As for Seoul, in my opinion it's probably the least attractive place to live in Korea. The pay is low, the cost of living is outrageously high, and there's nothing there that any second-tier city can't offer. It's a cookie-cutter urban conglomeration just like any other: a soulless, crowded, dirty, concrete wasteland.

Unless you have hobbies. I can gig in or around seoul every weekend if i feel like it. How many gigs am i gonna be able to play, as a metal drummer, in Jinju or wherever? Zero? Then how would we move merch?

The same probably applies to dozens of other hobbies.

Unless you have hobbies. I can gig in or around seoul every weekend if i feel like it. How many gigs am i gonna be able to play, as a metal drummer, in Jinju or wherever? Zero? Then how would we move merch?
The same probably applies to dozens of other hobbies.

I spent 7 years on Jeju and wholeheartedly recommend you go there.

 I like shopping in Seoul but a subway in any country is like a hellscape (Chicago & Vancouver skytrain wannabe better).

This is ain't holidaying talk; why not live there?

I guess people don't appreciate beaches, mountain scenery, (gawd how do i fit the warm, windy countless days into this), a population who do NOT look sidewards at foreigners (as more than half of all people on Jeju at any point aren't Korean - at least that was a fact pre-COVID; now who knows).

Jeju is nice and all because it's not the mainland. But it's way overrated, too touristy and too expensive.