Korean Job Discussion Forums

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

I'm considering taking a job with a high school in Incheon but I want to know what life is like there. I'm not interested in nightlife or even really in meeting tons of other foreigners, but I'm very interested in studying Korean, hanging out with a few cool people, eating well as a vegetarian, joinig a gym, avoiding bad weather, and being able to travel to cool places and go hiking occasionally. I guess I'm mostly concerned that it seems pretty far from the Suwon area where I had been focused on going to.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I lived there for 8 months. It's a shit hole. Bupyeong is all right.

indytrucks · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Location: The Shelf

I lived there for 3 years. It has its charms. Dong Incheon is good for wander on a Saturday afternoon. The area around Inha University is good for a night out, as is Chuan.

Bupyeong is the real shit hole of the city.

blunder1983 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005

Day to day i really like my area, friendly people lots of decent shops etc.

The problems arise on the weekend. I love going out, not on drinking benders all the time, but going out for a nice meal in the evening etc. It SUCKS to have to be constantly looking at the clock and rushing back in the middle of the evening. Lots of things like that build up and begin to irk. Do I go to the Rocky mountain quiz, but endure the 3 hour journey? Etc. etc.

If u arent too fussed about hitting Seoul then its fine, having the majority of my friends there makes it mightily tricky tho.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

Incheon is a big city, in terms of area, so we could probably give you better advice if you said where in Incheon you are looking at.

I spent what was probably my happiest year in Gyeyang-gu, which is in northern Incheon. I had 3 department stores including a Carrefour and a Walmart, a small mountain to hike, a Samhwa express bus (meaning 40 minute bus rides to Seoul Station, Gangnam, or Shinchon), and the subway within a 10-15 minute walk from my apartment. There are expat bars and movie theaters in Bupyeong, and at Dong Incheon you can catch ferry rides to some awesome islands in the Yellow Sea.

If you end up somewhere without good access to public transportation, however, Incheon can be very isolating.

plato's republic · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Location: Ancient Greece

I'm in the same situation as Blunder. I live up in Northern Incheon but nowhere near a subway station. The nearest one seems to be Songjeong(line 5) but that's almost a 40-45min bus ride away. From there it's another 20-30mins to get to any of the major areas in Seoul, so it kinda sucks having to make sure you make it back in time to catch the last bus on the weekend. Taxi ride home costs about 20,000won. I found that out the hard way... Shocked

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

If weather is a concern, consider the south coast. In the 6 years in the middle/north I had no idea the south coast had such mild winters. It's dramatically different.

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

I bloody hated it in Mansu-dong in S.E Incheon.

There's something up with the locals in Incheon. Blue collar or something, but they are nasty and hostile, in my experience. Worst place I've been in Korea, or maybe a tie with Pohang.

deessell · Joined: 08 Jun 2005

It's DULL.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Sejong · Joined: 01 Jun 2003 Location: Wally World

I've been living here for over three years now, and I can't wait to get the hell out. The only thing we have going for us in Incheon is our proximity to the airport. Travel time to Seoul can be pretty good at times, but it often takes much longer than an hour if there's traffic (or if you don't live near the subway), and even the shorter trips get tiresome -- every time you want to do ANYTHING interesting, eat in a good foreign restaurant, you have to haul yourself all the way into town. In fact, Incheon is like kryptonite for foreign restaurants (Friday's, Outback, etc... excepted)

I argue about this issue routinely with Son Deureo. Rolling Eyes

Ilsan, Bucheon, Bundang, Suwon.... all compare much more favourably to Incheon, in my opinion.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

Incheon, while I have never lived there, I would sure as B..W..s(is good to chew) like too. Seems like a really diverse city with lots of mix land usage next to each other and lots of rich and poor in close quarters too. The built environment there always seems like a day worth of thought and mental fortitude.

Reflections · Joined: 04 Jan 2005

Place is the dirtiest and ugliest city I've been to after travelling to 28 countries.

After one year I thought I was going to die from toxic overload - the place is a serious cesspit due to the high number of factories.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

I have good memories of the city every time I have visited. I often think it would be a great place to live!

philipjames · Joined: 03 Feb 2003

In a country of ugly, dirty cities, Incheon is probably the worst. It is one block of ugly concrete after another with nothing to alleviate the ugliness. Seoul is ugly, but at least there are some charming palaces etc. in Gwanghwamun. Incheon has nothing but ugly dirt, ugly concrete, and ugly everything. There is NOWHERE to walk to of any interest. You will find yourself escaping to Seoul on the weekends, and being forced to return on the last train (or the 5:30am train next morning.)

Don't even consider Incheon. Keep Looking!