ABOUT KOREA
SEOUL
The beating heart of Korea...
Seoul is to Korea like Manhattan is to New York. Both Seoul and Manhattan are the largest cities that are multicultural, vibrant, and very cultured. Most new teachers want to be placed in Seoul for their 1st teaching jobs, but the competition is very fierce for inexperienced teachers.
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Seoul is approximately 10 million of Korea's 52 million total population and is surrounded by Gyeonggido and another 15 million people. Seoul has many famous districts like Gangnam (Gangnam-style), Gwangwhamun, Itaewon, Dongdaemun, Mapo, Chamsil, Shincheon, Hongdae, Yoido, Seodaemun, Mokdong, Jongyo, Pangbae, etc.
GYEONGGIDO
The body of Korea...
Gyeonggido is like a donut with the center of the donut being Seoul. Gyeonggido dwarfs Seoul in landmass but is home to a dozen major satellite cities ranging from several hundred thousand people to over a million people. Most of these satellite cities boast a major city center with their own dedicated subway lines that all go to Seoul within 15 to 40 minutes and only cost around $1USD one way.
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There are many satellite cities of 1M+ population, like Bucheon (left photo) which is SW of Seoul and is next to Incheon (4M population) which has 2 subway lines and has several huge parks and a famous international Film Festival PIFAN. Bundang is another major satellite city to the SE of Seoul (right photo) that is only 20 minutes from Gangnam Seoul.
GYEONGGIDO
The body of Korea...continued
Ilsan is another major satellite city to the West of Seoul (left photo) that is only 20 minutes from Shincheon/Hongdae Seoul and sports a massive lake park. Gimpo (right photo) is another major satellite city to the SW of Seoul that has been rapidly expanding and is home to Gimpo International Airport, which became a primary domestic airport after Incheon International Airport (ICN) debuted in 2001becoming a major international hub of Asia.
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Other major satellite cities of Seoul are Gwangmyung, Suwon, Seongnam, Hanam, Guri, Namyangju, Uijeongbu, Paju, Anyang, Gunpo, Gwangju, Gwacheon, etc
Major
Cities
Incheon
Incheon has a population of 3M people and sports ICN and 2 new international satellite cities (Cheongna and Songdo-left photo). Songdo Incheon is very modern with a convention center, international hotels, foreign university branches, and foreign schools and is an IFEZ (International Foreign Economic Zone).
Major
Cities
Daegu
Daegu has a population of almost 3M people and is a very popular city for expat teachers due to their tight-knit expat community with many expat sports leagues and a concentrated 2-block radius of western restaurants and bars that expats tend to converge on nightly.
Major
Cities
Gwangju
Gwangju city, in Jeollanamdo province, has a population of over 1.5M and is located in the SW corner of Korea. Gwangju has a very dedicated expat community and is a perfect place who wants to get away from huge cities, want the comforts of urban living, but don't want to be in a rural setting.
Major
Cities
Busan
Busan is a very large port city with a population of 3.5M people and has some of Korea's best beaches like Haeundae Beach (pictured). This city (and neighboring cities like Ulsan, Pohong, Masan, etc.) is very popular with expats who want the best of a large urban city, but they also want to be able to enjoy beautiful beaches and nice beautiful natural scenery.
Seaside
Cities
Jeju Island
Jeju Island...The Hawaii of Korea
Jeju Island is a semi-tropical island south of Busan and about 500km from Seoul. Jeju is a naturally beautiful tourist destination and is a great holiday destination for expats who have a few days to enjoy amazing seafood, famous black pig BBQ, and stunning views. Jeju City is also a popular place for expats who want to focus on beautiful natural surroundings and who are looking for a more laid-back lifestyle. Other areas with a similar vibe are Goji island, Masan, Mokpo, Ganglung, etc.
