1. What are the apartment sizes and how is housing allotted?
There are three sizes: 7, 13, and 16 pyeong. [Respectively and approximately,
metric: 23, 43, and 53 square meters; imperial: 250, 463, and 570 square feet.] The
allotment is determined according to the Housing Allotment policy; see Teacher
Handbook. At this stage, there is no negotiation or wait-listing being done.
2. Are the apartments ground floor, walk-up, elevator?
Apartment buildings are 2- and 3-story walk-ups with wide interior stairwells.
3. What is provided in re: utilities and does this cover normal usage?
Gas utility fees will be deducted from your paycheck; documentation from Seoul
Gas will be provided but the deduction is automatic. Keep in mind that gas is used
not just for the stove (unless you have a hotplate), but also for the heating and air
conditioner. Internet service is available separately and is free-of-charge. Landline
phones are no longer available for individual apartments. See 12) Cell phones,
below.
4. What furniture is provided? Bed size? Appliances? Electronics?
Supplied to all apartments: bed, desk and chair, bookcase, dining table and two
chairs, TV table, washer, microwave, range or hotplate, refrigerator, 21” TV, and
combo VCR/DVD player. The bed is queen-sized. (In the smaller apartments, this
is something like a trundle bed, to give more space during the day.) The larger
apartments also have a sofa. Small apartments have dresser cupboards above the
bed; the large apartments have closets. NOTE: there is no oven as this is not
common in Korea.
5. Household items?
Vacuum, drying rack, trash cans, and typical kitchen items, including an electric tea
kettle. Iron and iron board are not included but can be easily purchased.
6. May I install shelves, hooks, etc.?
Minor alterations to apartments are permissible; see Alterations to Apartment
policy in Teacher Handbook.
7. Does the bathroom have a tub, or just a shower?
The medium- and large-sized apartments have bathtubs with shower fixtures; the
small apartment has a large, glass-enclosed shower only.
8. Is there central heat or air conditioning? Do I have my own thermostat
control?
Each PajuEV apartment is equipped with a combination heater/air conditioner
/dehumidifier/fan. Medium and large apartments have 2 such units – one in the
bedroom, one in the living room/kitchen. Each unit is individually controlled.
9. What are the laundry facilities?
Each apartment is equipped with a washer; as is customary in Korea, you are to use
a drying rack (also supplied) to hang your clothes dry.
10. Where can I store a bicycle? Is there a safe and sheltered place near home,
school? Can I hang it on my apartment wall?
You could leave a bicycle on any street in Korea and it would be safe! Further,
home and school are practically one—a five minute walk at most. The area
surrounding PajuEV, however, is beautiful for biking. There are bike racks in
several Village locations. You may lock your bike to the railing in your building’s
stairway provided it does not block passage, per fire regulations.
11. Do I need voltage/plug adapters for my [western] appliances, and are they
readily available and affordable?
The voltage in Korea is 220 and the plugs are quite different. Plug adapters are
easy to obtain and inexpensive; however, voltage adapters can be expensive. It is
suggested that you leave small appliances at home and buy what you need in Korea.
As to laptop or notebook computers, most have an internal capability for switching
from one voltage to another—please check yours—and you will thus only need a
plug adapter.
12. Will there be a convenient way for me to get a cell phone? And is a land line
necessary?
New cell phones are available at numerous service providers – it is recommended
that you bring a Korean-speaking friend with you during initial setup. Used phones
are cheap and plentiful, and prepaid services are available at numerous locations.
Cell phones are ubiquitous in Korea and reception is world-renown. Land lines are
no longer available for individual apartments; several payphones are available for
international calling unless you have a computer and Internet connectivity, in which
case you can use any number of online telephony services for very little charge.
13. Tell me more about Internet service.
Korea is also world-renown for Internet service, with the highest per capita
broadband usage in the world. You will have access at 100.0 Mbps (FYI, standard
Ethernet connection is 10.0 Mbps) through a LAN line. Arrangements for
accessibility will be made through our administrative office.
14. Can we have water delivered to our apartments? Is the tap water drinkable?
Do I need to boil the water?
If there is already a dispenser in your apartment, water is available for a fee of
W5000 per 20-litre jug; there is also a fully stocked convenience store onsite, where
bottled water may be purchased. Tap water is technically potable but most prefer to
drink bottled water. Tap water is fine to use for cooking without boiling first, as
well as for washing and for brushing teeth.
15. How will I get from Incheon airport to Paju?
Transportation will be provided. Your Head Teacher will greet you on arrival at
English Village, regardless of arrival time, with some basic amenities to get you
through the first couple of days/nights.
16. What are the details of the onsite fitness center?
The fitness center, owned by GEV but privately managed, will be open from 9am
to 9pm daily; it will be minimally available to our students on a supervised basis
prior to 2pm, when it opens to the public. The center has a fitness room with
standard equipment and spa facilities, a 5-lane lap pool, an outdoor kiddie pool, a
full basketball court and an outdoor soccer field. Faculty receives a reduced
membership rate of 40,000won per month. Administration provides a rebate of
20,000 won, bringing the total cost down to just 20,000. Bring your receipt to City
Hall for reimbursement. The center is on the outskirts of PajuEV, approximately a
10-minute walk from the apartments.
17. What will my mailing address be?
Gyeonggi English Village, Paju Camp
1779 Beopheung-ri, Tanhyeon-myeon
Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, 413-780
Republic of Korea
18. What other amenities will be available at PajuEV?
Commercial facilities include a small grocery store (stocked with foreigners in
mind), a bakery, several restaurants, a pub, a coffeehouse, and an ESL bookstore.
Directly across the street is Heyri Art Village (http://www.heyri.net, click on
English function at bottom of page) with numerous resources. And in 15-minutes’
walk, there is a commercial area with approximately two dozen restaurants. Paju
City, population 250,000, is a short bus ride from PajuEV. Seoul is 70-90 minutes
away by one of several bus routes.
19. Can I send luggage or ship boxes to English Village? Are there limits to how
much luggage I can bring?
Please do not have any boxes shipped to EV before your arrival. However, once
you’re here, your mail will be delivered directly to your department.
Every airline places limits on the amount of luggage for international flights,
typically limits of weight and also dimensions on total amount of luggage. Further,
there are often different limits for carry-on versus check-in. Check the airline
website carefully and be sure to comply.
20. Should I bring a laptop, or buy it (or a desktop) in Korea?
Computer purchase is easy and reasonable in Korea; English operating systems are
also widely available. PC desktop computers are quite affordable by comparison at
places like Yongsan electronics market; keep in mind that there is no sales tax and
no fee for building your system. Macs are also available but, like everywhere, their
prices are firmly set by the company and are not subjective to bargaining..
21. What should I bring with me? Can I buy clothing there that will fit?
Bring clothing and shoes, which are sometimes difficult to buy in sizes typical to
foreigners. Tall people won’t have many problems as the average height of Koreans
has skyrocketed in the last couple of generations, but larger people and people
with big feet may have issues. Bring black tea, coffee beans, vegemite and marmite
as you see fit. Bring antiperspirant and toothpaste with fluoride as they can
sometimes be difficult to purchase here. Yes, there is peanut butter. The only
“western” candies widely available are Snickers, Twix and M&Ms. Be sure to bring
a comfort item or two, which will have personal meaning as you experience some
of the difficulties of living abroad.
Many
western foods will also be available here. Snow boots are unnecessary, though a
heavy winter coat and accessories are needed. There will likely be bedding in your
apartment, though this is not promised. If none can be scavenged on-site, it is
available at the nearby E-Mart and, for much cheaper, in Seoul.
Above all, bear in mind that your apartment space is limited and storage—of
things, of luggage—will be a major consideration. During the first and last months
of your contract especially, you might be attracted to various souvenir items which
will also need space amongst items brought from home.
22. Are there shopping options nearby?
E-Mart, Nonghyup Hanaro Club (groceries, agricultural specialties), and five
traditional markets are in Paju, a 15-minute taxi ride away. A larger E-Mart and a
very modern shopping mall are in Ilsan, 50 minutes away by bus (or ~20 by taxi,
~30 by car or motorbike); Costco and numerous other options are in Seoul, 70-90
minutes away by bus. A small grocery store will be onsite in PajuEV.
23. Will I have opportunities to learn Korean?
Currently, 2 of our Korean ODP teachers offer a weekly beginner Korean class for
all interested faculty. Besides that, many books for independent study are available,
and there is no shortage of language exchange partners.
24. I am a vegetarian. How difficult will it be to maintain my dietary
considerations in Korea?
Yes, it is possible to be a vegetarian in Korea, if you have a guide. If you wish to be
put in touch with any vegetarians currently on staff, please let your Head Teacher
know. The most popular Korean meals enjoyed in group outings are typically meat-
or seafood-heavy; however, other options are available.
25. How far away is Seoul? How do I get there?
Seoul is accessible by bus, train and subway. The free EV shuttle bus makes 4 or 5
daily runs to Daehwa station (northern terminus of Seoul subway line #3 – the
orange one). Trains depart hourly from Geumchon station and it is exactly one
hour from Geumchon to Seoul Station. Geumchon is about a 10-minute, W6,000
taxi ride from EV. Buses # 700 and 900 depart from near EV and stop at Daehwa,
where many buses to different areas of Seoul are available for W900-2000.
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