Why You Should Live Outside Of Seoul
If you’re looking into coming to Korea as an English teacher, you are faced with two options: living in or outside of Seoul. While the reasons to choose living in the capital are too many to count, here are five to live in the Korean countryside.
Less Pollution
Imagine waking up in the morning and not having to look towards Namsan (or get an alert on your phone, Seoul is BIG) to check the pollution level it indicates. While the yellow dust coming from China is hard to escape, it surely helps not to have it enhanced. Seoul, however, burns an incredible amount of diesel every day which affects you even when not http://www.cialisgeneriquefr24.com/tadalafil-goedkoop/ under yellow dust attack.
More Nature
What if you didn’t have to take the subway so you can get to a patch of nature. No more spending 40 minutes on the tube to get to Han river for a 500 person picnic. And by that we don’t mean a potluck type picnic where everyone brings a casserole. I mean setting a blanket 20 cm from someone else’s blanket and not being sure who is breathing down whose throat.
If you’re into hiking and mountain biking, Korea is the place for you! Koreans love hiking (you could say it’s the national hobby) and the country is littered with rails. The best part is, that on the top of the mountain you are likely to find someone selling icecream and rice wine. We do, however, advise you to pack a lunch. Otherwise your stomach will be churning while others are feasting a few meters from you.
Learning Korean Faster
While at first you will find the lack of English translations (especially in menus) in the countryside*, it is a blessing in disguise. By not finding English translations you will be forced to learn Korean at a faster pace. Sure, you might pick up a regional accent but we promise Koreans will find it cute. *When we say the countryside we don’t really mean the countryside. Seoulites tend to call everything outside of Seoul the countryside, but it will probably be a small city. You’re probably 4 hours away from Seoul. That’s not that far away.
Closer To Vacation Spots
Sure, Seoul’s nightlife is incomparable. But what if you’re not the type who likes clubbing? Or waiting for the subway on Sunday morning because it will cost you 50.000 won to get in your corner of Seoul? Daegu, for example, is the country’s third biggest city, and by train, only 40 minutes away from Busan. That means 40 minutes away from the beach! From spring until the middle of the fall (aka how long summer actually lasts in Korea) you can spend your weekends having fun in the sun with your hun. Daegu also has an amazing nightlife scene. It’s the best of both worlds.
Imagine living in Jeju! The vistas of Jeju Island can seriously fool you into thinking that you’re looking at those stock screensaver pictures on your computer. It’s pretty much South Korea’s version of Hawaii.
Everything Is Cheaper
Groceries are cheaper than they are in Seoul, while the markets are as bountiful as those of the capital. Restaurants, bars and clubs are cheaper too. You will get to support many mom and pops type restaurants, which are not almost completely extinct, unlike in Seoul.
But the crown jewel of this section is the price of rent. With the money you would rent a studio in Seoul you can have your very own two-room apartment. If you come here as a teacher, schools will find accommodation for you. However, if for some reason you’re not fond of the place, or want a bigger one, they will allocate you a budget to which you can add, and rent a bigger place.
The taxi is also cheaper. Even if the city is small it’s nice to know you can still be lazy. Oh and by the way, your school might send a bus to pick you up. Now how different is that than morphing into a sardine on the subway on your way to work? And since we are on the topic of transportation, buses and trains to Seoul live every 30 minutes. You won’t be trapped in rural Korea. Many teachers go to Seoul for the weekend and crash on a friend’s couch or book a hostel.
Oh and did we mention that you will probably make more money too? That’s right! Schools outside Seoul pay more. Since you’re not spending as much as you would in the capital it means you get to save more. The average savings for a year’s work is 15.000.0000 KRW, which is approximately $13.000. Not too shabby!