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Korea Megathread VI Korean Language Thread ~ Korean Cinema Thread ~ Vapid Korean TV Thread ~ Korean (Good) Music Thread Welcome, all, to the new Korea Megathread. It’s much like the previous thread, a hub for those who find themselves in Korea, or who intend to begin the near future. There’s a heavy focus on teaching ESL as that’s how most people wind up here. However, we do get the occasional visitor or tourist, and a well rounded expat would do well to do a bit of touring themselves, so this new thread has a bit more information to help introduce newcomers to the sights. This thread is a catchall for discussing meet-ups, employment, survival, and especially initial relocation and orientation. In the past this thread has had a recurring issue with relativist bullshit, wherein people will fetishize an anecdotal experience, turn it into a kaleidoscope for the whole country (usually in the form of a “Koreans are X” statement), and doggedly proceed to tilt at windmills. Keep in mind that most of us are here for varying degrees of escapism and really don’t care about your spiral into caricature. I should say that this OP is heavily indebted to the authors of the previous iterations of the Korea Megathread, particularly Tirinal, who wrote the previous OP. Most of the words here are his, including the previous paragraph. However, while his writeup was well put together, it was also several years old and Korea changes fast. Much former truth has been made into lies by time, and this sixth iteration is an attempt to remedy that. Most of the changes are small corrections or clarifications to help avoid confusing potential newcomers. What was not broken was not fixed. In addition to small corrections, I’ve also beefed up some segments that were formerly anemic. Most notable is the "Stuff To Do” section. Previously you might have been led to believe that goon activities were limited to drinking heavily in clubs, bars, and noraebangs… and honestly that’s mostly still true. But in this bright modern age some of us goons have learned that there is actually a lot of cool poo poo to see and do in Korea (When we’re sober enough). Highlights of said sights and activities will now be represented in the OP. Goons by KakaoTalk ID Current Listing Kakao is the universally used messaging app in Korea. It’s a godawful bit of programming but its emoticons are THE BEST and if you’re coming here you’ll want an account if you’re going to talk to… anyone. We goons have a group chat within the program and its where most of the goon action happens. If you want in, just post your Kakao ID in the thread and someone will invite you shortly. Most of us are friends IRL (Cool secret teenage code for “in real life") and we have a good track record for being hospitable to visiting goons, so if you’re going to be in the country for any amount of time feel free to join and bug us with your bazillions of newbie questions. Navigating the Thread There are four posts below the break. The first is regarding those contemplating the transition. Immigration nonsense, ESL stuff, studying abroad, introductory cultural debriefing, and so on. The second is regarding those living here for a protracted length of time, or about to. What resources to make use of and how to navigate your way through the day. The third is regarding places to be and stuff to do while living or visiting. Lastly, we have ad-hoc bookmarks to topical posts as they come up, so infrequent lurkers don’t have to reread the thread in its entirety. Bugblatter fucked around with this message at 07:10 on Apr 28, 2015 |
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Wherefore Korea? The country is often viewed as the red-headed stepchild of Asia, so it's a fair question. It lacks the cultural draw of Japan, the scale of China, or the devil-may-care lifestyle afforded by the miscellany smaller countries dotting the local landscape. You can take or leave the society as you please, but Korea does have its advantages in the form of financial stability with minimal barriers to entry, a comfortable lifestyle with relatively little effort, and an increasing number of opportunities in certain fields. One thing to emphasize is that Korea is particularly hit or miss, even judged on par with the standard travails of uprooting your life and schlepping halfway around the world to live someplace where you can't order pizza without help. The country industrialized in the heartbeat of a generation. Contracts aren't sacrosanct, norms are reversed, the actions of your coworkers will baffle you initially… or perpetually. The sooner you make peace with the fact that poo poo won’t make sense to you, the better. That’s honestly the biggest piece of advice I can give you. Experiences tend to be found between extremes and people tend to be found in extremis. Learn to bend. Hemingway once described guts as "grace under pressure." You will need guts. How do I make the jump? Most people, most of the time, make their way here courtesy of the English bubble that has been in existence for the last few decades. Much like Japan, Korea is wedded to the notion of an educated citizenry speaking the global language. Enter you, with your commendable foresight of having been born in a geographically fortuitous location. Whether you should opt for this is ultimately up to you. In some respects ESL teaching is very much a gap year sort of proposition. You break off from your current life and likely stall all personal and professional development for the duration of your stay. You won’t see your family. Employers will (with a fair amount of justification) view it as a sort of sponsored holiday for un(der)employed liberal arts majors and cubicle drones going through an existential crisis rather than actual experience in any sense of the word. On the other hand it is a fresh start, a change of locale, and a somewhat financially gainful job during a global recession. Season your enthusiasm to taste. There are two main classes of TEFL jobs in Korea: public schools and private supplementary academies (called hagwons). As a rule of thumb, the former is regulated and stable with ample vacation time while the latter pays better and gives you more flexibility to specify terms. Outside the rule of thumb, most people who are an old hand at this will recommend the public school route if you’re on the outside looking in and about to make a blind leap of faith. You're less likely to find the mecca of teaching positions, but you're also less likely to get screwed. Note that as of this writing, things are changing somewhat due to politics and budgets. Public school positions are being phased out in certain districts as the culmination of decades of middling enthusiasm for the NET program. Seoul, Incheon and Busan have all but stopped hiring new teachers, and some provinces have dropped EPIK (The primary NET hiring program) entirely. The writing is on the wall. There are also university gigs, private tutoring, and actual industries exclusive to TEFL, but these are generally things that you feel out subsequent to your initial landing. Contracts, with few exceptions, last the full year. Most public schools hire for the terms in August and February, but there is some demand year-round to fill vacated positions. Keep in mind that while the details below are the norm, there are always exceptions even within the public system. Always check your own contract before assuming something to be true, and realize that your employer may not always honor the fine details (Generally, public is good about this. Hagwons, less so). Public salary starts at around 2.1 million won monthly for someone with no experience at a public, which is currently about 1.9k USD. The main exception is Gimhae, which has many perks including better pay, but is more selective in its hiring process. If you meet the right criteria of nationality and visa classification (USA and E-2), your income is principally tax-free for the first two years. You’ll need to submit a Certificate of Residency as early as possible to receive that benefit. You usually get one month's severance at the close of the contract, along with potentially other benefits such as pension reimbursement (Also dependent on nationality). Money for roundtrip airfare is generally provided with new contracts, though it is normally in the form of a set amount detailed in the contract, rather than a true reimbursement. Your own ability to shop for cheap flights will determine if the flight money actually covers the full airfare - the perk being that you may get to pocket any surplus. Hagwons are now commonly offering only one-way airfare, check your contract. Lodging is taken care of for free, though you should be able to opt-out if desired, and is often along the lines of a basic studio apartment. Health insurance is provided. Visas (E-2 for ESL teachers; students, Korean expats and others have their own types they should be familiar with) are sponsored by and tied to the employer, meaning your contract determines your length of stay. What will I need? For all schools: -A bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Must be notarized and apostilled. This is an immigration requirement for your E-2 Visa and cannot be circumvented. A letter of intent to graduate signed by the registrar of your school is fine in place of the physical diploma. For baseline jobs, nobody really cares about either your major, your school or your GPA. -Being a citizen of a country with English as the mother tongue (US, UK, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia. Other English speaking countries are unfortunately not recognized). Note that this is different from actually being a native speaker - you can still qualify even if English is not your first language. -A passport. -A criminal background check. Must be federal/national, courtesy of people just getting one done the next state over to avoid child molestation charges. For the US, it means an FBI check.  Start your FBI check early. It can take up to three months and is the bottleneck for everything.-The ability to pass a mandatory stock health evaluation. AIDS is not good for your career prospects. -Various notarized/apostilled nonsense. Sign paperwork recruiters tell you to, etc. -Bring multiple copies of everything. In the US requesting an additional copy generally adds little if anything to the cost of the requested document. You don’t want to get hosed over on taxes because your school administration lost the only copy of your Cert of Residency. Note that if you are forums poster Don’t Ask Kant you will get hosed over anyway. For those local, Immigration has a useful helpline that will be able to definitively answer your questions: 1345 on any phone within Korea. For hagwons: -Up to individual discretion. For public schools: -Two reference letters. -A brief essay/lesson plan. -A photo. -A phone/skype interview. -The ability to not piss drugs. -A TEFL certification of 100 hours or more is now required, and an offline component having 20+ hours will give you preferred consideration. The previous OP author recommended KEI TESOL, but they're all mostly carbon copies of one another. How do I apply? For public schools, you can go through a recruiter that will forward your application to SMOE (Seoul), GNET (Gimhae), or EPIK/GEPIK (Everywhere else). However, these days you can just apply directly and its simple enough that there is no reason not to do so. Click here for GNET and here for everywhere else. Note that if you apply both directly and through a recruiter both applications will likely be disqualified. Another thing to note is that EPIK hiring tends to be first come first serve. Meaning if two people submit an application and the second is far more qualified that the first, the first person still gets the job. Apply early.For hagwons, you either respond to individual job postings or again go through a recruiter. You can choose which to use by personal preference. Some recruiters that goons can attest to are: People Recruit ESL Planet Korea Connections Korvia Footprints Recruiting Flying Cows Research your school and location. If you don't know how, ask in this thread and somebody with a decent grasp of Korean will do it for you. You are putting your life on hold for a year to go meander about a strange new country, and if you do it blind you'll probably end up at Wonderland and everyone here will mock you. Don’t blame us if you find yourself as the one foreign teacher on a tiny island called Ulleungdo, separated from the mainland by a five hour ferry that runs when the weather is good enough, and with only a couple dozen school children to speak English with (This is a real position). Who, what, and where will I teach? As public, you'll likely be thrust in front of elementary students. High school jobs are rare and becoming rarer, and middle schools are following suit. Hagwons have the chance of older learners, which can be a mixed blessing. On the subject of curriculum, it varies broadly by employer. Some will never have you deviate from the course materials, others will give you absolute freedom to do anything you like. If you're at a public you might have a grace period of a week or two just to observe, though its far from a sure thing. At hagwons you tend to hit the ground running. Either way, it's advisable to have some introductory lesson plans prepared in advance. Choosing a location: Most people are going to want to be in a major city. If you want a decent sized pool of English speakers to hang out with or you want any kind of nightlife or western food that’s just a given. In the past Seoul was the obvious front runner for its comparatively diverse options for food, nightlife, and social opportunities, but Korea develops quickly and it’s edge isn’t nearly so pronounced as it was two or three years ago. At this point in time, any large city will be roughly as comfortable as any other, and whether the scenery and comfortable weather of Busan is more valuable than the nightlife of Hongdae or Gangnam will come down to personal preference. I do personally think there’s a lot of value to be had in living in a city on the KTX line, as it makes zipping around the country to sightsee or visit friends immeasurably more convenient. Thankfully, with the newest rail line that describes most of the largest cities. It’s important to note that due to budget cuts it is currently all but impossible to find public positions in Seoul or Busan proper. You’ll be fairly lucky to land a position in what some refer to as the suburbs (They are actually satellite cities). To give an idea of what living in these suburbs can mean, note that I live in Daegu, but can be in the middle of Seoul or Busan faster than some friends who live occupy said suburbs. It’s not a bad position to be in at all, but is another thing to take into account when choosing where you’ll end up. I guess I should say that everyone agrees that Seoul is objectively better for dating, so if you’re coming here just to find your Korean waifu… you know, how about you just keep that to yourself? So what about the smaller cities and the countryside? It honestly will not be for most people. Most likely no one will speak English outside of your students and the half dozen NETs in your area, and those fellow NETs are likely to be the most awkward people you’ve ever met. Suck it up! They’re your only friends for the year. All the people between 18 and 60 have fled the countryside, so even if you speak fluent Korean there aren’t going to be a lot of opportunities to socialize with your peers. On the upside, most stretches of the Korean landscape are very scenic and you’ll get to be fully immersed in “Real Korea’s” culture… with no escape from it. I did my first year in a small farming town and loved it. However, I would not do a second year. You probably already know if this kind of situation will work for you. How much Korean do I need to know? For the job, none whatever. You will generally have a co-teacher who will translate as needed. It is, however, extremely advisable that you at least learn how to read, write and speak the alphabet (hangul) before coming. It takes an afternoon and will aid you beyond measure. Sogang’s site is a good start. For surviving, your mileage may vary. Korea, and Seoul especially, is actually fairly hospitable to people who don't speak the native language. There is a host of services in English and a lot of the natives have an established if tenuous grasp of the language. This holds less true for the countryside, but people are friendly and if you are decent at Charades you won’t starve. Non-teaching Jobs It’s hard to deny that TEFL is an industry, but whether it’s a profession is still up for dispute. People do it, and some people do it their whole lives, but the tea leaves haven’t been in our favor for a while now and we’re well past the boom years. There’s a glut of English-speaking graduates wanting to escape and a saturated market. There are a fair amount of English-speaking jobs in Korea, especially in the technology and business fields. A lot of job descriptions are in English even if the title of the listing itself might be in Korean, but you'll probably have to click around for a while to find them. That said, realistically, you're still probably going to have to know at least a rudimentary amount of Korean to have a chance. There are a bunch of other more popular job recruitment sites such as Incruit. For English job sites, WorkNPlay is the main one, but good leads are few and far between. Most positions are filled by people already local and are never advertised publicly. That is the politically-correct version of this topic. For a more practical approach, the following is an exhaustive, authoritative guide for ditching TEFL in Korea: Know a guy who knows a guy. The end. Studying in Korea Korean universities have fairly mediocre rankings worldwide due to any number of factors. Traditionally undergrad (less so postgrad) was seen as a sort of moment of grace and easy living between the incredibly oppressive competition in middle and high school and the vicious requirements of corporate indentured servitude. As a result, most students slack off. There’s also a well-deserved reputation for rote studying, classes that consist of lectures and little else, and a complete lack of emphasis on critical thinking or independent research. This is all true but in recent years there’s actually been a concerted push among the top universities to change this. An increasing number are adopting western standards for administration, education, and publication, and there’s been some interesting changes among SKY in particular lately in how they are incorporated and managed. Asian universities have been climbing the rankings pretty consistently. The good news is that you have a good chance of being accepted just by virtue of being white, due to being a minority for once. Fees are also relatively low and classes can in theory be conducted exclusively in English. An increasing number of programs are available. Additional Useful Links SA Korean Language Thread Naver dictionary Hangul 101 Korean subtitles (Gomplayer exclusive) KBS speaking practice: KBS Speaking Practice Galbijim Language Lab Additionally there are any number of evening classes for Korean instruction. Some free, some not. Of the formal university courses that span 10 weeks and cost a fair bit, Sogang's is the most highly recommended due to the style. Ehwa is good as is Yonsei, though the latter follows the more traditionally Korean approach of lecturing and rote study. Universities in major cities outside of Seoul are also likely to have English programs, as do branches of the Catholic church, though I can’t speak to the specifics of any of them. There’s also several online sites where you can set up a 1-on-1 language exchange. They’re all pretty much the same so you can register with any site that pops up in a Google search. Be aware that many people seem to think these sites are a version of Tinder for those with a fixation on certain race. Whether you use that knowledge for good or for evil, I leave up to you. Can I take Fluffy with me? Yes, but it is likely unwise. It is a hassle and Korea's cities especially are not pet-friendly. This is changing gradually, and dogs are especially becoming more common as pets, which means parks and other pedestrians are becoming more accommodating, but you’ll still be met with challenges. As well, if you are being provided with school housing there is no guarantee they will allow it. More information here. Can I do private tutoring on the side? If you’re using an E-2 Visa, in theory, no. Your Visa legally precludes it. In practice, it is commonplace and rampant. Keep in mind that it's a calculated risk and if you get deported you shouldn't blame me. Getting an FBI check A writeup on the process What to Bring Over -A suit, which you should wear for the first day. (This was stated by the previous author. I did no such thing, but I’ll leave it here just in case.) -Clothing, and shoes in particular. Depending on your body type you may run into serious difficulties here. -Electronics are typically marked up pretty heavily, so buy laptops and such before you leave. -Any vitamins or prescriptions you are particular to. There can be issues with getting access to any number of drugs you may be used to. -Certificate of Residency (see taxes section) -Condoms, if you are an endowed ubermensch paragon or just like to think you are. What to (Maybe) Bring Over -Your unlocked smartphone may or may not be able to transfer to a local carrier if you have a sim card and IEMI registration. Probably not, although the fee for getting it certified has now been removed. -Adapter plugs can be had cheaply here, and can be ordered online. Chances are you won’t need a voltage converter for most modern electronics. -Cooking sundries you are particular to. -If you want, miscellaneous small cultural gifts for coworkers/students and a larger gift for your principal/boss. Generally, just buying some fruit from the market will be more appreciated though. Bugblatter fucked around with this message at 09:58 on Apr 28, 2015 |
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Living in Korea Initial Days The first things you should do upon landing is get your Alien Registration Card from immigration. How fast you do this determines how fast you get your phone and your bank account, which are the next things you should do upon landing. If given the choice, KEB is probably the most foreigner-friendly bank. Set up internet. Find out what utilities you're responsible for and how to pay them. Learn how to use your ondol heating system and how much it costs. Get a T-Money/whatever card, which is a rechargable pass for all public transportation and can be gotten at any subway station and most convenience stores. At some point in the next few weeks you should file tax paperwork with your employer (see the later section), learn how to make use of the NHI (health care), and make sure your employer is paying into the NPS (pension). Make friends with the locals and make use of them without pissing them off too much. Then make more friends. The only benchmark for failure in this country is if you turn into that guy who spends every weeknight in the nearest foreigner bar bitching about his job. Travel from/to Korea Aside from the usual haunts like Kayak and Expedia, there are a few local travel agents you can make use of that aren't shady scam artists. Soho Xanadu WhyPayMore (korean) Using your Ondol (Heating) Most Korean apartments use a boiler system for maintaining hot water in your pipes and heating the floor. There is typically a control unit and a personal boiler elsewhere in the building. In winter you should keep it on at the lowest setting to prevent your pipes from freezing. They are rickety, come in a million different variants, and are notorious for working badly if at all. All models are different, but you will typically have a 전원 button (power) and settings for 실내 (general indoor heating), 목욕 (your bathroom/shower), 외출(hibernation while you’re out), and 예약 (timer). Additionally you may have specific settings for sleep heating, water vs. room heating, and so on. No interface is standard, so if you’re confused try flailing about helplessly in this thread and someone will aid you. Cuisine and Diets in Korea International food has become more available in the last few years, although it will generally take a trip across town to find, so if you're used to Indian restaurants on every corner and shopping at the typical Western market you're going to find it hard going. This is changing fast, but only in large cities and Seoul has a big head start over the rest. Korean fare can be awesome and cheap for a while but also gets a bad rap for being monotonous over the long-term. Luckily, Costcos dot the landscape, you can have food delivered, and there’s an increasing number of alternative options. Good resources here are Gmarket (Ebay owned Amazon equivalent, along with groceries and fresh fruits) and iHerb (amazing, particularly for vitamins/supplements). Vegetarian or vegan diets are viable, but not easy. Random stuff like kimchi has fish paste in it. Forum poster Tirinal and others claim to manage fine in spite of this. Good resources: Alien’s Day Out and Vegetarian Restaurant Map Also keep in mind many schools have mandatory dinner outings, and eating together is a large part of the culture here. The main issue isn't really logistical so much as social. Taxes Taxes are basically a smoke and mirrors act, and frequently the best you can hope for is that when it comes time for them to gently caress you it happens gently. A brief introduction to the taxation schema. Below is some practical information, from a Yank perspective, as written by Tirinal. Although accurate and helpful as an introduction, it is wise to read up on the specifics from an official source. Resources to do so are included. Be an adult, don't work entirely from what some internet goon said once. One new requirement for expats introduced since this was written is that if your foreign accounts exceeds a cumulative amount of $10k USD at any point in the year, they must be reported. There may or may not have been other changes. I don’t know, I’m not a financial adviser. That said, this is still all good stuff to know: Korea has a special reciprocal treaty between itself and the States that it does not maintain for the most part with Commonwealth countries. This excludes you from paying domestic Korean taxes for two years if you work for a certified institution. In order to qualify you must have the IRS issue you a Certificate of Residency (form 6166), which takes anywhere from four to eight weeks. The application form and instructions are found here: f8802 i8802 It is a good idea to get started on this well in advance of landing in Korea, and you should give it to your school as soon as possible. Also, request multiple copies just in case, as it shouldn’t add to the total cost. On the domestic front, you do not have to pay taxes on any overseas income under $91,400. Any amount you make over that is only taxed on the surplus. You need to have lived abroad a full year to qualify, and any time spent shy of 330 in a 12-month period after you return home is prorated. The relevant form is number 2555: f2555ez i2555ez That said, you can request a rubber-stamped two month extension until June as an overseas resident. You can then file for another extension if you want to use that time to pass the 330-day physical presence test, since contracts rarely sync up with tax years and the qualification is retroactive. Regardless of whether you pay taxes or not you still need to file the same as everyone else. File your taxes. Abstaining can and will cause major headaches for you when you return. Note that while you may or may not qualify for Foreign Income Exclusion based on a number of criteria, you should still attempt it as it's possible to basically avoid taxation on either front for the first two years. Filing jointly seems preferable if you're married and both citizens, but do your research. Note that all of the above is moot if you have an F-series Visa (in which case you are considered a Korean resident) or dual/+ citizenship anywhere, which will turn your entire filing experience into a nightmare. For everything else, call the IRS. Then wait five minutes and call them again to see if the answer is the same. Telephone Assistance for Individuals: Toll-Free, 1-800-829-1040 International Number: 215-516-2000 (not toll-free) Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. The Gay Bean posted:
Checking/Retrieving your Pension By law Korean employers are required to pay into the social security system, the surprisingly informative English portal for which can be found here: http://english.nps.or.kr/jsppage/english/main.jsp. Upon leaving the country, you are able to request a refund of this amount if your home country has a reciprocal agreement with Korea. Of the English-speaking nationalities, South Africa, Britain and New Zealand do not have a reciprocal and are therefore excluded. To check your pension amount, go to http://csa.nps.or.kr/main.do and click on the little paper with magnifying glass (국민연금 납부내역조회). Then enter your ARC number, log in with your banking information or I-Pin, and google translate the subsequent page. Owning a Car/Motorcycle in Korea I wouldn’t really recommend it in major cities due to congestion and expense, but for backwater towns you may want to look into driving or riding as an alternative to public transportation. The process for doing so legally is fairly straightforward, even if the process for doing so practically is anything but and is very likely to see you maimed on the pavement. Traffic laws here are... pliable. If you have an international driver’s license it is valid for up to a year, so you can take that approach. Alternatively, you may be able to swap a foreign driver’s license for a domestic one courtesy of a couple stamps, a physical test, and a comically gobbledygook written exam at your local DMV. There is no supervised driving session if you’re merely converting one license to another, unless you’re trying to be certified for certain higher cc’s of motocycles. Note that not all licenses may be able to be swapped. If you are starting from scratch and have to take the supervised driving session… God help you. Useful Phone Apps Korea-specific programs that are useful. Most are cross-platform between Android and iOS. Kakaotalk - The big messaging app. Seoulbus, Jihachul, Korail - The big three apps for public transportation. For bus schedules, subways lines, and intercity trains, respectively. Daum Maps - Basically Google Maps for Korea. Don’t try to use Google Maps here, it’s worthless. Fortunately, Daum is awesome. It has the best public transit info of any app, and is even so detailed as to include hiking trails, complete with real time info on trail conditions. It doesn’t have an English mode, but forums poster AmbientParadox is a hero to all with his visual guide for the language impaired. Soundmanager - Useful for automatically disabling calls during teaching hours. Google Translate - Useful for obvious reasons. Eggmon - Barcode scanner. Yogiyo - Order food from your smart phone. You can even have it charged to your phone bill. Now agoraphobes can eat junk food without even talking to another human being! Forums poster AmbientParadox once again saves countless lives with his visual english guide for those of you too lazy to learn hangul on the flight over. 배달의민족 - Same as Yogiyo except with more restaurants and often cheaper prices. Downside is you’ll actually need to learn Korean to use this one. CGV - Buy theater tickets and reserve seats at the countries largest theater chain. No English mode but the visual icons will get you through most of it. On the payment page the six digit number is your birthday as listed on your ARC and the two digit number is end of your PIN. Everything else should be obvious. Incidentally, if you're wanting to make international calls from your cell phone you can dial 1600-0030, which will route it over the internet and only charge you the same fee you'd get for any normal domestic call. Simply punch in the country code + area code + phone number, and you should be connected. Tattoos/Piercings I seem to meet more inked expats than not these days, so this deserves a mention. Korea is one of those Asian countries with a long and storied history of discrimination against tattoos, as they are/were associated with criminals and the lower elements of society. Amusingly, it is technically illegal for anyone in Korea to puncture skin if they do not have a medical license (thus giving acupuncturists a legal out). The stigma is predictably changing fast among the younger generation, but workplace reactions vary wildly and it's impossible to typecast without quibbling over anecdotes. Suffice to say it's suggested you cover up at least to begin with. The same principle holds for bodymods. Korean Software I can’t write about this topic without flirting with cardiac arrest, so I’m going extricate myself briefly. frozenpeas posted:0. Essential software you must have on your pc. TEFL Resources This is for lesson plans, resources, and discussion on classroom management. Waygook - The main forum for Korea-specific teaching. It’s the best site of its kind, mostly because the rest are such garbage. Prezi - A cleaner, more streamlined alternative to Powerpoint if you aren't making use of the advanced macro/animation features. Eat Your Kimchi ESL Kids Manythings Powerpoint Games Edochan A4ESL Breaking News English Wordle Boggle’s World Mes English ESL tower ESL Printables Barry Fun English Surviving Korea Resources These are sites that deal with the day-to-day business of nursing the hangover that is this country. ESL Cafe - The big one. Full of obnoxious twits, it is nonetheless useful due to mass and the monkeys with typewriters principle. Waygook - As above, a nexus for lifestyle stuff in addition to the teacher resources. ESL Oupost - Goon-operated, this is a catchall site that is new to the scene but is evolving and should get some patronage. Gmarket - Amazon equivalent, plus groceries, complete with buggy English interface. iHerb - Enough nice things cannot be said about this site, and now that they use Korean Postal shipping is more reasonable. SMOE - Government positions within Seoul. GNET - Government positions in Gimhae EPIK - Government positions everywhere else. WorkNPlay Seoul Subway Map Online Korean Movies Daum streetview Korea gig guide Korea4Expats The Yeogiyo The Korea Herald Costco Delivery If you ever need help with anything or need a translator, call 02-1330 (tourism) or 02-120 (global centre) on a phone. The people manning the phones are surprisingly competent. Blogs/Reviews of Stuff The Grand Narrative Gusts of Popular Feeling Brian in Jeollanam-do Seoul City Blog Korean Modern Literature in Translation Seoul Grid Miscellaneous Links Prior SA thread Highly realistic employment simulation SA Korean cinema thread In case of nuclear winter Bugblatter fucked around with this message at 10:14 on Apr 28, 2015 |
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Stuff to do while Living/Visiting Hiking Hiking is said to be Korea’s national pastime and with good reason. The peninsula is covered with great mountainous hiking trails. Even in the middle of the city you are likely to live walking distance from a decent mountain hike. Below is a look at some of the most notable hikes in Korea. Seoraksan  We’re starting off with the best. A UNESCO site and one of the most beautiful ranges in the world, in my opinion. Nine times out of ten, if you see a gorgeous photo of a Korean mountain range, it’s of Seoraksan. I’ve done a lot of famous hikes on a lot of continents, and visually this ranks among my Top 5. Your starting city will be Sokcho, which is a pleasant coastal city. Seoraksan’s National Park is massive and covering the whole thing would take many exhausting days, but there are several shorter hikes that will let you see the beauty in a shorter amount of time. If you’re short on time or not in the best shape, you can take the cable car to one of the peaks for a good view of the range. Afterward, go back down and walk to Oyreon falls, which will take you through a stunning canyon with several waterfalls. If you have a bit more time you can also climb Ulsanbawi, which has a good view of the sunrise over the ocean, if you’re up for that. While those routes give you a good view of the park with minimal exertion, they’re also very touristy areas, so you’ll be surrounded by dense crowds and can’t really leave the constructed platforms. If you want to get away from that and really see the full beauty of the range, you want to hike Gongryongnueng (The Dinosaur’s Back Ridge). The route I always recommend takes a full day and starts at 3:00am. You want to start by walking to Bisondae, where the path will fork. Take the right path up to Madeungryeong, on the way you’ll want to stop at a good lookout point and enjoy the sunrise over the sea. When you reach the top, continue across Gongryongneung. This is the famous stretch is just one stunning vista after another. It’s also an exhausting repetition of steep climbs and descents, and not for those with vertigo, as the ridge gets very narrow with sheer drop offs at some points. At the end of the day, late afternoon or early evening depending on your pace, you’ll come back down through the canyon path past Oryeong falls, mentioned above. An alternative way to see the ridge is to go in reverse and book a night at the shelter past Oryeong. It’s extremely difficult to get a space reserved though. Maisan   Near Jeonju, this is a limestone mountain that has been eroded by rainfall into two mounds. It's called the horse ear mountain, but most of us think it looks like something else. The mountain itself is more interesting to look at than to climb, although there is a ridge hike around the mountain which has some fantastic views for minimal strain. In between the two mounds is Tapsa, one of the more unique Korean temples, which I talk about in the appropriate section below. Jirisan  Notable for being the tallest mountain on the mainland. My luck with this one wasn’t great, as the view from the top was just a snowy whiteout. I’d imagine the view would be spectacular on a clear day. Jinju would be the starting point for this one. There’s also an old fortress in the city worth checking out. Hallasan  The tallest mountain in South Korea, located on Jeju Island. This hike is always crowded, which means you can’t go very fast. Most of the actual hike is dull as it’s just several hours of walking through a forest with no visual variety. Eventually you do breach the tree-line, find yourself above the clouds with a fantastic view of the entire island, and a cool dormant caldera which may have a pool of water during some parts of the year. If you visit Jeju this should be on your itinerary. Gayasan   I’ve hiked this one the most simply by virtue of it being closest to me. On a clear day, it has my favorite peak view in the country. It’s also a relatively easy climb without any severe slopes. The peak can be reached in 3 hours at leisurely pace, though I’ve done it in 1.5. Haeinsa is also at the foot of the mountain, and is one of my favorite temples. More information about it in the relevant section below. Daegu is the closest city. Bukhansan This is the national park on the north side of Seoul. If you’re in Korea for a short period of time and want to do a hike, this is the famous one inside the city. There will also be a poo poo ton of good hikes close to wherever you are living. If you’re in Daegu there’s a mountain called Biseulsan that is covered in azaleas during spring. Other cities will have similar features. Ask around and find out what your city or town has. Temples People often say that if you’ve seen one Korean temple, you’ve seen them all. This is largely true, but there are some notable exceptions that I’ll name here. Seokbulsa   One of the oldest temples here, it’s unique in that it’s carved out of stone. Somehow this place is secret even to most Koreans, which means there might be a dozen visitors on a busy day. It’s located halfway up a mountain which means it has some nice views of Busan as well. Haedong Yonggungsa  I don’t actually like this one as much as everyone else. It’s a typical temple design, packed with tourists, complete with a fake plastic grotto. But its on the ocean and looks kind of like Rivendell, people say. Really, I’m the only hater so you should probably visit it. Haeinsa A large temple structure that’s actually old, weathered, and aged. It also hosts the Tripitaka Koreana, the Buddhist scriptures carved onto tens of thousands of wooden printing blocks. Koreans in the 13th century thought carving these scriptures would be a better defense against invasion than preparing arms. It went about as well as you’d expect, but now we have a nice UNESCO site to appreciate. Located on the beautiful foot of Gayasan with waterfalls and forests that are loving gorgeous in Autumn. Tapsa   Located in between the twin mounds of Maisan. A Buddhist monk once made several spires out of small stones and now it’s a temple. Cool, but also small. Don’t go here on a busy holiday or you’ll be loving miserable. There are probably other lesser known temples with their own unique charms. I’ve been told and shown pictures of a cliffside temple which overlooks the sea in the south west of the peninsula, but I’ve never been and can’t recall the name. If you know anything about it, or other noteworthy temples, do let me know and I’ll add the information. Many temples also offer templestays. Buddhism has a long history here despite being trampled over in recent times by evangelical Christianity, and a number of monasteries host live-in programs. I haven’t done one, but they are said to actually be fairly neat, from both a cultural and religious standpoint Museums This is mostly in Seoul as the city hogs all the good exhibitions. There are far more museum in Seoul alone that I could hope to cover here. So, I’m just going to list my favorites out of the many art museums as well as mention some other unique ones that other goons passed on to me. If you have a specific area of interest, I recommend searching for it on K4E. There is probably a museum for it. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Located on the east side of Gyeongbokgung, this is my favorite of the country’s art museums. Not much of a permanent collection, but a massive amount of exhibition spaces that get plenty of cool installations and shows. Seoul Museum of Art A slightly smaller art museum which gets most of the really high profile exhibitions aimed at general audiences. When stuff like Tim Burton or Studio Ghibli’s shows come through town, they're shown here. It’s down the street from City Hall and next door to Deoksugung, which also has a small gallery. Daerim Museum of Contemporary Art On the east side of Gyeongbokgung, it’s called a museum but it’s actually a large gallery focusing on one single large and long running show at a time. Seems to favor photography, they had an excellent show for Ryan McGinley last year. Gangwon Comprehensive Museum In Gangwondo near Donghae. As described by honorary goon Pinot, “It’s a pretty epic, eclectic collection made by rich donors to the cult that operates it.” He says it has a kind of “North Korea feel.” It certainly looks interesting, with the classic palace design overtaken by fake stalagmites. Other sights These are primarily geared at visitors, if you’ve been here for any length of time you probably know them already. I might add some more obscure stuff later on. Seoul: Gyeongbokgung One of the biggest tourist sites in the city, Gyeongbokgung is the main palace in Seoul. It’s mostly a reconstruction and while the area around it is cool, most goons will recommend nicer alternatives, such as: Deoksugung A palace near City Hall, smaller than Gyeongbokgung but nicer, with a few different styles represented. Grounds are especially nice in Spring. Also has an art gallery inside. Changgyeonggung Palace near Hyehwa. Large old wooden structure with large grounds that are nice in Autumn. Chonggyecheon Used to be an interstate, now it’s a canal. Fairly pleasant to walk through and is part of most tourist itineraries. Busan: Gwangalli The other beach in Busan, less crowded than Haeundae and a bit more chill. Also the location of Busan’s Firework Festival. Hwangnyoengsan   Best visited during the Cherry Blossom bloom, as the entire mountainside is covered in blossoming trees. One of the few Cherry Blossom forests that won’t be swarmed with thick crowds. The peak also arguably has the best view of the city. Clubs Aeglus wrote the below guide to Seoul’s Clubs a while back, I can’t vouch for how much of it is still relevant. Gangnam- Club Answer ---------- +Plays mainly electro and electrohouse +Great dance floor layout +Great crowd; a lot Korean people, decent amount of foreigners and gyopos -Very strict. Don't gently caress around there. -Very expensive drinks -Tables are a little expensive, starting at 380k Club Junkie ---------- +New club, so draws a big crowd every night +The interior looks amazing. They did a great job fixing all the problems Heaven had. +Plays mainly electro and electrohouse, later on changes to psytrance +Table prices are CHEAP. Starts at 330k and the tables are NICE -Location is not great... it's not near any bars, or anything really Octagon ---------- +Newest club in Seoul, and one of the biggest by m^2 +Cheap entry before 11; only 10k but no free drink -Dance floor isn't really that big because the loving elevator blocks off a large portion Club Eden ---------- +Resident DJs here are pretty good +Guestlist here is typically a password so you don't have to contact people directly -Not a fan of the crowd here -Feels sorta cramped as far as the dance area goes Ellui ---------- +One of the kings, brings in MAJOR players as well +HUGE DANCEFLOOR +This is where pretty girls go to get their picture taken by club photographers -I hate house and tech house -it's too loving big; crowd doesn't mingle well because of that -table prices are insane Sinsa- Club Holic ---------- +Have a reputation for prettiest girls +Crowd is fun... if you like total anarchy -Male crowd is typically very aggressive -Not a lot of foreigners but you won't be treated badly by staff Club Double 8 ---------- +Plays pure electro all night +Easy guestlist -gently caress this place in many ways. Some staff are really cool, but some are very blatantly racist -Music actually isn't that great Club Phantom ---------- +Only decent hiphop club in Seoul +Interior is nice +Tables are cheap to start with, 330k -Crowd is more into finding a girl/guy to take home Music The music scene is making a slow and burgeoning recovery from the barren wasteland it used to be. Kpop and Psy can still gently caress right off, but for the discerning gentleman of taste and leisure, you can generally find good gigs on any given weekend. Korea Gig Guide is the main resource. Gigguide.kr is recommended as well. Korean Indie is useful, as is SuperColorSuper, though it’s run by those of ill repute (To put it lightly). The Seoul Arts Center is amazing if you are of a classical bent. InterPark is used for a lot of booking, but you should learn to browse and use the Korean version. Fooding Seoul is amazing and is finally, finally, becoming an actual international city. The solution to everything ever on this subject is to ask Kant, but failing that it’s recommended to just google or use something like Seoul Eats. Their map is useful. Also: AmbientParadox posted:Share this pin with anyone you need to shove some culture into. We have ~50 pins on our food map now. Man that AmbientParadox, what a great guy. You should also check out traditional temple food at least once while here, which is very different from all the pork and sauce you find in the streets. Alcohol And finally we come to what really matters. The main traditional alcohol types in the country are soju and makgeolli. Soju is secretly window cleaner sold to an unsuspecting public, it’s only merits being that it will get you drunk quickly and cheaply… and hey, sometimes that’s what you need. Makgeolli, on the other hand, should be tried by everyone who winds up on Korean soil. The drink is advertised as a rice wine, though some would argue its more analogous craft beers. Speaking of… For a long time severe legal restrictions meant the only widespread beer options on the peninsula was the local horsepiss branded as Cass and Hite, or overpriced imports of Budweiser and Heineken. Said legal restrictions were relaxed in recent years, and there’s now a small but growing craft beer scene. If you’re into that, then Magpie is the famous and overcrowded joint in Seoul, with locations in Itaewon and Hongdae (And also now on Jeju Island). Also in Itaewon is Four Seasons, which tends to be a bit less crowded and more relaxed. In Busan, the main brewery is Galmegi, near Gwangalli. In Daegu there is Percent, which doesn’t do any of their own brewing, but does sell beers from Galmegi and Magpie. It’s near Daebonggyo Station on the recently opened Line 3. As with every other section, if there’s something else that should be here, do let me know. Lastly, A few other (obvious) links for finding things to do: K4E Wikivoyage Korean Tourism Organization Lonely Planet Bugblatter fucked around with this message at 08:19 on Apr 28, 2015 |
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Apr 28, 2015 07:01
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In time, I'll be quoting or linking useful posts (If there ever are any) which don't fit into any of the above sections, here. For now, I'll just state that while the OP is mostly done, it's still a work in progress. Obviously a lot of the tourism oriented items still need pictures to go along, and some sections could be formatted a little better. I'll also be adding information over time, so feel free to send my your suggestions. Bugblatter fucked around with this message at 07:14 on Apr 28, 2015 |
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Apr 28, 2015 07:04
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Nice update brosef. As an aside, as elder US Military Korea Goon, if you're PCSing here or need anything related to that side of life in Korea, feel free to hit me up on Kakao, Gmail, or on here. Username is the same.
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Apr 28, 2015 07:29
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I thought that the old thread was just closed because we pushed shitposting to new, unprecedented limits. Instead we get a nicely updated OP! Thank u based bugblatter.
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Apr 28, 2015 09:14
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nullscan posted:Nice update brosef. 
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Apr 28, 2015 11:57
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Onion Knight posted:I thought that the old thread was just closed because we pushed shitposting to new, unprecedented limits. Feels like a challenge
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Apr 28, 2015 12:27
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Did any of you guys watch the Bourdain Parts Unknown season premiere? http://www.cnn.com/shows/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown All of my trips to Korea have been somewhat similar.
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Apr 28, 2015 20:31
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Asian Junkie is a terrible site 2015: The year of quote:#KimchiSneakyBitch
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Apr 29, 2015 04:23
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Just got married and re-signed for another year. As much as Korea drives me insane sometimes, for now I've made a nice little home here.
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Apr 29, 2015 06:08
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dantheman650 posted:Just got married and re-signed for another year. As much as Korea drives me insane sometimes, for now I've made a nice little home here. Hey, was it your co-teacher?
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Apr 29, 2015 06:42
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Former co-teacher. He's told the story before and the obsession with it is kind of embarrassing now.
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Apr 29, 2015 06:49
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I still have no idea what almost any of your forums names are. I guess I can positively ID maybe 3 now?
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Apr 29, 2015 07:54
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Bugblatter posted:Former co-teacher. He's told the story before and the obsession with it is kind of embarrassing now. I'm not sure but I think you must be talking about someone else. It is indeed my former co-teacher but I don't remember any "obsession" about it. I think I mentioned it once briefly in the last thread and that was about it.
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Apr 29, 2015 07:59
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The Sewol captain's sentence was upgraded on appeal from 36 years in prison to life. Same difference, really, seeing how he's 70 anyhow. The other crew members had their sentences reduced from 5 to 30 down to 1.5 to 12. Number dead: 304 Number still missing: 9 Number of safety reforms since the accident: 0 Sparkling.
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Apr 29, 2015 08:10
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dantheman650 posted:I'm not sure but I think you must be talking about someone else. It is indeed my former co-teacher but I don't remember any "obsession" about it. I think I mentioned it once briefly in the last thread and that was about it. The problem isn't with you, but with people in chat. Prob shouldn't have mentioned it.
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Apr 29, 2015 09:03
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^^^ Agreed. IMO chat has been made obsolete by the google map that tells me where to eat. Yoo Byung-eun is dead, too, so that's it! We're all done, everything's cleaned up now. The price has been paid. No need to ever speak about it again, or change any behavior that could impact a Chaebol bottom line. If you and all of your friends are killed because someone wants to milk another three bucks per ton out of a ferry haul a gaggle of pretend army men will take Our Lord and Savior Park Chung-hee's rotting dick out of their mouths long just enough to stuff pizza in there in order to harass your mourning parents. If I were one of my students I'd have probably walked off some apartment roof some time ago. But hey! How about that Gangnam style vid, huh? You guys remember that, right? Pretty funny stuff.
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Apr 29, 2015 09:14
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My asperger's is making it hard to tell if there is sarcasm there. I can't imagine I'm missing anything important in chat.
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Apr 29, 2015 11:18
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Aesis posted:I always thought you were joking when you said you live in Korea Why in the christ would anyone fake being here? I've been here for 5 years cumulatively. Another 2 at least up in Seoul soon.
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Apr 29, 2015 11:26
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Bugblatter posted:The problem isn't with you, but with people in chat. Prob shouldn't have mentioned it. Ahh I see. I haven't paid attention to the chat in more than a year. Anyway the wedding was really great and our families got along great so now it's back to regular old life. Thank goodness spring is finally here!
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Apr 29, 2015 11:44
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nullscan posted:Why in the christ would anyone fake being here? I've been here for 5 years cumulatively. Another 2 at least up in Seoul soon. I'd really like the GPS if you still have it, I'll be in Seoul parts 1-6th. 
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Apr 29, 2015 11:57
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Gangneung is removing the barbed wire fences. That's going to be awesome to have all of that east coast beach space open up. Hopefully it's finished in time for summer.dantheman650 posted:Anyway the wedding was really great and our families got along great so now it's back to regular old life. Thank goodness spring is finally here! ps tho grats on the marriage
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Apr 29, 2015 12:10
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nullscan posted:Why in the christ would anyone fake being here? I've been here for 5 years cumulatively. Another 2 at least up in Seoul soon. 
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Apr 29, 2015 12:12
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AmbientParadox posted:Gangneung is removing the barbed wire fences. That's going to be awesome to have all of that east coast beach space open up. Hopefully it's finished in time for summer. Those fences and towers were an interested sight when I was going all up and down the coast there. Now is the perfect time to strike...
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Apr 30, 2015 02:44
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AmbientParadox posted:Gangneung is removing the barbed wire fences. That's going to be awesome to have all of that east coast beach space open up. Hopefully it's finished in time for summer. I was already under the impression that Korea has tons of beach space, would rather see it as a national park.
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Apr 30, 2015 05:25
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Maxsmart posted:I'd really like the GPS if you still have it, I'll be in Seoul parts 1-6th. Dunno if I'll be up there this weekend, but I do have it back again. I'll figure something out.
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Apr 30, 2015 06:01
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nullscan posted:Dunno if I'll be up there this weekend, but I do have it back again. I'll figure something out. Cool, I'm doing a trip to Geoje and maybe Yeosu for Buddha's bday and I can't memorize those maps.
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Apr 30, 2015 08:34
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Maxsmart posted:I was already under the impression that Korea has tons of beach space, would rather see it as a national park. That whole area is already a super popular vacay spot. So at least now it'll offer more options if you want a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
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May 1, 2015 01:01
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I don't believe for a second that Yoo Byung-eun is dead. It was a very convenient way for the police to cover their asses if you ask me. I find it impossible to believe that the most wanted man in the country could walk into the countryside by himself and drink himself/freeze to death. It really makes no sense.
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May 1, 2015 18:35
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Peasant wine and squalene are a hell of a drug. Assuming that's who we're talking about, I don't recognize the name.
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May 1, 2015 18:38
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Grand Fromage posted:Peasant wine and squalene are a hell of a drug. The guy that owned Sewol...kinda a cult leader
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May 1, 2015 19:19
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How dare you question the legitimacy of autopsy report? HOPE YOU GET PROSECUTED FOR SPREADING FALSE RUMOUR!
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May 1, 2015 23:00
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Great OP. I'll be visiting Seoul with a friend at the end of May, do you have any recommendations for a good, social hostel to stay in? Don't really need bells and whistles, just looking for some place with a good atmosphere that's fairly central.
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May 2, 2015 15:53
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I can't vouch for the social part, I just sleep and shower, but I've stayed at both Seoul I Guesthouse and Blu Guesthouse in Hongdae and would recommend either. Seoul I is closer to the subway station.
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May 2, 2015 15:57
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I know that my Visa status can be bumped if I privately teach/tutor, but what if I teach guitar or dance under the table? And the OP is great, I love the bluntness.
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May 2, 2015 16:00
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If you're on the standard E-2 you can be deported for doing anything that involves you being paid. From what I've heard among people who get caught, fines are more common than deporting. If you're teaching guitar to college kids you probably have nothing to worry about. I would not private tutor kids, I've heard too many stories of vindictive parents. Teaching other expats is generally safe since nobody wants to be involved with whatever those white people are up to.
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May 2, 2015 16:12
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Seph posted:Great OP. I'll be visiting Seoul with a friend at the end of May, do you have any recommendations for a good, social hostel to stay in? Don't really need bells and whistles, just looking for some place with a good atmosphere that's fairly central. Dustins hostel in Hongdae is really good. Jins in Itaewon is nice as well.
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May 3, 2015 00:55
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I am going to Korea in June to visit with family for two weeks. How much spending money should I have with me? I haven't been there since I was really young and don't want to be a burden. Also, what kind of cultural things do I need to keep in mind to not come off rear end a rude asshat?
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May 3, 2015 13:17
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