I have been in South Korea for the past month. I lived here when I was little, so the culture isn't new to me. However, it's new to many people who only hear about Korea when North Korea decides it wants to bomb the rest of the world. This article is a part of a series of articles that will be written about things you should know about South Korea! This session will be about what could be found in the downtown area of any South Korean city!
1. Cafes
Koreans love their coffee. They drink it after meals as a palette cleanser and sure love to drink it anytime during the day. There are dozens of coffee shops in any downtown of any city. Sometimes there are multiple coffee shops just on one block. Starbucks is quite popular here too. I've never had so much coffee in my life, and I'm a college student.
2. Beauty Product Stores
Korea is known for its beauty products. Well, it needs an outlet to distribute those products and that's where these beauty stores come into play. All of them basically sell the same product but still all seem to remain in business. There is definitely enough demand for them for all the stores to be successful. Right here where I'm staying, there is more than a dozen beauty shops downtown.
3. Taxis
One of the perks of having such a small country is having everything so close together. You can walk to most places, but even if you don't want to walk, there are taxis to take you anywhere at anytime. At a busy corner, you don't even have to call for a taxi, usually several taxis will drive by and honk to see if you are waiting on a taxi. Even in remote areas, you can call a taxi and it will come get you. One of the cool things about the calling service is that once you call and say your location, the taxi company will send you a text with the estimated time of arrival and the last four digits of the license plate to make sure you get in the right taxi.
4. Buses
Just like the taxi service, buses are everywhere. Bus stations are nearly on every block, and they come around the clock. There is now a machine at the inner-city bus stations that informs people of how far away the next bus is and what number bus it is. It also gives information of the local area.
South Korea may be a small country, but it sure knows how to make what seems like a disadvantage into a new lifestyle. As a Korean, I would like to say that I am proud to be from such an innovative country. Stay tuned for the next session on South Korea 101.
