Korea Dispatch

Red means go

I pull to a stop, unconsciously obeying the red light at the intersection not far from my home here in Seoul. I look in the rearview just in time to catch the grill of a big rig as it whips by me, inches from my driver-side door. It’s the only breeze I’ve caught all day in this overly-hot summer, and it scared the crap out of me. 

I’m beginning to learn that in Korea a red light does not necessarily mean stop, and can often in fact mean speed up. It got me thinking on the rule of law, or lack thereof, and what that says about the society we live in. 

A friend who did a PhD in Korean studies once told me that in Korea the law has always been seen as negotiable. A look at the news confirms this, as members of society from top to bottom find ways to bend or break existing laws.

Take, for instance, the Seoul council member arrested for bribery. In his defense he says, ““I just gave them gifts in accordance with habitual practice,” adding, “I did not break election laws.” (Quote found on Marmot’s Hole.) Hell of an example for the country’s leaders to be setting.

I’ve often heard people here brag about how dangerous it is to drive in Korea. “If you can drive here than you can drive anywhere.” Yes, the driving can be intense, but no more so than LA, or Manhattan. Hell, try Mumbai, or Manila.

The dark side of all this is that Korea has one of the world’s highest pedestrian fatality rates. Although there may be a connection to the whole walkholic phenomenon, I’m inclined to think the unwillingness to stop at red lights might also play a factor.

Ideally laws, like red lights, are there for all our benefit. I mean, you can’t just go around beating people up whenever you feel like it (or maybe you can) because there are laws against it. Likewise, blowing through red lights violates that fundamental principle that keeps society glued.