Confucianism sits astride Korea and Korean culture like a gigantic iron cage. It informs and affects almost every aspect of Korean life. It is Korea's glorious cultural heritage and It it the poison that infects and corrupts the entire Korean experience. All Koreans live and experience life within the Confucian jail and they will reject, severely criticize and castigate any Korean person who seeks to escape from the jail or refuses to live locked behind it's bars. Confucianism is the root of all evil.
In the interest of full disclosure, i must admit that I am a Taoist......And, like LaoTze and ChuangTze, I find most things Confucian to be deplorable. More to follow......

Walking around Seoul is always an adventure, but not for the reasons you might expect. This is one of the most crowded cities in the world. Korean guys have a bad habit of walking around in public much of the time in a daze, unconcerned about smashing into others. (and then refusing to appologize!). I have had uncountable experiences where Korean guys look at me, with more than enough time to change course but then walk right into me.

Why this happens I have no idea. When i complain about this, many Koreans seem to rationalize their behaviors to no end. "Seoul is so crowded. We are too busy and in too much of a hurry to worry about smashing into people." i think these are poor excuses. But the only reason that it continues to happen is that i believe there are no social reprocussions for behaving like this. Koreans just don't seem to care and don't seem to know any better. My grandma would have killed her grandson if he'd been a korean behaving like this.

Over the past 2 years I have developed a protective strategy of raising my arms reflexively when walking in crowded public areas. Sometimes i will grab the back of my neck with my hand which offers the sharp end of my elbow to the spatially unworried Korean men.

This is the only country in the world where i have had to do this.

Well......it looks like the people in Daechuri didn't win a great victory after all.....they all got kicked out. But.....there is still a long time between now and 2012 when the Camp Humphries base expansion is supposed to take place. Oops........

Do you remember last spring when i went on that protest march in Korea against the expansion of a US military base???
photos here
http://www.booksellersunion.org/korea2006/daechuri/

Well, the Korean government has delayed the expansion of the base until 2011 - with the US whining that they want it done by 2009. Here's the story from the Korea Herald

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/12/15/200612150037.asp

What the article does not explain is how this is a unexpected, gigantic and almost total victory for those koreans oposing the base expansion. I was preparing myself for the whole village of Daechuri being destroyed just in time for Christmas.

Instead it looks like the plan for builing new military golf courses at Daechuri has been ROUTED. I know the plan says delay to 2009-2011 but i can tell you right now that 2 more years (at least) to organize against the expansion means that the plans are DOOMED. Ha!!!! DOOMED I SAY !!!! (Bwaa Haaa Haaa Haa Haa ~manic laughter, singing, merriment and dacing in the background)

Cheers and happy holidays!

This is my attempt to come to terms with some aspects of Korean culture. The experience of physical space and social interaction are remarkably different from Western countries.

1. Public Spaces

When walking in public spaces - like sidewalks, in buildings, shopping centers and on stairwells, Koreans move in a way that seems incredibly spastic. When approaching someone in close or crowded quarters, the initial Korean reaction when spotting another pedestrian is to walk directly into their path. Whereas in the USA we immediately walk away from the other person, the Koreans walk into them. I think this is based on the Eastern idea that social interaction - any type of social interaction - is preferable to none. When I was in the deserted Taiwan airport waiting for a plane I saw a Chinese businessman walking towards me - we were the only 2 people in a large empty corridor and he almost ran over me. This experience happens to me on a daily basis in Korea.

In Korean society, many men feel it is perfectly fine for 2 people to smash into each other when walking down the street - and then refuse to acknowledge the other person - to say I'm sorry, Excuse me or whatever. I have almost found myself in a fight several times when Korean guys smashed into me on the street and then walked away like nothing happened. Once I even chased a guy down who did this to me and returned the favor in the form of a sidewalk body block.

Let me be quite clear that this is a behavior that is almost exclusive to Korean men. Korean Women are for the most part very polite and considerate and loath to smash into anyone in public areas. If a Korean woman runs into you she will immediately acknowledge you and apologize.

Please let me add that I have traveled in 18 countries and Korea is the only place where people do not apologize when they run into others.

2. Motor Bikes

Koreans ride motorcycles and scooters on the sidewalk. They ignore traffic signals and charge through crowded pedestrian crosswalks. They are dangerous!!

3. Playing Chicken

This is one of the most remarkable aspects of my experience in Korea. When walking in crowded places and you approach a Korean man he will invariably break INTO your direct path - as if trying to run you over. This is exactly the opposite of my public space experiences in the USA and other countries where people try to make as much space as possible for each other.

This kind of behavior on the part of many Koreans is considered rude, aggressive, belligerent, anti-social or just plain stupid in western countries. In Korea it is the norm. I have been astonished to see it happen over and over again in Seoul.
In order to counteract this phenomena, i find it easiest when approaching a Korean guy to just walk straight at him as if i am go to walk over him. Invariably he will move out of the way.