Comments on: How Does Seoul Rank Globally? http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/ Korea... in Blog Format Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:26:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Sonagi http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88980 Sonagi Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:26:47 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88980 typo correction: ...since then. typo correction: …since then.

]]> By: Sonagi http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88979 Sonagi Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:24:56 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88979 <i>"Seoul is very ugly."</i> It probably was when you immigrated 25 years ago. It's brightened up considerably since them. “Seoul is very ugly.”

It probably was when you immigrated 25 years ago. It’s brightened up considerably since them.

]]> By: rwobwo http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88957 rwobwo Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:49:09 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88957 Maybe I've been in Taipei too long, but I think you Seoulites have it easy! No offense, but I was in Seoul a couple of weeks ago, and there were several times I thought I could've been walking in Atlanta, Georgia. Sure, there was some trash in the street, but all of the cars seemed new(-ish), there were no mopeds, the buildings seemed solid and new(-ish), even the food from the street side kiosks seemed to have a certain level of cleanness, etc. etc. It was so nice to take a deep breath and not feel like I was simultaneously preserving and killing myself. That said, it was much more expensive than Taipei. The subway in Taipei is sparkling new, too. In fact, parts of it still aren't finished. Overall, though, I felt like Seoul, at its dirtiest, was way above Taipei at its cleanest. Maybe I’ve been in Taipei too long, but I think you Seoulites have it easy!

No offense, but I was in Seoul a couple of weeks ago, and there were several times I thought I could’ve been walking in Atlanta, Georgia. Sure, there was some trash in the street, but all of the cars seemed new(-ish), there were no mopeds, the buildings seemed solid and new(-ish), even the food from the street side kiosks seemed to have a certain level of cleanness, etc. etc.

It was so nice to take a deep breath and not feel like I was simultaneously preserving and killing myself.

That said, it was much more expensive than Taipei. The subway in Taipei is sparkling new, too. In fact, parts of it still aren’t finished.

Overall, though, I felt like Seoul, at its dirtiest, was way above Taipei at its cleanest.

]]> By: Fantasy http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88835 Fantasy Tue, 19 Jun 2007 11:43:40 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88835 Parts of it are, but then again parts are not. I was faced with a lot of problems there, but these were not rooted in poor architecture... Parts of it are, but then again parts are not.

I was faced with a lot of problems there, but these were not rooted in poor architecture…

]]> By: pawikirogi http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88775 pawikirogi Tue, 19 Jun 2007 10:20:21 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88775 Seoul is very ugly. Seoul is very ugly.

]]> By: seoulmilk http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88693 seoulmilk Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:49:22 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88693 oops. not too long ago to me. oops. not too long ago to me.

]]> By: seoulmilk http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88691 seoulmilk Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:48:47 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88691 wow. that link provided by i♡blueballs is very eerie. the parallel parking one happened not too long ago for. wow. that link provided by i♡blueballs is very eerie. the parallel parking one happened not too long ago for.

]]> By: R. Elgin http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88682 R. Elgin Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:34:22 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88682 I fixed the links for you "ecorn". "ecorn", even if one were to consider your thesis, one should ask <b>what</b> drives so many to drink? I strongly suspect that the psychology behind this problem is directly related to "quality of life" issues such as the urban environment and the ineffective governance and <a href="http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/01/20/its-time-for-some-honest-seoul-searching/" rel="nofollow">the sense of helplessness and depression that comes with such</a>. I witness this in a very up-close and personal manner around me. I have discovered that many people that one might think are attempting to practice their English, are actually reaching out in an attempt to pull themselves up. I do much listening as a result. I fixed the links for you “ecorn”.

“ecorn”, even if one were to consider your thesis, one should ask what drives so many to drink? I strongly suspect that the psychology behind this problem is directly related to “quality of life” issues such as the urban environment and the ineffective governance and the sense of helplessness and depression that comes with such. I witness this in a very up-close and personal manner around me. I have discovered that many people that one might think are attempting to practice their English, are actually reaching out in an attempt to pull themselves up. I do much listening as a result.

]]> By: ecorn http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88668 ecorn Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:01:33 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88668 Crapola, the links in my last post should have been: http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200706/200706110016.html and http://mobile.iht.com/articles/2007/06/10/news/korea.1.xhtml Crapola, the links in my last post should have been:

http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....10016.html

and

http://mobile.iht.com/articles.....ea.1.xhtml

]]> By: ecorn http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88665 ecorn Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:00:09 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/06/19/how-does-seoul-rank-globally/#comment-88665 I think that there are two related factors keeping the prices of some goods high in Korea. First is protectionism and second is soju. Protectionism plays strongly because it allows inefficient business practices to remain in place, where they would normally be rooted out by competition. Yes, it was essential to the growth of Korea’s export based economy, back when people spoke of this country as one of the four East Asian Tigers, but there is little room for such protectionism in the world’s 11th largest economy. (Agricultural subsidies in the US notwithstanding.) My basic point is that, in my opinion, antiquated tariffs are the largest succubus of Korea’s productivity. How then does soju figure into all of this? Shall I say it? I will after all be branded a racist shortly thereafter. Soju and Korea’s hardcore drinking culture <a href="http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200706/200706110016.html" rel="nofollow">cut into productivity</a> almost as much as protectionism, if not more so, and <a href="http://mobile.iht.com/articles/2007/06/10/news/korea.1.xhtml" rel="nofollow">alienate a large portion of the workforce.</a> As the articles linked above show, this isn’t just me anecdotally saying, “When I go to work in the morning there are a whole bunch of guys who sit around doing nothing until after lunch.” Government statistics (which are probably conservative) show that in 2005 binge drinking cost companies KRW 20 trillion in lost productivity. Astounding. I think that there are two related factors keeping the prices of some goods high in Korea. First is protectionism and second is soju. Protectionism plays strongly because it allows inefficient business practices to remain in place, where they would normally be rooted out by competition. Yes, it was essential to the growth of Korea’s export based economy, back when people spoke of this country as one of the four East Asian Tigers, but there is little room for such protectionism in the world’s 11th largest economy. (Agricultural subsidies in the US notwithstanding.) My basic point is that, in my opinion, antiquated tariffs are the largest succubus of Korea’s productivity.

How then does soju figure into all of this? Shall I say it? I will after all be branded a racist shortly thereafter. Soju and Korea’s hardcore drinking culture cut into productivity almost as much as protectionism, if not more so, and alienate a large portion of the workforce.

As the articles linked above show, this isn’t just me anecdotally saying, “When I go to work in the morning there are a whole bunch of guys who sit around doing nothing until after lunch.”

Government statistics (which are probably conservative) show that in 2005 binge drinking cost companies KRW 20 trillion in lost productivity. Astounding.

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