Jeonju offers student life without the stress of the big city

When you think about studying in Korea, it's easy to get distracted by the bright lights of the Seoul Metropolitan Area and the high-profile universities that can be found there. But while Seoul may be the first thing that springs to mind when...

Jeonju Hanok Village [MARIHEL PARDA WINDA]

When you think about studying in Korea, it's easy to get distracted by the bright lights of the Seoul Metropolitan Area and the high-profile universities that can be found there. But while Seoul may be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Korea, there's plenty to be said for studying and living outside of the capital.

If you are not a fan of the fast-paced and modern campus lifestyle and still desire to study in Korea, Jeonju in North Jeolla could be just the place for you.

Although a relatively small country on the world map, Korea is divided into many regions, each with its own charm. While Seoul is the modern, busy capital everyone knows of, Jeonju is quite the opposite. According to 10 students residing in the city, here are some reasons why Jeonju might be your perfect K-campus!

Lotus blooms in Deokjin Park in July [MARIHEL PARDA WINDA]

Affordable living expenses “As a self-financed student, Jeonju is the best place for me to study because of its low living costs," says Tanjid Safin, 24, a Bangladeshi studying at Jeonbuk National University. "It fits perfectly with my financial status.

Like Safin, every interviewee that talked to the Korea JoongAng Daily agreed that one of the best things about studying in Jeonju is its low-cost lifestyle.

Living stipends and tuition fees have always been the top concern for students when studying abroad, especially when Korea is known for being a relatively expensive study and travel destination. Living in Seoul for a month costs at least 1 million won ($770), not including the average tuition fee of most universities in Seoul, which range from 3 to 5 million won per semester.

Victoria Lopez, 21, a Spanish exchange student at Seoul National University, has to pay at least 1.1 million won a month for her expenses, while Mai Huong Truong, 22, studies at Sogang University and pays around 1.3 million won. This high living cost could make many future students hesitate, especially financially independent students or ones from a less wealthy background.

With Jeonju, however, life is relatively cheap. Safin says he pays around 600,000 won a month before adding tuition fees. Meanwhile, Mai Linh Dao, 24, from Woseok University, spent around 800,000 won, and at a higher rate, Yuk Sihe, 23, from China, pays an average of 1 million won a month for her life as a student at Jeonju University.

Namcheon bridge in Jeonju [MARIHEL PARDA WINDA]

A bowl of Bibimbap near Jeonbuk National University will cost between 5,000 won and 10,000 won, depending on the variety of toppings you get. Craving for some chicken? It costs 18,000 won to get a big portion from Safin’s favorite store. In Seoul, you can expect to pay at least 19,000 won.

Regarding accommodation, you can also easily rent a one-room for as little as 200,000 won a month around the university, and the average deposit is 500,000 won.

Afaq Ahmed, 23, a Pakistani student at Jeonbuk University, lives comfortably in a one-room with a kitchen next to his university and only pays 200,000 won a month, including water bills.

A two-room often costs higher, starting from 350,000 won, depending on the facilities and locations. For their spacious two-room apartment in front of Jeonbuk National University, Thea Kharatishvili, 25, a Georgian junior and her roommates spend 520,000 won a month.

In terms of education, universities in Jeonju have significantly lower tuition ranges, with the lowest belonging to Jeonbuk National University. As a public university, tuition fees range from just under 2 million won per semester for humanity majors to 2,670,500 won for engineering.

A networking event for foreign students hosted by Inoma, a local club that aims to support international students in North Jeolla [INOMA]

The city of traditions

Jeonju is the ancestral home of the Joseon dynasty and used to lie in the center of the Baekje Kingdom (17 B.C. to A.D. 660). The city is home to numerous well-preserved historic sites that are popular with tourists.

One famous hotspot is the Jeonju Hanok Village, which features 735 traditional Korean houses, or hanok, where visitors can try on hanbok and experience a glimpse of old Korea. Other places like Deokjin Park, Nambu Market and Jeonju Hyanggyo, a Confucian school from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), also hold significant historic and traditional value.

During the year, many traditional festivals are held to attract tourists from all over the country, such as the International Sori Festival for promoting pansori (traditional Korean narrative singing), the Hanji Culture Festival and even an entire festival dedicated to bibimbap every year called World Bibim Week. These creative festivals are the best opportunities to learn more about Korean culture.

On top of that, Jeonju is also recognized by Unesco as a Creative City for Gastronomy, or Taste City, reflecting its extraordinary culinary culture. While it is most famous for bibimbap, Jeonju is also the home of many other traditional Korean dishes, such as kongnamul gukbap, or bean sprout soup with rice, and the Korean-style course meal hanjeongsik. Alongside the low living expense, it is not hard to find a tasty restaurant with reasonable prices to enjoy these dishes around the city.

"The best thing about Jeonju is that there is a huge variety of food places, so people always can find something new to eat or just something they will like," says Maria Artemchuk, 23, a Ukrainian student at Jeonbuk National University.

Palbok Art Factory [MARIHEL PARDA WINDA]

Accessible public transport Jeonju is a small city compared to other provincial capitals of Korea, making navigating from one place to another easy. Although there is no subway system, the city has a well-distributed and accessible public bus network. While the cost of a single bus ride is comparable to other cities, Jeonju locals often opt for a city bus card, which enables them to make unlimited journeys at a discounted price of 46,000 won per month.

Located in the center of North Jeolla, you can travel from Jeonju to other popular destinations in Korea within a few hours' bus ride. It takes around 3 hours to Seoul by bus and only 1.5 hours by KTX. Busan is 3 hours away by bus, while Gwangju can be reached in about 1 hour.

Jeonbuk National University [MARIHEL PARDA WINDA]

Options to study in Jeonju There are several universities and colleges in Jeonju to choose from. Among them, the highest-ranked is Jeonbuk National University, at No. 19 on the Times Higher Education country ranking. Along with the low tuition fee, the university offers high-quality education over its 17 colleges and 14 graduate schools. Founded in 1947, it is now the host of 1,500 international students from all around the world.

Another prominent university is Jeonju University, a private university founded in 1964. Its education is based on a work-learning integrated format, with various career options for prospective students, from culture and tourism to medical sciences and engineering.

Students can also check out Hoseok University in nearby Wanju County, or Jeonju Vision College and Jeonju Kijeon College for industrial majors.

One thing that potential international students have to take into consideration is that being a very traditional city, Jeonju is not well-known for its support services for foreigners. Despite the city and universities' efforts to bring better experiences for foreign tourists and students in the past few years, English is still not widely spoken. Basic Korean communication skills are necessary to live comfortably and fully immerse yourself in the city’s life and culture.

“The worst possible issue a student could face here is the language barrier," Safin said. "Knowing the basic Korean language and gestures is necessary to live here."

Ajung Lake in Jeonju [MARIHEL PARDA WINDA]

More foreigner-friendly spaces are being set up, and more English services have been developed both within university campuses and the city to make life easier for non-Korean speakers. Some examples are the buddy program at Jeonbuk National University and the Foreign Community Supporting Service at the North Jeolla Center for International Affairs.

The foreign community in Jeonju is also very helpful and caring for each other, especially with many social media groups to help newcomers adapt to their new lives in Korea.

“I would definitely recommend other students study in Jeonju if they are looking for a good study environment without worrying too much about living expenses,” Marihel Parda Winda, a 23-year-old student at Jeonbuk National University, said.

Agreeing with Marihel, all ten interviewees said that they would recommend studying in Jeonju.

BY STUDENT REPORTER NGUYEN TRAN THAO NGUYEN [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]