Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jamiekarin]

Hey we are gonna be signing a contract soon (our first), I know its cute. But are looking for a city that is not to overwhelmingly busy but with a lot to do and a decent night life so we can go out once in a while... Any suggestions, right now Busan seems to be leading the pack for ideas. Thanks!

[Letiz7]

Packed your matching sweaters yet?

[jamiekarin]

Only serious comments please. The Douche bag discussion board can be located at www.foff.com for the dumbass comments if you would like.

[ChuckECheese]

[Letiz7]

Tragically, I was born an only twin.

[ChuckECheese]

[Letiz7]

Come on people. Bleedin' help them/him/her with their/his/her question!

[DCJames]

[jamiekarin]

I am jamie and karin is my girlfriend. Is that all clear now? Maybe I should put james instead. So anyone gonna help us out?? haha

[GwangjuNewsEditor]

Dear Jamie and Karin,

I would heartily suggest Gwangju vs. Pusan, Taejon or Seoul.

Benefits:

Very tight, friendly, foreign community. Lot's of Expats stay here based on that alone.
Really great nightlife for a town of this size. We have great nightclubs, bars, and a few fun areas of town. There are local foreign hangouts other areas in the city for those who are far flung to one side of town.
The cost of living in Gwangju is very low in comparison to the other major cities so you can save more money.
We have a very active international center to help foreigners get acclimated or resolve difficult situations including how to get legal council, language lessons, go on organized traveling tours of Korea at almost cost.
The foreign community events don't on the surface appear to cater to young single males looking only to get drunk on the weekends. There are a wide variety of married folks, couples, singles of varying ages.
Gwangju isn't "overdeveloped" like a lot of larger cities. There are wonderful green belts, less smog, and a majority of places can be reached by bicycle.
The food in Gwangju is reknowned. I will be honest and say that there aren't a number of western chain restuarants, or a lot of places to buy international food, but Gwangju's Korean food is better than anywhere I have been. Gwangju News also readily reviews any western style establishment, so the community can find and support business' that would cater to our desires/needs.

I am not saying that Gwangju is perfect by any means. I am just saying that if I could choose any city in Korea, it would be Gwangju.

If you have any questions about the town or would like to read any of our last 5 issues of Gwangju News, here is the website for the magazine PDFs. Or you can write me at [email protected]

http://www.gwangjuic.or.kr/gic/index.php?K_Mode=app/k2_board.php&k2_code=GwangjuNewsFile&PHPSESSID=3df64b15f7b2b838bbc7120593615122

[sniperteam6]

People with large avatars usually go to Pyongyang, as their screens are wider.

[just because]

there is no perfect city...you might be in the best city in the world but if you land in a bad situation it won't matter and you might land in an unsuitable city but if the situation is great you will be happy...

[shantaram]

Cheongju is okay, it is just over one hour from Seoul (although looks further on a map- the highway gets you there super quick). It has low cost of living and large ex-pat community.

[bixlerscott]

Changwon, a half hour from Busan, is a nice city of 500,000. It is one of the more wealthy smaller to mid sized cities due to it's mechanical engineering industries, but is not very polluted. I was looking for a city that is not too big, nor too small, but has plenty of economic activity to help ensure I found a hagwon that is financially stable while having some of the elements large cities have. Indeed I did find just that. I get a little bored here, but that could easily be taken care of with a computer and internet in my apartment as TV offers little. If you're near the center of Changwon, you can easily walk to the action and its' 2 foreigner bars and have a healthy social life going on, but if your on the outskirts of town, then a 1000 won 15 minute bus ride will suffice to go downtown for shopping and socializing. I have heard many times that Changwon has a very high retention rate of teachers who come here.

[Scouse Mouse]

Uijeongbu is pretty good fun. They are foreigner friendly though you don't see too many around except for the odd pack of military on weekends.

The nightlife is great, there are a few subway stops in the city and you are well served for a train into Seoul. Whilst 500,000 sounds like a lot the city is pretty small, though you can find anything you need here. There is even a black market place for all of the western goodies you will be missing and the costco is just 30 mins by subway.

Although I could never live in Seoul (I like some normality) Uijeongbu is close enough for me to visit there whenever I fancy it. There are some great bars, restaurants and there is a cinema just outside Uijeongbu railway station.