Korean Job Discussion Forums

moonstone · Joined: 21 Sep 2006

Which city is best?

I heard Daegu is surrounded by mountains, which sounds beautiful. In a wikitravel article, Chuncheon was said to be "the best place to live in Korea." Is this true? And what about Seoul?

I've never been to Korea. Thanks!

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Read through the stiickies and the FAQs. You will see that Seoul is the bombdiggity.

I've never been to Daegu or Chuncheon, so I can only speak from Seoul experience.

Pros of Seoul:
Lots to do for fun
Lots of foreigners
It has mountains to climb and hiking trails 45 minutes to 1 hour from the center of the city.
It has parks to play in.
People speak-a da Engrish more than other cities.
Foreign food is available, as are foreign products

Cons of Seoul:
Lots of people make it crowded
Poor air quality, but it's not as bad as people make it sound
Random attacks on foreigners, but it's not as bad a people make it sound

Seoul is da shiznit.

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

Daegu is dull. The mountains surrounding it merely increase the levels of humidity and pollution, rather than adding to the visuals.

Asthenia · Joined: 15 Jun 2006

I'll pipe up for Chuncheon.

It's a sedate, medium-small city. Lots of natural beauty in the surrounding lakes and mountains. People are nice, but "busier" than in small towns.

There are a handful of foreigners, lots of eating & drinking spots near the university, a downtown shopping area, 2 large grocery stores, a 5-day market. It's 1.5 hours by bus and 2 hours by train to get to Seoul -- not exactly close enough to go in for dinner, but certainly doable for the weekends. They're building a line said to take only 45 minutes, but that won't be done for years.

It's definitely a compromise between country and city, but why not just go one or the other?

Hotpants · Joined: 27 Jan 2006

Daegu and Chuncheon are QUIET places. If you like 'action', I would opt for Seoul hands down and travel to Daegu and Chuncheon in your free time. Chuncheon is only an hour and half or so from Seoul. It's a day-tripper place.

Seoul is also actually surrounded by 'mountains'. Plenty of hiking opportunities exist in the Seoul proximity.

Any blurb written from within Korea will tell you that every single place on the Korean peninsula has the most stunning attractions, most amazing ancient history and that it draws visitors from around the world in droves. I'm still skeptical about the claims... Although I just posted on another thread that I haven't traveled much around Korea, so perhaps I've got the wrong impression from my voyages through swathes and swathes of pictures of Korea on the Internet.

Overall, Korea is a pretty small place, so most areas are quite easy to travel between. I would also recommend selecting job quality over location unless you would be at risk of being out in the sticks.

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

brento1138 · Joined: 17 Nov 2004

Seoul.

Missile Command Kid · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: Daegu

coolsage · Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 8:16 am Post subject:

I'll second the emotion about Chuncheon; it has worked for me for seven years. Those pastoral photos of Daegu are misleading; it's just another featureless Korean city, best known for being the hottest city in Korea in summer. If you choose to work in this land, any place will do to start; actually the whole country looks pretty much the same. What is important is a good school, decent accommodation, and people who've got your back. If you can slap that together, and if you want to test your teaching skills in this seemingly hostile environment, then it's worth the airfare, or the break from the norm. Go for it; as you see, there are plenty of non-jaded people here eager to offer a helping hand. All luck to you.

angiejsm · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: Not exactly sure.

How exactly is one best able to get a public-school job in Chuncheon? Any particular recruiters or schools worth a mention?

I worked there for a month on a camp and really liked it as a town.

Sorry if there's already a thread on this - I searched and didn't find much.

angiejsm · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: Not exactly sure.

How exactly is one best able to get a public-school job in Chuncheon? Any particular recruiters or schools worth a mention?

I worked there for a month on a camp and really liked it as a town.

Sorry if there's already a thread on this - I searched and didn't find much.

JZer · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea

JZer · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea

moonstone, first it would help if we knew what you were interested in. Do you want to experience Korean life or party? If you want to party and meet girls then Seoul is a better place for you. If you want to make Korean friends and learn some Korean, then living in Chuncheon is probably better.

I live in the country side but plan to move to Seoul or Chon an next year.