I am an expatriate, English-as-a-second-language teacher who lives in Gongju (Kongju), South Korea. I am in the middle of my one-year English teaching contract with the Chungcheongnam Province Public Schools. Before I came to Gongju (Kongju), I tried to research the city on the net but didn’t come up with much information that wasn’t about Gongju’s (Kongju) historical significance in South Korea. I hope to remedy this lack of information about daily life in Gongju (Kongju) and answer some questions you may have about Gongju (Kongju) with this article. Just for starters the population of Gongju (Kongju) is approximately 130,000 people.
How many other foreigners (English Teachers) live in Gongju (Kongju)? There are approximately 30-40 expat foreigner English teachers currently living in Gongju (Kongju). Although the total population is small here in Gongju (Kongju), we are lucky to have 2 universities, approximately 10 hagwons (private English Academies), an English teacher-training center, an English Village and the public school system. All these places employ foreign English teachers for their staff, and the foreigner English teacher population seems to be growing at a steady pace.
What will my apartment in Gongju (Kongju) be like? One of the advantages of being and English teacher in Gongju (Kongju) is that you will have a bigger apartment. When you are an English teacher in Seoul, you usually are given a small studio apartment to live in. I have been in many foreigner apartments here in Gongju (Kongju) and 9 out of 10 English teachers have multi-room apartments with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and Korean style patio.
Where is Gongju (Kongju)? Gongju (Kongju) is an hour and a half bus ride southwest from Seoul. Seoul, which you probably know, is the biggest city in South Korea and the most popular partying, shopping and sightseeing destination in the country. Whether you are departing from Seoul or Gongju (Kongju) the schedule is the same. The buses leave every half hour from 6am to 11pm. The cost is 7,500 won (Won is the Korean currency. You can use xe.com to convert into your local currency.) These express (non-stop) buses are clean, air conditioned or heated depending on the season, and have reclining seats that are great for napping.
Gongju (Kongju) is also a 35-minute bus ride east to Daejeon, which has a population of approximately 1.5 million people and at least 1,000 foreigners (many are English teachers). There are many places to party and shop in Daejeon. There are also western style restaurants like: TGI Friday’s, Bennigans, Outback Steak House, Costco and Starbucks. Buses leave from Gongju (Kongju) to Daejeon at least every 15min starting at 6am and ending at 10pm. The cost is 2,500 to 3,000 won.
What does Gongju (Kongju) look like? Gongju (Kongju) is a small city with no heavy pollution emitting industries. It’s a beautiful place to live and is surrounded by low-lying mountains and separated in to two main sections by the Geumgang river. There are no traffic jams and the air is fresh.
Is there any western style food in Gongju (Kongju)? There is plenty of western food for English teachers to eat. In Gongju (Kongju) we currently have Baskin Robbins, Popeye’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pizza Hut and Dominoes (both deliver). You can also get fried mozzarella cheese sticks, french fries and western style fast food hamburgers and cheese burgers at Lotteria, which is Korea’s answer to Burger King. There are many other pizza delivery places, but those are Korean. My favorite Korean pizza place would be Mr. Pizza. You can get a fried egg and cheese sandwich at Issac toast.
As for fancy coffee drinks, there are many places for an English teacher to get a delicious espresso or latte drink but there is no Starbucks. Most cafe’s also have desserts and wireless internet access.
Are there any movie theaters in Gongju (Kongju)? Yes, there are two cinemas here in Gongju (Kongju), Lotte and Primus theater. These theaters show both Korean and American movies. Movie times start in the afternoon and the last showings run as late as 11 and 12pm. Koreans love to watch American movies. American movies are in English at the theater and have Korean subtitles.
Is there any organic food in Gongju (Kongju)? Yes there is! Thankfully, Koreans are eating more and more organic food. You can shop at Organic Mart, which is a small store that carries a variety of organic produce (mushrooms, lettuce, peppers, broccoli and squash), snacks, meat and mock meat (veggie dongkas is great). The proprietors speak enough English to help you with their products. You can even special order your produce twice a week to get the special organic veggies you want like sprouts and kale. (Health food tip: You can buy soymilk and tofu in all supermarkets and convenience stores.)
You can also buy some organic products at the supermarkets. The available organic produce at the local supermarkets: G-mart, Cusco and the farmers supermarket, include a variety of mushrooms and lettuce. The organic produce comes individually wrapped and has a special white sticker with an “O” on it that is half dark blue and half light blue. I have also seen organic noodles, flour and sugar at the local markets. Those products clearly say organic, in English, on the package. At the supermarket there are also foods with the words “well-being” printed on the package. This indicates a higher quality of ingredients. There is even “well-being” ramen noodles.
*On an organic side note for the ladies…although obviously not food, organic tampons and pads are available at the pharmacy across the street from the Pizza Hut.
Where can I run into other English teachers? Just getting out, walking around and going to the supermarket is always a good idea when you are looking to meet other English teachers. The drinking spots where you would be most likely to run into English teachers are: B-Bar, Hi-Ob and Poducks. Bars in South Korea don’t have a last call, so you can drink and party all night long. If you see another foreigner, and they are easy to spot, don’t be shy. Introduce yourself and give out your contact information, so they can invite you to the next English teacher social gathering. You can also checkout “Gongju Folks” on facebook.com and post your picture and introduce yourself and I am sure that one of the English teachers in town will respond, introduce you to some people and show you around.
Is it easy to get around Gongju (Kongju)? It is very easy to get around Gongju (Kongju) by foot, bicycle, scooter or taxi. Most everything is within a 45 minute or less walking distance. Taxi’s are plentiful and cheap; most taxi rides are between 2,000 and 5,000 won. There are also buses that take you everywhere in town. These buses generally run 2 times every hour and cost 1,100 won.
If you are looking for your own wheels, there are many bicycle and scooter shops in town. If you want to buy a used scooter I would recommend visiting my friend Lay-ho. His small independently owned scooter shop is to the left of Hi-mart and he is an honest guy with inexpensive and reliable used scooters available most of the time. Used cars are also a cheap option.
Is Gongju (Kongju) a safe city? Gongju (Kongju) is a very safe city. I have never had any problems or felt unsafe at anytime, and I often stay out until 4am on weekends. As well, I have not heard any bad stories from any other English teachers in town. Occasionally, an unlocked scooter or bicycle will be stolen. I never lock my scooter while shopping or partying in town, only overnight at my apartment building, and I have yet to have it stolen.
