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By Park Gi-hyun
I have to admit that I have long undervalued the genuine value of Korea. Where Korea stands in the world was underestimated by me, a native Korean who has always aspired to my fantasy of living in a foreign country.
Yet, my 8-day trip to Singapore and Hong Kong, two global financial centers, has completely upended the way I view Korea. Now, I know Korea is comparable to other wealthy nations by my own experience and I feel more grateful for living in my homeland.
Korea is a highly developed economy, it has the 4th largest economy in Asia. But, I learned this anecdotally, not by direct experience. My trip helped me verify this fact. The following are some of the subjective experiences that have struck me.
Korea's competitive infrastructure is something we can be proud of. Visiting the fanciest of malls with an unconventional design while abroad did not hit me as an impressive moment. In fact, I was more overwhelmed when I first visited such a mall in Seoul.
Wandering around the mall in Singapore reminded me of the moment I first stepped into the newly built mall in Seoul where I saw a wide area balanced with greenery. This startling design underscores how the architecture of Korea has become sophisticated, superb and in some instances, unrivaled. Personally, the goods and food sold at the internationally renowned mall seemed to be 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 the city-state 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. Although I was pushing a stroller, I was frequently pressured to walk faster because cars about to make a turn kept moving toward me. 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, streets in Singapore are spotlessly clean, roads are well-paved and elevators are 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.
The writer (faith0906@gmail.com) is a freelance English translator based in Korea.
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