts ends in June and I'm looking into coming back here to teach public elementary.

JinJu is about 1.5 hours to Daegu, 1 hour to the coast and 1.5 to 2 to get to most of the southern cities. Seoul is a bit of a trek though. There is an express bus that takes 4 or 4.5 hours.

Yes, JinJu Castle is awesome. I love the history and culture. There are many festivals that let you see some of the inside world of Korea. not just the foreigner side.

There is a group of foreign teachers that get togeather every Wed night. Helps keep in touch with poeple who speak English.

PM if you want info on my job

[Khyron]

[daz1979]

[Khyron]