Endless rows of bleak apartment buildings....smelly drunk, rude people who vomit and spit on the sidewalks. This country sucks. Do yourself a favor and visit Japan instead.

Spoken like a true English teacher. Ever been to New Orleans or Detroit?
Maybe if you are more selective in the neighborhood in which you choose to teach, next time, you may have a better experience.

Captain america,

You are obviously a faggot English teacher in Korea. Get the f*ck out of here if you don't like it. If you don't like where you are then LEAVE. Its simple.....

Ouch! Biff, you just are not diplomatic! We need to go to Japan and see for ourselves if it is so much greater. I personally believe that Korea is doing well, but has not yet caught up to Japan in cleanliness in more ways than one.

Man, this first guy is a real piece of work!

Biff... that was just mean dude... stick your internet muscles back in your virtual shirt and calm the hell down!

Back to the OP... have you even bothered to learn the language or even think about maybe taking a tour of something historic or interesting? Joe is right with his Detroit comment... a city is a city is a city.... the difference here is that you can get chicken on a stick for a buck on the street corner and damn cheap socks anytime you want! I am half kidding there, but seriously man... what have you done to try and adjust to your surroundings? Until you make an effort, you have no right to *****!

I eagerly await your reply...

I find your comments just mildly amusing... You couldn't afford to live in the neighborhood I live in. Anyway, I'm not an English teacher.... If I were I certainly wouldn't be teaching here. Unfortunately, until my business is finished here (another month or so) I must contend with this mind numbingly boring place!

Ouch...i'm so hurt.

I think this deserves a response. Korea is a place where logic comes to die. I'm only here short term (thank god!), but I find the poor social skills and nationalistic tendencies (so typical of a homogenous society) tiresome. I also find that getting around in this country is a frustrating experience. I can go to any third-world country in southeast Asia and travel around with less trouble than Korea! I was told that Koreans study English for years, yet no one can speak more than two words of English. To answer you're question, yes I did try a local tour...not worth the effort.

OK- so we may have misjudged the good Captain. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. I've been around Asia longer than most of you, and would no doubt choose a different country to live in for retirement or under different working conditions. Fate brought us here, and we have learned to accept certain things that are obvious as offensive to a newcomer.

"Korea is a place where logic comes to die." I'm sorry, but this seems to me a reasonable summary of the Korea experience to a visitor. I cannot argue with it. It really is a shame that English has not taken hold here as the international language. The charge of intense nationalism is true. The fact that getting a cab driver who understands English is next to impossible at Incheon Airport is unbelievable in a logical world. Even after experiencing hosting the Olympic Games, Korea is still living in the dark ages. I can't get over it. Thankfully, the president -elect /Lee Myung Bok is it/ says he is going to mandate English in schools. Up to now, university students studied some English, graduated probably by cheating or paying off faculty, and today fail miserably when tested. They make a mess of dealing with potential foreign investors, and screw up import and export deals. I feel sorry for the reputation of the entire country. The only way to go is up.

Sounds like New York