Speedy Koreans, hold your horses!
By 8ball (Kim Dong-hun)
Pop Quiz: Superman, The Flash, Usain Bolt, Korean people
What do they have in common? Are they heroes? Are they all famous? Nope! They are all awfully fast.
Here’s another test for you. If you fall into more than two thirds of categories listed below, then you are definitely Korean or you are in the process of becoming one. But don’t take it too seriously. It is just for fun.
- While using the Internet, if the window doesn’t open within 3 seconds, you quickly close it and re-open it.
- You wash your hair and take a bath at the same time.
- You start to eat or drink your purchases at the mart or convenience store whilst you are paying for them.
- You leave the seat right after the movie ends without even looking at the end credits.
- You eat ramyeon (cup noodles) without waiting for 3 minutes.
- You keep pushing the button until the elevator comes to your floor.
- You eat pork or beef before it is properly cooked.
- You start unzipping before you enter the men’s room.
- You run towards the bus coming to the bus stop even before it comes to a complete stop.
- You take the paper cup out of the vending machine before it is ready.
So, what did that tell you about yourself? I think it is safe to say that Korean people, including me, seem to be hasty in many things. So why are we like that and since when have we become like that?
In a previous article, I talked about Korean people’s diligence and so on. This is how foreigners view us in a positive way. Ironically, Koreans’ diligence is also associated with their hastiness. It appears that being hasty or fast (빨리빨리 “bali bali”) has become a behavioral philosophy for Korean people and it has settled as a form of culture.
In my own opinion, such a trend has a relatively short history, contrary to expectations. Believe it or not, some foreigners who came to Korea during the Joseon Dynasty described Korean people as lazy, slothful and slow. Then what happened? In 1950 the Korean War broke out and the Korean Peninsula became devastated, which heavily affected our way of life and economy. In other words, people had to do things faster and faster in order to feed themselves and their families, because it was a matter of life and death at that time. So since then there have been less lazy, slothful and slow Korean people.
Of course, there are pros and cons to this hastiness. From one point of view it can be seen as dynamism, which indicates that Korean people don’t do things in a hasty manner but that they manage to finish things faster and more diligently than other people without any mistakes or faults. In the “Information Age”, speed is one of the most significant factors in competition. Korea is well-reputed as a digitally strong, competitive country in the world with high-speed Internet and somehow this can be attributed to Korean people’s hastiness.
However, there is a huge downside to it. Unfortunately, Korea has set a very dishonorable world record – the highest car accident-related mortality rate. There is no denying that Korean people’s hastiness leads to tragic accidents and casualties. Have you ever had a chance to drive a car in Korea? At least you have all had a chance to watch Korean people driving on the road. Even though I am Korean and I think I am quite accustomed to it, I am still afraid of taking a taxi late at night, and especially after midnight when some speed-drunk taxi drivers turn into speed racers. Previously Gwangju was known as the city with the highest car accident rate in Korea. Some people even jokingly say that having no car accidents in Gwangju proves his or her excellent driving skills. Even pedestrians cross the street when the light is red, or jaywalk when there are no cars coming.
If you are stuck in a densely populated area such as a subway station during the rush hour, stadium, movie theater and so forth, you can easily experience inconvenience and discomfort in an attempt to buy tickets or move from one place to another because people try to cut in line or nudge others merely to go faster. But do they really make it? I don’t think so at all.
I think there is a thin line between diligence and hastiness. If you are diligent and quick at things, you can accomplish much more. However, if you are just hasty, you will achieve less and lose more. Try to take a deep breath and look around. You might not notice what you are missing while you do things faster.
These are just my opinions. If you have any ideas, thoughts or opinions, then please share them with me via e-mail: eightballkim@yahoo.co.kr.