Living in Busan, South Korea can be a great experience for any young graduate. On top of saving loads of money, below is what you can expect.

Busan (or Pusan) Background
Korea's largest port city with 3.6 million, second largest city after Seoul, is situated on the southeastern tip bordering the Korea Strait. The city  of Busan is speckled with temples and shrines, many of which are reached by walking paths on small mountains that separate portions of the city. Hiking trails are abundant, and a big sport in Korea (along with badminton and biking). South Korea hosted APEC 2005, the 2002 Asian Games, and has entered the running to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Busan is somewhat special in Korea because it is one of three cities not to be overtaken by North Korean Communists in the Korean War, and hence served for a while as a refugee camp. Today, Busan is the 5th busiest seaport in the world, as transportation, shipping, and trade are a large part of its economy.


Climate
Busan is classified as humid subtropical, and rarely experiences extremely hot or cold temperatures. Average temperatures in the warmest months of June, July, and August, are 24, 27, and 29 Celsius, and the coldest months of December, January, and February, are 10, 7, and 8. (Sorry Americans, the rest of the world uses and the metric system. The good thing is that this system actually makes sense in base-10, unlike our American way! Check the World Wide Metric Converter for quick conversions.) Except for Jeju-do, Busan is really much milder than other cities in Korea. Monsoon season (a week or so of rain) is around late-June, and typhoons are possible in September.


Beaches
Busan is known as "The Summer Capital of Korea" because its 6 beaches attract people from around Korea. Busan's most popular beach, Haeundae, is lined with luxury hotels and a carnival boardwalk. This beach is a popular place for festivals, concerts, and is also home to an aquarium. The second most prominent - Gwangalli - is known for the Grand Gwangan Bridge, a majestic sight at night, as well as its abundance of cafes, bars, and restaurants. Beaches are highly popular in the summer, and barren come September (though it is still very warm and the water is great to swim in).


Join a Club
Busan has many foreigners from around the world, and they often congregate at soccer, volleyball, religious, or other clubs. Health clubs (gyms) are also popular with foreigners, but it can be difficult to find one that is comparable to those in Western cultures. One that we do recommend is Manhattan Fitness in Guseodong.


Wining and Dining
Eating out in Korea is an all-new experience for many, as their restaurants are setup in ways that many countries consider illegal due to liabilities! Cook meat in front of you, eat live squid, dine on lamb, duck, seafood, kimchi, or go Western with McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Dunkin' Donuts, TGI Friday's, or a nice Italian restaurant. To any foreigner, it seems like there are as many restaurants as people, and each seems to specialize in a particular dish.

As for drinking, there is no lack of it in Korean culture, and you will often see older Koreans gathering in an area outside sharing soju and makali. Soju is the most popular Korean drink. Made from sweet potatoes, it produces a clear liquid that resembles vodka, but is only 20% alcohol, and therefore is preferred straight. A single bottle (enough to get most people drunk) costs $1 at supermarkets, $1.50 at convenient stores, and $3.00 in restaurants. Check Wikipedia for more soju facts. Makali is a peculiar and delicious drink made from rice, and similar to dongdongju. Of course, you can buy domestic or imported beer too - but imports aren't cheap. Domestics are.


Culture
It will soon become apparent that you're not in Kansas anymore. Most Koreans understand that you are from another country and you don't completely understand theirs, but you can do some things to make your life less stressful. Things to know: drinking outside is acceptable, drinking on the subway is not; take your shoes off any time you go into someone's home (and even at some schools - you will put on sandals they provide for you); get used to eating while sitting on the floor; a woman-and-woman or man-and-man holding hands walking down the street is not strange, and it does not mean they are homosexual; if a man tells another man he is "handsome," it is a compliment, just say "thanks"; age is very important, and older people feel like they should be respected. Lots more on this in our pamphlet... 


Nightlife
The late night parties in Busan, Korea never end! Unlike in the U.S., clubs are open until everybody leaves. There are many foreign clubs and bars where the people are half foreigners, and also many where most are Korean. It is easy to meet Koreans in this arena, and the bartenders almost always speak some English. Great opportunity to meet people from all around the world who enjoy travel, culture, or teaching - just like you. The most popular places are around universities or beaches: PNU, Kyungsung University, and Haeundae.


Meeting Other Foreigners
This is extremely easy as there are tons of teachers in Busan looking for the same thing! There are a couple websites that make it easier, and certain club/bar areas where you are bound to see herds of foreigners. You could always stop by a Starbucks too. We will give you more details on where to go.


Transportation
The subway and taxi systems in Busan are FAR superior than in New York or Boston. Taxis are very cheap (about $10 for 20 minutes, and $2.00 for short rides). The subway costs about 80 cents per trip, and is fast, clean, punctual, and safe. An abundance of city buses is another easy alternative.

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