Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cial capital, Chuncheon, is around an hour by high-speed rail from Seoul and all its delights.
Job opportunities for foreigners are obviously more limited than in busier places but do ex-
ist, most notably in the language teaching and hospitality sectors.
Gangwon's small expatriate population, with a few exceptions, is split among
Chuncheon; the southwestern city of Wonju, the province's largest; and the coastal town
of Gangneung. All have populations of around 300,000 with 1,000 or so foreign residents
apiece. While the cities are similar in terms of size and appearance with sedate, fairly low-
rise town centers surrounded by the ubiquitous apartment blocks, each has unique fea-
tures and advantages. Gangneung makes summer beach outings easy, whereas Chuncheon
and Wonju offer far quicker access to Seoul. Chuncheon is famed for its many lakes and
festivals, while Gangneung is a better gateway to Seoraksan, the crown jewel of South
Korea's national parks. Accommodations in all three cities are inexpensive compared to
South Korea's major centers, but landlords are generally less used to Western-style tenan-
cies, and the traditional system of large deposits with minimal or no monthly rent (
jeonse
)
is more common. The deposit on a typical partially furnished two-bedroom apartment of
around 80-90 square meters is 70-90 million won with no monthly rent; smaller deposits
of 10-15 million won, if accepted, will usually result in rents of around 500,000 won per
month. Apartment prices hover around the 150 million won range, even in the central dis-
tricts of Chuncheon.
