No matter where you live, if you settle down and make it your home, there will inevitably be aspects you appreciate and others you just can't quite reconcile yourself with. This was true when I lived in Japan, and it remains the same in my current life in Korea, where I've resided for a long time.
As a member of society, it's about whether the country's systems and culture align with your personal sensibilities. Frankly, no one can live in complete agreement with everything. While I generally try to embrace and understand things through the lens of "cultural diversity," there are still moments when certain aspects are personally unacceptable, leading to a quiet sense of frustration.
However, putting those frustrations aside, if I were asked to name a few things I genuinely find wonderful about living in Korea, I would unhesitatingly point to the transportation and medical systems.
Surprisingly Low Travel Costs
The affordability of public transport, in particular, consistently amazes me. Moving anywhere within Seoul typically costs around 1,500 to 1,700 won. Compared to my experiences living in Japan, this is so incredibly cheap that it almost feels a bit unsettling.
Perhaps it's because of my background in marketing, but I can't help but think logically. It seems impossible for bus and subway companies to operate sustainably on these fares alone. The numbers just don't add up.
There must be significant political reasons behind this. While this might be true in any country, the influence of public support and popularity on politicians is particularly strong in Korea. This leads me to believe that transport fares, which directly impact ordinary citizens' lives, are kept low, with the losses subsidized by public funds like taxes. While I don't know the intricate details, I suspect this is the underlying structure.
The Shock of "Free" Transfers
What surprised me even more was the "free transfer system" between buses, or from bus to subway.
If you transfer within 30 minutes of getting off, you don't have to pay a new fare for the next leg of your journey. When I first learned about this system, I thought, "Really?" I genuinely feel that there's no other system anywhere in the world that is so thoroughly convenient for passengers.
For Koreans, this is likely an everyday right and a normal part of life. But for an outsider like me, this "excessively kind system" felt almost unreal in its convenience.
A Comfortable Distance, Just the Benefits
Delving too deeply into political intentions or the opaque mechanisms behind them can lead to new stresses.
I live in this country, yet I constantly feel a sense of being an "outsider." This feeling can sometimes be lonely, but it's also remarkably comfortable.
Instead of getting intensely frustrated by system flaws or societal contradictions, I maintain an appropriate distance and quietly enjoy the conveniences provided. For me, that's a comfortable survival strategy.
If I were Korean, or if this were Japan, I might want to understand more about the inner workings of such seemingly beautiful yet unclear systems. I might get angry or feel compelled to speak up during that process. But here, I am merely a "guest," and delving in too deeply would just be overstepping my bounds.
Let's put political issues aside for now. For today, I'm simply grateful for this unnaturally convenient system, allowing me to reach my destination cheaply and smoothly. That's enough.
Living on the inside while remaining an outsider. By maintaining this exquisite balance, I feel I can preserve my own quiet space amidst the city's hustle and bustle.
