About Incheon City, Korea – Teaching English in Incheon
Located just west of Seoul on the Yellow Sea, also referred to as the East China Sea, Incheon is Korea’s 4th largest city.
On a map Incheon and Seoul appear to be connected, however, both cities have different jurisdictions and local governments and their policy makers work separately
Over the past decade Incheon has experienced unprecedented growth. Now home to the worlds largest international airport and free economic zone, Incheon is poised to continue it’s ever expanding infrastructure. High rise apartment buildings are going up by the dozens and recent plans for the Incheon twin towers will showcase the world’s 3rd and 4th tallest sky scrapers.
Incheon is the perfect alternative for those who want to live and work in a big city yet don’t want the constant grind and congestion of Seoul. Additionally, a quick 30 – 60 minute bus or subway ride brings you right into downtown Seoul; time constraints obviously depend on where you’re departing from and where you plan on going.
Cost Of Living In Incheon
Living expenses in Incheon are lower than Seoul, although more expensive than the less populated cities in Korea.
Foreigners In Incheon
There are lots of English teachers living in Incheon. Incheon is one of Korea’s largest and wealthiest cities and they are countless private and public schools employing hundreds of western teachers.
Transportation In Incheon
When taking the Incheon international airport into consideration, Incheon has the best (debatable) transportation options in the country. Incheon has a subway line that goes directly into downtown Seoul, a very developed bus network and one of the largest and most advanced international airports in the world.
Incheon Entertainment
Icheon has an abundance of entertainment options for western teachers. Professional sports teams, theatres, museums, boat cruises, restaurants, cafes and music rooms are all available to tourists and residents alike.
Shopping In Incheon
Incheon is not well known for its shopping areas, however, Seoul is right next door and a quick subway ride brings you to many of the trendiest shopping hotspots in the country.
Nightlife In Incheon
Although there are lots of bars and Korean nightclubs in Incheon, the city doesn’t have an abundance of western style nightlife. Teachers living in Incheon usually hop over to Seoul for western style dance clubs and nightclubs.
Incheon Landscape
Incheon has lots of small mountains and developed park areas in and around the city. Additionally the city is located in the west coast of Korea and access to beach areas is possible. There is a number of small islands off the coast of Incheon with decent beaches, trails and touristy stuff to engage in. Daily ferry rides to and from multiple island destinations are affordable and reliable. Note: Beaches in and around Incheon are not white sand beaches that many people associate with.
Noise In Incheon
Similar to other large cities Incheon can be a noisy place to live.
Pollution & Cleanliness
Although air quality and pollutions levels in Incheon are noticeable in the summer months, Incheon is blessed with constant winds coming off the east China sea which tends to cycle the air. The streets and public area’s are noticeably cleaner than Seoul.
