The Genuine Value of Korea: A Native Korean's Appreciation of Home
Key Highlights :
By Park Gi-hyun
Admitting to myself that I had long undervalued the genuine value of Korea was a difficult task. As a native Korean, I had always aspired to my fantasy of living in a foreign country, and had thus underestimated the place of Korea in the world. But, a recent 8-day trip to Singapore and Hong Kong, two global financial centers, completely changed my perspective. Now, I know that Korea is comparable to other wealthy nations, and I feel more grateful for living in my homeland.
Korea is a highly developed economy, with the 4th largest economy in Asia. However, I had only learned this anecdotally, and I needed to experience it first-hand to truly appreciate it. My trip allowed me to do just that, and I was struck by the following subjective experiences.
Korea's competitive infrastructure is something we can be proud of. I had visited some of the fanciest malls in Singapore and Hong Kong, yet none of them hit me as impressive as the first time I visited a newly built mall in Seoul. The wide area was balanced with greenery, and the design was startlingly sophisticated and unrivaled. The goods and food sold at the internationally renowned mall were nearly equivalent to those in Korean malls. Plus, from my point of view, Korea surpasses other countries in terms of other facilities that help to accommodate guests, such as nursing rooms, water fountains, and rest areas.
Second, Korea is relatively better for pedestrians. Although Singapore is famous for its world-class system, I felt that crossing roads was easier in Seoul. The cars waiting to make a turn at a crosswalk often did not seem to make a full stop while pedestrians were walking. Since the law mandating cars to fully stop at crosswalks was enacted this April, most Korean drivers seem to strictly follow the rule. Though we still have a long way to go, I opine that I feel safer crossing roads in Korea.
The developed nations are notably outstanding, with streets in Singapore being spotlessly clean, roads being well-paved, and elevators being ubiquitous to accommodate moms and the disabled. Yet, I have witnessed that Korea has its own merits, which also make it competitive. Our robust economy, good standard of public hygiene, and no gun violence prove that Korea is a great place to live. Indeed, we have perfectly joined the ranks of developed countries.
My trip to leading states allowed me to appreciate that Korea is on par with other advanced nations. Observing how Korea outperforms in some areas made me proud to be a Korean on the world stage. I hope everyone would have a similar sense of pride as I have now.
