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Revision as of 04:53, 2 February 2012
Welcome to the biggest online guide and resource for Daegu, which has loads of useful articles of restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, medical services, travel, activities, and the like.
Daegu or Taegu is the 4th largest city in Korea (after Seoul, Busan and Incheon). Due to Incheon and Seoul being close enough together that they share a subway system, Daegu is the region with the 3rd largest population in the country. It is officially called Daegu Metropolitan City. The city is located in Gyeongsangbuk-do province and is the capital of the province.
General
Administrative divisions
Daegu is divided into 7 wards ("Gu") and 1 county ("Gun").
Climate & Geography
Daegu is surrounded by mountains, with Palgongsan to the north, Biseulsan to the south, Gayasan to the west, and smaller hills in the east.
The Geumho River flows through the east side of city and snakes up to the north side, before connecting with the Nakdong River in the west.
Daegu is notorious for its hot summers and chilly winters. This is because the city lies in a basin around mountains. The mountains trap hot and humid air in the summer, but also cold air lingers in the winter.
| -
| Annual
| Jan
| Feb
| Mar
| Apr
| May
| Jun
| Jul
| Aug
| Sep
| Oct
| Nov
| Dec
|
Average Rainfall
(Unit: mm)
| 878.3
| 31.1
| 61.9
| 5.6
| 19.5
| 61.1
| 282.9
| 120.9
| 73.6
| 126.2
| 64.9
| 8.0
| 22.6
|
|
Average Temperature
| 14.8
| 0.7
| 4.2
| 9.1
| 15.8
| 20.5
| 23.9
| 27.7
| 27.2
| 22.0
| 16.6
| 8.3
| 1.9
|
Culture
Daegu people have a reputation for being conservative and more closer to their roots. The city is also known as the origin of Korean baseball. Before the professional leagues came about, its high school teams were avidly followed. The city was a co-host of the 2002 World Cup, and a new stadium was built for the event.
Traditionally, Korean Buddhism was strong, and today there are still lots of temples, particularly around Palgongsan. Confucianism was popular in Daegu, with a large academy based in the city that you can still visit today.
Korean Christianity has since come to dominate local religion, and churches can be seen everywhere.
People
Daegu's population is over 2.5 million people which is predominately Korean, with an estimated 15,000 or so registered foreigners.
Politics & Economy
Daegu is a conservative city. In the 2004 parliamentary election, Daegu voted in members of the conservative Grand National Party for every seat in the city.
Businesses and Services
Hair Salons
Finding a good hair salon or barber that knows how to handle foreigner needs, or even speak passable english, can be quite a challenge. However, outside of Camp Walker, there are a number of great hair salons who all speak excellent english and are used to cutting the hair of GIs, GS' and their spouses everyday.
Stationery/Print Shops
Stationery and print shops can be found anywhere in Daegu, however, downtown boasts some great ones. S-Dot has a big location near February 18 Memorial Park. Also, Dada is always a popular place. Both locations have multiple floors with every imaginable kind of office supply or stationery available. Mass printing can also be done here and made into various kinds of binders or books.
Travel Agents
Living in Korea, the best place to find deals and packages is online, hoping that you have a Korean friend or co-worker who can help facilitate. The cheapest sites that Koreans often use for international or regional airfare and packages are Why Pay More and Yeohaengsa. In fact, you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone else here, abroad, or online, to be able to beat international airfare quotes from WhyPayMore.
But if you want to find something on your own and through an english-speaking travel agent in Daegu, there are two good local options. Outside of Camp Walker, Kangsan Travel has a branch office who speaks english. Also, on the 2nd floor of the E-mart in Manchon-dong, there is a Hana Tour travel agency, where a staff member named Danny Jung works, and who speaks great english.
Churches
Like the rest of Korea, Daegu's skyline is lit up with the red neon crosses that reside above churches, as a visual testament to how strong Christianity has been accepted here. The following are some churches with English-speaking services:
- Sungduk Presbyterian church (Grace English service) Soosung gu Jisan 1dong 566-7 (next to Muhak apt.) tel: 053-781-2921
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Camp Walker-Daegu Branch, 1191-3, Suseongdong 4-ga Suseong-gu. Sacrament service starts at 10:30AM.
- Daean Catholic Church, 053-252-6249
- Daebong English Fellowship at Daebong Presbyterian Church, 053-561-6040
- Daegu Catholic Workers' Center, 053-253-1313
- Daegu Faith International Church
- Daegu Pyeong-gang Presbyterian Church
- Dongshin_Presbyterian_Church
- Jeil Church, 053-253-2615 (Children's English service & translation service)
- Kyungpook National University (Daegu English) Church, http://knucef.wordpress.com/ 053 956-5272 , outside the campus gate near techno building, Daegu English Church Service in main sanctuary (3rd Flr.) English Bible Studies, others.
- Namsan Church, 053-253-8490
- Sungmyung Presbyterian Church New Life English Service, 010-4797-7106, Look for us on Facebook too!
Coffee shops, Restaurants and Bars
Coffee shops
Daegu, like the rest of Korea, is mad for coffee. Getting a cappucino, expresso, or latte can be found with ease. You'll see little coffee vending machines everywhere that spit out 300won cups of coffee, but if you want the gourmet stuff, you'll be pleased to know that there are 6 Starbucks' in the city and about a gazillion similar knock-offs.
Nightlife
- Main article: Daegu Nightlife
Daegu is a broad city and has many popular areas for dining, however, the downtown core consisting of the Dongseongno area on the west side and the Rodeo area in eastern downtown, possess the highest concentration of restaurants and nightlife.
For more specific areas of Daegu, please select from the following nightlife districts:
Restaurants
The above nightlife districts also offer the best of Daegu dining. A particularly great area for Korean food is on the wide restaurant street of Deurangil in Suseong-gu. Also nearby is the popular brewpub, Ariana Brau, as well as a great selection of western restaurants.
As the average Korean, Japanese, and Chinese restaurants are in abundance throughout Korea and are easy for foreigners to find, the following restaurants reflect a sampling of restaurants considered to be either popular or are western-friendly choices and other ethnic foods.
Communications
Calling Cards
Cheap calling cards are relatively easy to find in Daegu. If you go to most large convenience stores, such as GS25 and Family Mart, you ask for a 국재전화카드 (Gook-jay jeon-hwa cah-deu), which means 'International Calling Card'. However, the best value can be found at vendors who specialize in these cards. Gyodong Market and Bukbu Terminal are two areas where migrant workers tend to congregate and as a result, you can find a lot more stores selling a variety of cards. One such kiosk in downtown's Gyodong Market, can be found by coming out of Exit 3 of Jungangno Station and then taking your first right. Walk straight until the next intersection with the pedestrian-only street. After crossing the intersection and looking on the left side, you will see a street vendor selling socks, ties, and bootleg DVD movies. If you look further right towards the bank entrance, you will see a small kiosk with calling cards in the window. The cards usually cost between $10-15 and are usually good for over 250 minutes, depending on where you are calling to and if you are using a landline or cellphone.
Cellphones
- See Also: Buying a cellphone in Korea
A great area to buy used or new cellphones from English-speaking vendors remains to be outside of Camp Walker. They can also set you up on monthly plans, rather than pay-as-you-go. Another good place to buy used or new phones is around Bukbu Terminal. This is where the migrant factory workers buy their phones, so some deals can be had there. But the best concentration of cellphone stores and variety of choices, is on Cellphone Street on the west side of downtown.
Internet
- See: Internet in Korea
Korea is loaded with internet cafes, known as PC bangs. Hourly rates can be found for as cheap as 500won-1000won/hr. For english assistance in getting internet hooked up at your home, visit IT Korea.
Pay Phones
Education
For international children
If you have children and plan on bringing them to Daegu, you will have a few options, if you choose to not do home schooling.
International Schools
Currently, there are 4 international schools in Daegu that cater to foreigners and their children.
Enrolling them in Korean school
- Daycare. Government-sponsored and private daycare centers can be found everywhere. Most are full day programs. The costs for govt-sponsored centers range between 120-230,000 won/mnth. Privately run centers can range between 170-340,000won/mnth. A good starting point would be to check the local YMCA.
- Kindergarten. Children between 5 through 7 go to kindergarten until 2pm. Most will provide meals and operate a school bus. Public kindergartens can be as low as 30,000won/mnth and private ones can range around 150,000won/mnth.
- Elementary School. Foreigners can attend public schools and may transfer to the school at the beginning or while a semester is in session. To enroll, the student must submit their ARC to the school. There are no tuition fees.
Libraries
Universities
There are five universities in Daegu, including Kyungpook National University ([1], founded in 1946), Yeungnam University, and Keimyung University.
Entertainment
Arcades
Video arcades are popular in Korea and are known as Orakshils. In Daegu, the best places to find these are around the university nightlife areas, like the Keimyung and Kyungpook University districts. If you've got the gambling itch, you may also be happy to learn about Seongin Orakshils.
Board Game Cafes
Board Game Cafes have had their day as far as fads go, but they are still around in smaller numbers. There are a few around university bar districts. Specifically, though, there is Frog, near McDonald's on Dongseongno.
DVD Bangs
DVD and video bangs can be found everywhere, but usually in places where young adults tend to congregate, such as the university bar districts and downtown. The two big streets connecting Dongseongno and Rodeo Street, have a small handful of DVD bangs.
Movie Theaters
Daegu has several movie theaters and all of the major ones can be counted on playing at least one Western movie. The more popular cinemas are downtown, such as CGV, MMC, and Hanil Theater. Daegu also has some small art house theaters, that play limited release English movies, such as Dongseong Art Hall.
Nightlife
Daegu nightlife, Korean-style, can be had by dining out for galbi, going to a soju bang, ending up at noraebangs, and for good measure, maybe a Korean nightclub, like Juliana's. But if western-style nightlife is your thing, then you need to read further in our Daegu Nightlife articles, as there are lots of options to choose from.
PC Bangs
PC Bangs can be found everywhere in Daegu, and its not too difficult to find ones that charge as low as 500 won per hour.
Performance Art
Theme Parks
The most popular amusement park in Daegu is Woobang Tower Land. There are also smaller amusement parks at Suseong Land, next to Suseong Lake, and also one at Apsan Park. Herbhillz is a lavish garden and theme village that was created just south of the city. Also in that same area is the popular Spa Valley water park.
Housing
Getting Settled
Moving
Real Estate Agencies
Utilities
Medical Services
Daegu has some world-class medical facilities and there are countless clinics everywhere, as well, treating all manners of ailments. If you are looking for something specific that you can't find in this article, leave us a message and we'll locate it and post or msg you the directions.
Dentists
Daegu has a good selection of English-speaking dentists. The US bases regularly recommend personnel to certain ones that are bilingual and have a good reputation. A good one that foreigners go to is Daegu Ye Dental Clinic, exit 12, Banwoldang Station {map}. Another is Dr.Lee's Dental Office, which is located just west of Exit 12 of Banwoldang Station.
Hospitals
Kyungpook National University Hospital is the big one downtown that Koreans in Daegu speak the most highly of, however, it's worth noting that although they have doctors who can speak passable English, particularly in the ER, they don't have an international clinic for assisting foreigners. But, there are two other big hospitals in Daegu who have international health clinics with bilingual staff who look after you and accompany you during your time in the hospital. Dongsan Medical Center, just west of downtown is the designated hospital for USFK in Daegu and has a good international clinic which is open from 9-5pm, Monday-Friday. Their ER during non-business hours and weekends is usually staffed by a few doctors who speak great English, as well. Also, Yeongnam University Hospital, south of downtown, has an international clinic for foreigners.
Women's Hospital
For female expats seeking women-specific needs such as OB/GYN and related issues, Medi Park Hospital(010-6327-2656 ) in Suseong-gu has an english-speaking, international clinic for foreigners.
Shopping
For those who want to shop, downtown has an abundance of choices. Dongseongno Street is a good place to start, however, the best place for deals is Seomun Market.
Bookstores
There are some great book shopping options in Daegu, whether you are looking for fiction, magazines, or shopping for textbooks for your students. Kyobo Books tends to attract the most attention, however, their selection has waned over the years. Young Poong Bookstore carries roughly the same selection as Kyobo, with respect to fiction, non, and ESL books, however, they also have an english magazine section to choose from.
Daegu Books is a new company that offers books with free delivery to customers around Daegu.
For ESL bookstores, Withus Bookstore is the most popular and remains the most accessible, but English Plus has opened recently in Daegu and appears to be as well-stocked as Withus. English Plus also carries Lonely Planet guides, whereas Withus has discontinued stocking them.
Electronics
Adapters
You can buy power adapters in Gyodong Market. Walk to the far east side of the alley that sells electronics. You'll see a few stores on the left and on the right side of the alley with lights and power cords in front. They sell adapters here for various international plugs.
Camera Stores
Jeonjagwan has a large selection. Gyodong Market also has good camera stores. Walk midway down the alley past the outdoor gear stores and you'll see the camera shops.
The Nikon store next to the Novotel Hotel has a very friendly staff. They claim they do not speak English, but they understood everything I said and spoke surprisingly good English. Film prices were very reasonable.
Cellphones
- See Also: Buying a cellphone in Korea
A great area to buy used or new cellphones from English-speaking vendors remains to be outside of Camp Walker. They can also set you up on monthly plans, rather than pay-as-you-go. Another good place to buy used or new phones is around Bukbu Terminal. This is where the migrant factory workers buy their phones, so some deals can be had there. But the best concentration of cellphone stores and variety of choices, is on Cellphone Street on the west side of downtown.
There is an office located near the Kyungpook National University Hospital, they can get you new phones, used phones, accessories. You can call
Computers
Computers can be bought almost anywhere in Daegu, however, the best and cheapest places are online at sites like Danawa or Omi, so if you can persuade a Korean employer or friend to help you buy online, that'd be the best bet. But, if you don't mind paying a little bit more than online prices, so you can see what you're buying first, then you can visit one of Daegu's two electronics markets. The biggest market with the most selection and cheap prices can be found at Jeonjagwan near EXCO. Gyodong Market is the other smaller one and is located
downtown.
Apple products can be found at the Jongro Mac System, at an Apple store on the first floor of Lotte Young Plaza, or at Pixdix in the basement of the same building.
Computer and console games
Finding English-language games can be tricky, however, the best place to visit for computer and console games and supplies, is 88 Gameland in downtown, about 5 minutes east from Kyobo. They carry some new and used English-language games for most consoles, but their selection is quite small, as is the store. Also, they speak passable English and can order English-language games for you.
Computer service and repairs
Jonny Computer by Camp Walker is reliable, inexpensive, and speaks good English.
Jonny Computer works on laptop & computers for US Soldiers, Foreigner teachers and Foreigner workers over 8 years. Fix all laptops, PCs, Ipod, Xbox360, PS2&3 and monitors, also sells peripheral devices.
Shop opens on Monday thru Saturday 10:30~19:30 nearby Camp Walker Gate #4, Phone number is 053-471-4364 for detail.
Import markets
Daegu has pockets of 'black markets' around the city, where vendors sell imported goods and/or products that were bought on the US bases. Gyodong Market has several import vendors in its market. However, arguably the best stocked import vendor can be found at Bongdeok Market, near Camp Walker.
Musical Instruments
Walk north of Myeongdeok Station, on both sides, and you'll see lots of music stores.
New and Used Furniture
The best place to buy new or used furniture and appliances is at Chilseong Market. They'll usually throw in free delivery, if you haggle a little. Another good area is Bongsan Furniture Street. Or with help from a Korean friend, you can buy and sell used goods on T-Recycle.
See Also
Sports and Recreation
Clubs and Organizations
Volunteering
Most volunteering opportunities in Daegu revolve around working at local orphanages. A good place to start would be inquiring at the local YMCA. Also, the Korean Animal Protection Society resides in southern Daegu and may be worth contacting.
Sports
Daegu is home to the K-League soccer club Daegu FC, Korean professional baseball league team Samsung Lions and Korean Basketball League team Daegu Orions.
Martial Arts
Martial art academies are in abundance. Whether its taekwondo, hapkido, judo, kungfu, jujitjisu, or even yoga, it's here. Will the instructor speak enough english? Well, that depends. But even broken english is all that is really required in most training situations. As locations are all over the place, it's relatively moot to start listing the thousands of potential academies, so if you are looking something near you, leave us a message and we'll isolate a location or two for you to choose from.
Mountain Biking
A good first place to visit for avid mountain bikers, is this great site about biking in Korea. There's also a somewhat active discussion board for mountain bikers in Korea.
Some good warm-up areas for biking can be found in some of the larger parks around the city, such as Duryu Park and Bongmu Park. For more challenging terrain, many bikers ride north to Palgongsan and the variety of valleys in between the mountains. Also, every spring, the area is home to the Palgong International Mountain Bike Race.
For good bike shops, you can try Paramount MTB, near Yongsan Station.
For meeting up with other local bikers and planning trips, you can try Paramount's Daum Cafe. Although it's all in Korean, with a little help from a Korean friend, you can register and arrange to tag along on one of many planned excursions.
Paintball
Korea Leports organizes paintball games in the Daegu surrounding area. Lejeo21 also offers the same package.
Paragliding
Big Bird Paragliding offers training and paragliding excursions in the Daegu surrounding area.
Rock Climbing
Daegu has a couple of adequate climbing areas. You can find more info and pictures, as well as a trip forum, etc. at Korea On The Rocks:
http://www.koreaontherocks.com/
Some Daegu rock climb sites are YeounGyeoung, Yong Mun San, and a couple others on Palgongsan and UksuGol near the World Cup Stadium in Suseong-Gu Uksu-dong. There are also many gyms, and indoor and outdoor artificial walls.
Rugby
Daegu expats have also organized a Daegu rugby club, although the site is not maintained anymore, it maybe worth emailing the coordinator.
White-water Rafting
Lejeo21 organizes rafting trips for groups. They will take you by bus from Daegu to Cheongryangsan, north of Andong, where the rafting takes place.
Recreation
Health Clubs
Daegu is loaded with health clubs. A great facility that is very popular is Seongwon Nexus, located about 10 minutes northeast of Beomeo Station, near Manchon E-mart. But if you are looking for something specific or close to your area, there are tons to choose from. If you are looking for one near you, leave us a message and we'll promptly locate some in your area and post or msg you the directions.
Jjimjilbangs
If you haven't been to a Jjimjilbang yet, then your Korea experience is not complete. There are jjimjilbangs, saunas, oncheons and mogyoktangs all over the city and each are a little different from the other. Our list offers up some of the more popular ones.
Learning Korean
There are various places throughout Daegu which offer Korean language courses. Daegu University and Kyungpook National University have study programs that run year-round. However, if you are looking for part-time study that's a little more flexible with your schedule, you can enroll in the weekend classes at the YMCA downtown. And as of last year, Hyosung Hospital in Suseong-gu was offering free Korean language lessons.
Tourism
The main Daegu Tourist Information Center [2] is located in Duryu Park. Other information offices and booths are located in Daegu Airport, Dongdaegu Station, and in various locations around Daegu.
Buddhist temples
Festivals
Parks
The most popular parks in Daegu are Apsan, a mountain with trails, Buddhist temples, a Korean War museum, and a gondola ride to the peak; Palgongsan, which houses many historic Buddhist temples including Pagyesa and Donghwasa; Dalseong Park, which sits inside a 1500-year-old earth fortress; and Duryu Park, which has many walking trails as well as a large amusement park.
Events and places of interest in Daegu, by region
Festivals, temples, seowons, cultural heritage sites, parks, and outstanding natural phenomena are listed here. Some of these are major attractions and some are not, but one can find something interesting in every part of Daegu:
Nearby tourist attractions include Haeinsa—a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana (a woodblock edition of the Tripitaka and one of the world's oldest complete collections of the Buddhist scriptures)—and the historic city of Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Shilla.
Transportation
Air
Bus
Car
Buying/Selling
Maintenance/Upkeep
Vehicle Registration
Rental
Parking
Taxi
Train
Distances to Daegu from Other Korean Major Cities
| Cities
| Local Road
| Expressway
| Railroad
| Air
|
| 1 Seoul
| 302.0
| 295.5
| 327.1
| 278.0
|
| 2 Busan
| 150.6
| 122.7
| 117.2
| 93.0
|
| 3 Incheon
| 349.5
| 334.7
| 354.1
| -
|
| 4 Gwangju
| 235.0
| 195.1
| 358.0
| -
|
| 5 Daejeon
| 157.9
| 161.8
| 160.3
| -
|
| 6 Ulsan
| 114.0
| 83.7
| 116.9
| -
|
| 7 Jeonju
| 151.3
| 287.1
| 267.9
| -
|
| 8 Masan
| 88.6
| 83.3
| 102.5
| -
|
| 9 Pohang
| 88.6
| 109.4
| -
| -
|
| 10 Gyeongju
| 78.2
| 54.0
| 77.2
| -
|
| 11 Jeju-do
| 396.0
| -
| -
| -
|
External links
See Also
