Where is Anjung?

Anjung is considered part of Pyeongtaek City and is located within the Gyeonggi province of South Korea. It is south of Seoul, south of Suwon, and west of downtown Pyeongtaek. It is nearby two US military bases: Humphreys Army Base and Osan Airforce Base. See the "Anjung" map in the photo gallery for a general layout of the surrounding cities.


What is the difference between Anjung and Anjeong?

This website focuses solely on Anjung-eup. This can be confusing as sometimes the nearby village of Anjeong-ri is spelled Anjung-ri. They look and sound similar, but are very different and are located on opposite sides of the river from each other. Anjung-eup is a small town where many native English teachers live and work. Anjeong-ri is the area near U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys. Regarding pronunciation, the 'u' in Anjung-eup is pronounced like the vowel in sh(oe); the IPA is /u/. The 'u' in Anjeong-ri is pronounced like the vowel in c(u)t; the IPA is /^/. Furthermore, an 'eup' is considered a town and a 'ri' is considered a village. If you want to learn more, click on the following wikipedia link: administrative divisions of South Korea.


What's Anjung-eup like?

It's a small town with two halves more or less; the old town to the north and east and the new town to the south and west. The old town has many shops, restaurants, and noribang, or Korean-style karaoke bars. The new town is comprised of mostly tall apartment buildings. However, the south end of New Anjung is sprouting new shops and restaurants all the time. The surrounding area is agricultural, mostly rice paddies and ginseng farms.


What's the weather like in Anjung?

There are four distinct seasons. Spring is March till May with an average temperature of 5-20 C, and it is a bit dry. Summer starts in June and ends in August with an average temperature around 20-30 C; it is also considered the rainiest period of the year. Autumn comes in September to November with temperatures similar to Spring. Winter is cold and snowy with a temperature of -10-5 C.


How many folks speak English?

There are approximately 20 native English teachers living in Anjung-eup. 10 work at the teacher-training institute, Gyeonggido Institute for Foreign Language Education (GIFLE). Others work at the local public schools or hagwons. Many foreigners get together for dinner on Wednesday nights. Join the Facebook group "I survived Anjung...imnida" for further information. Regarding the locals, until you pick up basic Korean you'll be able to get by with gestures and soft grunts. There are English-speaking doctors, pharmacists, bartenders and other health professionals.You might choose to spend some time at Sogang's Korean Program website before coming.


What is there to do in Anjung?

Health and fitness are big in Korea, so Anjung has a many gyms and places that offer yoga, pilates, taekwondo, etc. Public parks are common areas for playing badminton during warm weather, and jogging/biking paths are available throughout the town. In addition, there is a public swimming pool and two Korean saunas (JjimJilBang). Of the two, the newer Leisurepeia in New Anjung is very foreigner-friendly and is open to both males and females. There is also a nice spa called Beauty Club in New Anjung that offers relaxing massages and facials. Driving ranges are also available for golf fans. For avid readers, the Anjung public library has a small English language section. There's a bowling alley, too! Many bars and restaurants are scattered across both Old and New Anjung.


Is it expensive to live in Anjung?

No! The price of food is very cheap. A roll of gimbap (Korean-style sushi) costs 1,000 won. An order of kalbi (Korean BBQ) costs 10,000 won and feeds two people. Domestic beer (Hite, Cass, Cafri) costs 2-3,000 won.

The activities listed above are also very affordable. For example, a day's entrance fee to the Jjim Jil Bang in New Anjung is only 6,000 won compared to a Korean-style spa entrance fee in the U.S. of $40. An hour-long massage at Leisurepeia or Beauty Club is about 40,000 won compared to a massage in the U.S. ranging from $60-$120.

However, your budget will depend on how much extra shopping you like to do, how much western food you seek out and how often you travel into Seoul or to other parts of the country and region.


Is western food available in Anjung?

There is a Domino's Pizza, Dunkin' Doughnuts, and Baskin Robbins in Anjung. Dunkin' Doughnuts and Baskin Robbins are both near the bus terminal. Domino's Pizza is in New Anjung but offers delivery service. Domino's Pizza costs over 20,000 won per pie. Local pizza restaurants are much cheaper. For example, Fromaggio Pizza with locations in both New and Old Anjung charges 6,000 won for a pepperoni pizza (simple, no weird additions). There is a fast food restaurant called Lotteria next to Baskin Robbins, which is similar to McDonalds. There are also many fried chicken restaurants that offer delivery service. Paris Baguette is a popular bakery with locations in both Old and New Anjung.


What about other types of food?

There is a Chinese restaurant near GIFLE. There is a Vietnamese-Korean fusion restaurant in New Anjung. There is a Japanese restaurant near the Anjung bus terminal. Otherwise, international cuisine is quite limited. You must travel to Pyeongtaek, the US military bases or Seoul to find different types of food.


Is there an English-speaking church in Anjung?

There are various churches in Anjung-eup, but most of them only speak Korean. There is one English language service at 1:30pm in the basement of the Church of the Nazarene near Ti Amo cafe. It is led by Pastor Nicky Evans from the U.K. Outside Anjung, there is a Roman Catholic service in Suwon that is led in English by a Korean priest and there are various English language services in Seoul.


What about shopping?

You can get the basics in Anjung. There is Cheap Shop in Old Anjung that has most household goods, there are many grocery stores, and there is a traditional outdoor market as well. There is one Asian supermarket behind the bus terminal with limited supplies. If you need anything special, you will need to take a trip to the various Costco stores in Seoul or the E-mart supermarket just outside Pyeongtaek. At Pyeongtaek station, AK Plaza has a large grocery store, a bookstore with some English novels, some western fast food restaurants and a Starbucks.


How do I get to downtown Pyeongtaek?

Pyeongtaek connects you with the train and subway systems. It also has two movie theaters and some international food. For example, the Indian restaurant, Moti Mahal, is near Tongbuk outdoor market, and is an excellent place to eat (closed Mondays). There is also a Canadian restaurant, Puffin, and the buffet steakhouse VIPS. Western fast food restaurants in Pyeongtaek include McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin' Doughnuts, Pizza Hut, and three Baskin Robbins. There is a Starbucks in AK Plaza attached to the train station.

A taxi costs around 15,000 won, but the bus system is very convenient and easy to use. You can take busses #80, #98 or #81-1 from Anjung to Pyeongtaek station. Bus #80 is the cheapest at 1,000 won each way, but is often crowded and is standing-room only. Bus #98 is the most expensive at 1,600 won each way, but is a more direct route and usually has ample seating.


How do I get to Seoul? How much does it cost to get there?

You can take a bus/coach from the Anjung bus station to Nambu bus terminal in Seoul, or straight to the Gimpo or Incheon international airports. It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes (if there is absolutely no traffic) and costs around 6,000 won for a one way trip. You can also take a bus to Pyeongtaek station and take a train or subway from there.


How do I get to the nearby U.S. military bases?

Anjeong-ri near Humphreys Army Base sells souveniers, cheap Korean blankets, fake DVDs and has a selection of international restaurants. There is also an English-speaking hospital in Anjeong-ri plus a pet store that sells western-style dogs (think boxers, labradors, pit bulls, etc.) To get to Humphreys Army Base, take the orange bus #93 from Anjung bus terminal at 6:10am, 10:20am, 5:20pm or 10:20pm. However, please check with the ticket counter for changes to the schedule. Bus fare generally costs 1,000 won. Or, go to Pyeongtaek and transfer bus #20 (in front of McDonalds) to Anjeong-ri. Bus #20 comes every 15 minutes and is very convenient. On either bus, tell the driver you'd like to get off at "K-6" and he'll drop you off at the walk-in gate to Humphreys. Across the street is the 'ville, including Lighthouse Baptist Church with services in English and the Canadian restaurant Puffin.

Osan Airforce Base is actually near Songtan station and has a larger selection of western shops and restaurants than Humphreys. There are many bars and clothing or souvenier shops. There are Italian, Mexican, Thai, Indian, and other restaurants available. To get to Osan Airforce Base, take bus #96 from the Anjung bus terminal. Or, go to Pyeongtaek and transfer to a different bus (in front of McDonalds) or take the subway to the Songtan stop. The 'ville is a 10-minute walk from Songtan station.