Live and Work in Busan, South Korea

So you want to travel around Asia but don't have the money to do it? Well, you can do what many are already doing - teach English in Korea! When looking into teaching in South Korea, many people place Seoul as their ideal job location without considering other locations. Sure, the nation's capital is the largest and most populated city in South Korea with a population boasting over 10 million. And of course you'll find a lot of Westerners to make friends with in bars and on the streets. It's a lively city. It's also more expensive and polluted than other cities in Korea. When it comes to factoring in what you want, take some time to research Busan, the second largest city in South Korea.

Location is Everything

First off, Busan is a wonderful city to live in. It's a coastal city that has the most popular beach in all of Korea - Haeundae. Tourists and locals flock to Haeundae Beach in the summer. Yellow umbrellas are set up by the hundreds. There are plenty of other low-key beaches if tourist traps aren't your thing. There are mountains and hills to hike or just simply look at if you're lazy like me.

But where in Busan should you live? If you're into socializing and the night life, whether it be going to clubs, bars, or just taking in the city while you stroll around, Seomyeon is ideal. Seomyeon is easily accessible by both subway lines 1 and 2. There are plenty of restaurants (Korean and Western), bars, and clubs. If you need some plastic surgery done, Seomyeon is the place to be since one of the main areas of Seomyeon is flooded with plastic surgery offices. If you enjoy gambling, there's a casino in the Lotte Hotel. There's also a gun shooting range and of course there are plenty of NoriBongs (karaoke). Seomyeon is also a great place to roam around at night because there are a lot of street vendors. They sell everything from cheap food to hair accessories and Barack Obama socks. Yes, socks with Barack Obama's face. It makes a great gift to send home to all your favorite Republicans.

If you want more of a college feel or simply enjoy being around the trendy youth of Busan, Kyungsung University is an exciting area to live in. The streets are crowded with college kids every night of the week while school is in session. There are popular bars that foreigners love. The Vinyl Underground is a major venue for foreigners. Western bands regularly play there. Kyungsung University is also a few subway stops from the beautifully lit Gwangan Bridge and beach. You'll find a lot of Westerners in this area during the weekend.

Climate

The winters aren't as bad as Seoul. The coldest days this winter were in the 30s Fahrenheit and it recently snowed for half a day in March. The summers are humid, but not as humid as Seoul. We are on the coast. The weather starts cooling down again at the end of August.

Money

It is just as easy to save money in Busan as it is to blow your entire month's paycheck. For the most part, employers pay for their English teacher's apartment (almost always a studio), so you don't have to worry about rent. Teaching jobs start off around 2 million won/month (we're living the life as millionaires here) and your electricity, gas, phone, and Internet bill won't amount to much. If you tend to eat a lot of Western food, prepare to spend more money. Popular Western restaurants found in Busan are: Outback, Bennigans, T.G.I.F, and Pizza Hut. Sticking to a Korean diet will keep the money in the bank. You can get a huge meal for less than $5USD. Transportation is always cheap. This includes taxis.

Meeting People

There are so many different ways to meet people in Busan. I have met people by just getting on the subway. There are plenty of Facebook groups that you can join if you are looking for new friends and recreational things to do. For the most part, other foreigners that are in the same boat don't mind making a new friend. A lot of people are helpful with showing the newbies how things work in Korea.

Traveling

Ask any foreigner that is teaching in Korea what they are doing during vacation and more than likely they'll tell you that they're traveling. Being situated between China and Japan makes it easy and relatively cheap for teachers to travel during vacation. If you want to spend a bit more money, take a trip to India. I know a few that went for a week or two and loved it. You'll find other people here that probably want to travel to the same parts of the world as you, so don't worry about having to be a loner abroad.

What About the Job?

Okay, so the title of this article is "Teach English in Busan, South Korea", yet I haven't touched on the subject. You can either work for a public school or for a private education institute known as a hagwan or hakwon. Each is full of pros and cons, so be sure to do a lot of research when choosing which way to go.

You'll work Monday through Friday if you work in the public sector with about 18-21 days of vacation and 11 days of sick time during a one-year contract. Usually, you won't teach classes by yourself. You'll have a co-teacher. Whether your co-teacher uses you as a human recorder or lets you do all the work depends on the school. Every situation is different. Most of the people I know that are teaching in the public sector teach about three to four classes a day. That leaves you with plenty of free time.

I haven't worked for a hagwan but I know that you need to do a lot of research on the hagwan you're thinking about working for. Because hagwans are for-profit institutes, they can shut down at any time if they lose students. I have a few friends that work for hagwans and love it. They get paid a little more and have more vacation time.

There are a couple major things to consider when looking for a job in Busan. First, find out if your work is in close proximity to your housing. How long will you have to commute to and from work each day? Are you going to live close to a subway station? It is essential to live close enough to hop on and off a subway. I have friends that scored nice apartment on the mountains; however, the only mode of transportaion is the bus. And the bus can be a pain. There isn't a bus route map, but there is a subway route map. Ask about the hours you are going to work. A few unlucky people have to teach afterschool classes on Friday nights. Yes, Friday nights! You know, when all your friends are starting the weekend, you don't want to get stuck at work. See if you can talk to past or current teachers. They usually have a lot of insight about the job and aren't afraid to voice their opinion.

If you don't know where to start when looking for a job, go through a recruiting agency. Footprints Recruiting, a Canadian-based company, is great at placing teachers in Korea. The interview process is simple and they'll assist you in looking for a position in your desired location.