Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Jeju Island, Reaching to the Core of Beauty,
published in 2011 by Seoul Selection.
For more on her work visit
http://drannehilty.wordpress.com
.
Q:
What do you see as Jeju's biggest draws? Is the environment for expatriates
improving or declining, and how so?
A:
Major advantages of living on Jeju Island include its natural splendor and re-
lated activities, Jeju's many initiatives to become an internationally oriented location,
and the openness of its people to foreigners. In terms of Jeju as “Free International
City” (the “free” referring to its economic zone and visa-free policy), it has a Foreign
Advisory Committee within the government, is developing an international health
care facility and foreigner help center, has an international education zone with three
such schools thus far and contracts with a few others, has a recently renovated in-
ternational airport, and is generally focused on making life here appealing to foreign
residents—and, investors.
Q:
What are the job opportunities on Jeju like? And how would you describe the
foreign community?
A:
Unless you are a foreign investor looking to set up or partner with a major
business, jobs are primarily available in education—as a visiting professor, certified
teacher at an international school, or foreign-language teacher in the public or private
systems. As for the foreign community—“communities,” in reality—there are ap-
proximately 10,000 foreigners on Jeju: 9,000 Chinese or Korean Chinese [Chinese
citizens of Korean heritage], 500 from other Asian countries, and 500 from non-
Asian (“Western”) nations. The non-Asian foreign community is very small, and its
members socialize regularly with one another. Integration among Jeju native, main-
land Korea native, and nonnative communities is still minimal.
Q:
Any particular difficulties or local sensitivities new arrivals in Jeju should
look out for?
A:
For new arrivals to Jeju who have lived on the Korean mainland, or others who
have knowledge of Korean culture, they should suspend most of what they know
about Korea in recognition of Jeju's very distinct culture (it feels “foreign” to most
visitors from the Korea mainland, actually)—including distinct regional accent and
even local dialect. Local sensitivities include the current controversy over the devel-
opment of a naval base on Jeju's southern coast—newcomers should realize that the
issue is far more complex than it would seem at first glance, and that it is illegal
