i would stress class as a historical factor in the bad driving. i remember reading lackov on cars in korea and he sited some absurd figures for fatalities in the early days that equated to 1 or 2 per car per year. obviously, these deaths were mostly lower-class pedestrians, not upper-class passengers. u could bring out the japanese colonial card here - many car drivers would have been japanese (or filthy damn collaborators). nonetheless, most drivers now are obviously korean and obviously dangerous - so the buck has to stop somewhere. the fatalities are still way off the chart compared to other industrialised countries.

i remember waiting at a bus stop and watching a halmoni trying to get to a traffic island across one of those “turn right at any time WITH CARE” things. the poor thing stood there for at least 10minutes with a back loaded with god-knows-what while car after car ignored the zebra crossing and the old lady breaking her back. it was sickening.

the closest ive come to a fight in japan was after stepping in front of traffic to use a pedestrian crossing. after being beeped and yelled at i stood there in the way and yelled back. after a while, it got ridiculuous. the guy wasnt apologizing and neither was i. a crowd had gathered to watch - so i left it at that. relevancy? korea is not the only country with complete disregard for pedestrians. at least in japan though, they usually smile and bow while they cut you off.

As for traffic laws, I agree with the writer who mentioned the lack of car culture experience that Korea has. One has to remember that as little as 25 years ago, cars were only a luxury for the VERY rich in Korea. During my first experience in Korea in the early 80’s traffic was something that you occasionally encountered in Seoul and Pusan and mostly consisted of buses and taxis with the smattering of private rich guys riding around in their Daewoo Salons and Hyundai Grandeurs (and for the government official, Mercedes, Cadillacs and Lincolns). Just think back to America in the 20’s and 30’s and how traffic looked in the big cities. That’s about where Korea is right now with their car culture.

Having said that, I would be remiss if I did not mention the political culture that is overlaid on this phenomenon. Up until a very few years ago, Korea was ruled by current or former Army generals and for the most part was under a pretty authoritarian rule. People in general developed a pretty strong contempt for the government and rules in general and students then, grownups now, were out protesting against the government on a fairly regular basis. So you can begin to see the multifactoral problems that Korean authorities now face with enforcing anything but the basic “life and limb” regulations of a society. Everyone’s all for catching the murderer, rapist or other violent criminal but who really cares if Mr. Kim did 100 kph in a 40 kph zone as long as he didn’t kill anyone? Therein lies the rift.

I don’t intend this in a sarcastic or impolite way, but having lived here for six years now it is my general observation that they very often seem to do so. I certainly think this is a culturally-learned phenomenon, and having developed cities and large towns rather quickly, modern Korean society - while having strong notions about the nature of relationships within and as a family and nation - lacks the broad civic-mindedness of most modern, western nations.

1) Red lights — anyone know of any red light cameras?
2) Extra marital affairs — that’s right it is illegal, but not really enforced… unless you hire a ‘Shinburum’ to take some incriminating snaps.
3) Speeding — plenty of signed speed cameras, but has anyone ever been pulled over for speeding
4) Prostitution — hear of the occasional bust, but I’m sure police are some of the new massage parlours best customers.

Are there laws against drinking alcohol in public if so add that as no. 5! If not… then I miss Korea even more.
Can also add a whole host of corporate laws that don’t apply to chaebol or only to foreign companies/investors.

Annoying laws that ARE enforced.
1) J-walking… Police are really anal about it… But can’t blame them if they’ve seen a few dead kids in their time.
2) No sitting, playing frisbee, football or doing anything on grass! It is for looking at only.

Care to add any others………

Well, some of it has to do with the lack of experience and of a car culture…but it also is a direct result of the lack of trust in the government. Think about it. Hundreds of years under the rule of an effete monarchy, 50 years under Japanese imperialism, and nearly 50 years under the control of a military dictatorship. Remember, less than 20 years ago, cops would torture and kill student activists.

This is pretty much how Won Bok Rhie explains it in his comic boo^H^H^Hscholastic treatise on Korean behavior. Although I don’t give the man any credit for his views on cultures and societies that are not Korean (”Da Joos!”), it does seem a plausible explanation.

This always seemed pretty obvious to me.

“Such as all of the traffic laws?”

Well, some of it has to do with the lack of experience and of a car culture…but it also is a direct result of the lack of trust in the government. Think about it. Hundreds of years under the rule of an effete monarchy, 50 years under Japanese imperialism, and nearly 50 years under the control of a military dictatorship. Remember, less than 20 years ago, cops would torture and kill student activists.