Quick links
Must-visit resources for foreign residents in Jeollanam-do. Since I no longer live in South Jeolla, and hardly ever update the blog, please turn your attention to the following for news, information, and entertainment:
* GFN, 98.7FM - English-language / English-language-practice radio in Gwangju
* Gwangju Blog
* Gwangju Bus Terminal - also known as U-Square; schedules available, in Korean
* Gwangju International Center - organizes events, tours, language courses, and information resources for expats in the region.
* Gwangju News - monthly GIC publication. Also see Gwangju News online.
* KoreaMaria - blog by long-time Gwangju teacher and resident
Accommodation (under construction)
One of my favorite topics, so browse my earlier posts in the "Motels and hotels" category if you haven't already. If you have, feel free to do it again.
* Amortel - love motel in Hwasun, outside of Gwangju (see this February 2009 post)
* Boutique Sky Show - love motel in Gwangju (March 2009 post)
* Ecograd Hotel - Fancy hotel in Suncheon (January 2011 post)
* Gwangju International Homestay
* Holiday Inn (홀리데이인광주) - in Gwangju
* Ivy Motel - in Suncheon
* 전남펜션넷 (Jeonnam Pension Net) - Listings for "pension" and minbak in the province.
* Jungfrau Motel - in Hwasun
* 남도민박 (Namdo Minbak) - government-run site that has listings for minbak in the province.
* Ramada Hotel - in Gwangju
Events and Festivals
My list of festivals throughout the year in Jeollanam-do atop the page is still the best in the business, and I've been posting festival reviews and previews since before it became obligatory for bloggers to show interest in them. A few other websites and venues have event information:
* 10 Magazine - has some event listings throughout the country
* Gwangju International Center - posts event information on their website about events, shows, tours, and "GIC Talk" series. Get on the mailing list, too, and have event information emailed to you.
* 광주문화예술관 - Gwangju Culture and Art Center in Unam-dong hosts concerts, recitals, and plays.
* Gwangju Museum of Art (광주광역시미술관) - in Unam-dong.
* Kim Dae-jung Convention Center - holds expos and fairs throughout the year.
* Kunsthalle Gwangju (아시아문화마루)
* 순천시문화예술회관 - Suncheon City Culture and Art Center hosts concerts, recitals, and plays.
* U-Square - the bus terminal in Gwangju has performances both indoor and out.
Food
The restaurants in the area are, of course, too numerous to list. If you have a favorite, please post the link as a comment and I will include it here.
* The First Alleyway
* First Nepal Restaurant - in Gwangju
* House Full of Happiness (행복이 가득한 집) - Restaurant and cafe in Japanese colonial building in Mokpo (read more, map)
* San Antonio Latin Bistro
* The Underground Grocers in Gwangju [Facebook]
Language (specifically, Korean classes)
In addition to intensive language courses, these local universities also often offer evening Korean classes. Visit the webpages or the campus language centers for more information. Public school teachers may also have access to free Korean classes offered by the local government: beware, they're not always too useful. Fortunately there are also tons of resources online and in the bookstores to help you learn through self-study.
* Chonnam National University Language Center (전남대학교언어교육원) - CNU in Gwangju has Korean, Japanese, English, and a bunch of other language courses.
* Chosun University Language Education Institute (조선대학교 언어교육원)
* Gwangju International Center - There are Korean classes offered throughout the year, mostly for beginners and low intermediates.
* Mokpo National University (국립목포대학교) - intensive Korean-language courses available.
* Suncheon National University (순천대학교) - has intensive Korean-language courses at the beginning and intermediate levels.
Media and publications of local interest (under construction)
English-language:
* Chonnam Tribune - Magazine put out by Chonnam University's English department.
* Gwangju News - monthly GIC publication (old site here).
* New Journey into the Jeolla Region - English-language book published by Chonnam National University. It's 285 pages long, talks about the history and culture of the region, and has loads of pictures. I have a copy I bought in a bookstore in Gwangju; it's available on some Korean shopping sites, but I haven't had luck finding it in at libraries in the US. Worth a read, if you can find it. (Naver search)
* Say Kimchi News - informative newsletter on events and points of interest circulated by local recruiter
Korean-language:
You'll find some interesting stuff browsing the local papers in Jeollanam-do: photos, news that escapes the attention of bigger sites, feestival information, local history, and an overall glimpse of life in smaller areas. I've put two asterisks next to the region's biggest.
** 광주드림 - serving Gwangju
** 광주일보 - serving Gwangju and Jeollanam-do
** 전남일보 - serving Gwangju and Jeollanam-do
** SayGJ.com - Korean-language blog on local news, among the country's most popular
*****
* 강진신문 - online weekly paper for Gangjin county
* 나주뉴스 - serving Naju
* 무안신문 - Serving Muan county
* 사랑방순천 - serving Suncheon, specializes in real estate ads and classifieds
* Suncheonnet (동부권뉴스) - serving Suncheon and eastern Jeollanam-do. Also on twitter, @suncheon.
* 순천인터넷뉴스 - serving Suncheon
* 순천시민의 신문 - weekly paper serving Suncheon, but the archives became pay-per-view in 2010 or 2011.
* 완도청해신문 - serving Wando, Haenam, and Gangjin counties
* 영암신문 - serving Yeongam county
* 인터넷전남뉴스 - serving Jeollanam-do
* 장흥타임스 - Serving Jangheung county
* 해남로컬뉴스 - serving Haenam county
* 해남우리신문 - serving Haenam county
There are dozens of smaller news sources out there, but if your Korean is good enough to read them, your Korean is good enough to labor through the internet looking for them.
Movies
In the past I tried to provide information about movies and showtimes in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do, but the websites keep changing their links and, in some cases, have made it impossible to link directly to individual theaters.
* Gwangju Theater (광주극장) - Shows independent and foreign movies. I've posted about it numerous times; here's one such post.
* Korean Movie Times - a great resource for finding showtimes in English for movie theaters throughout the country.
Sports
* Chonnam Dragons (전남드래곤즈) - professional soccer team in Gwangyang.
* Gwangju FC (광주FC) - professional soccer team in Gwangju.
* KIA Tigers - Gwangju's baseball team, 10-time pennant winner. They play at Mudeung Stadium (무등경기장), and you may have better luck buying tickets at the box office than attempting online as an expat.
* Marathons - There are scores of marathons and smaller runs in Jeollanam-do, and hundreds more throughout the country. That 2010 post and this 2011 one have several examples. The Korean-language sites Marathon Online, run1080, and e-Marathon are a few sites with extensive listings. The registration deadlines are usually a month or two before the run date.
Transportation
* Bus schedules - Here's a list of bus schedules and timetables I made for Jeollanam-do.
* Gwangju Metro - Gwangju's subway system.
* U-Square - Gwangju's bus terminal, has information in Korean for buses in and out of Gwangju as well as several other cities.
Theater
* Gwangju Culture and Art Center (광주문화예술관) - In Unam-dong hosts concerts, recitals, and plays.
* Mokpo Culture & Art Center (목포문화예술회관)
* Suncheon City Culture and Art Center (순천시문화예술회관) - hosts concerts, recitals, and plays.
Blogs and miscellaneous sites
A handful of some blogs and sites, old and new, in the area.
* 369 Photography - by Suncheon resident Simon Bond.
* A Year in Mokpo - excellent blog from Mokpo, active in 2007 and 2008.
* Galbijim Wiki, Jeollanam-do Portal - Before I started this blog, I built a Jeollanam-do portal on the Galbijim Wiki in 2006 and 2007. The pages are quite old and perhaps out-dated, and many of the external links have long ago broken, but in some cases the pages may provide a starting point for finding information on your own.
* Gwangju Guide - online guidebook being compiled by expat volunteers in conjunction with the Gwangju International Center.
* Jeonju Hub - Site for news and information by and for the expat community in Jeonju.
* KoreaMaria - blog by long-time Gwangju teacher and resident
* KBS World - List of some tourist destinations in Jeollanam-do, by KBS World.
* Montana Ron - blog out of Yeosu.
* Ms. Parker in Korea - blog about life in Suncheon, Mokpo, and Jeollanam-do, active from 2006 to 2009.
* Say Kimchi Recruiting Newsletter
* Tigers and Magpies - travel blog for the entire country; here is the link for his Jeollanam-do posts
* What's the Story?!
