Twenty-eight years ago when I was at the L.A. airport waiting for a plane to Seoul, I watched on television clashes between riot police and the tear-gassed students of South Korea, who were protesting against the military dictatorship. I was embarrassed and reluctant to go back to Korea, even though I was returning home after six years in the States. 

Upon arriving at Gimpo Airport, I was taken aback by the unfriendliness and arrogance of the immigration and customs officers, who treated international passengers as if they were potential criminals. Inside the city, I found many things inconvenient and uncomfortable. For example, my 4-year-old son wanted to drink Tropicana orange juice and chocolate milk, but such items were unavailable at local grocery stores. It was also difficult to find a decent cup of coffee in the coffee shops around town. It seemed most cafes only served instant coffee.

Today, however, Korea has completely changed. Two weeks ago, I was waiting at the Chicago O’Hare Airport to board an Asiana Air flight bound for Seoul. This time, the television aired a special report on Korea, featuring its remarkable economic success, and the popularity of the ‘Korean Wave’ of movies, dramas and K-pop.

When I landed at Incheon Airport, the immigration officer kindly greeted me with a friendly smile. The lines were short because there were many open booths. At the Chicago airport the lines seemed endless, and yet, only four booths were open. It was so pleasant, convenient and comfortable to be back in Korea. Besides, cafes like Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Caffe Bene now offer decent coffee just about anywhere in the city and numerous supermarkets sell Tropicana and chocolate milk.

Today, South Korea has changed into a charming, convenient place to live in many respects. First, you can enjoy great customer service everywhere, and tipping is not even necessary in Korea. Whenever I had my car washed in the States, I would have to pay for the car wash, plus sales tax, and tip for the two men who would dry my car. Here in Seoul, two men wipe the body of my car, and another two men vacuum the interior. I always feel a sense of guilt for not tipping them. In America, when I bought a desk, I had to pay the delivery fee and the assembly fee on top of the price of the desk. When they delivered it to my house, I had to tip the two delivery men. But in Korea, good customer service is included in the basic price.

Another convenient thing in Korea is the high-speed internet. Recently the American IT company Pando Networks identified Seocho-gu, Seoul as the place where residents can enjoy the world’s fastest internet with 33.5 Mbps. According to Pando Network’s list, 8 out of the 10 fastest Internet cities in the world are in South Korea, such as Suwon, Ansan and Bucheon.

South Korea is also the paradise of mobile phones. Everyone, except infants, seems to have a smartphone these days. In Korea you can use your mobile phone anywhere, including in the subway, on top of mountains and even in basements. When I lived in Berkeley, however, I could not use my cell phone in the subway, near tall buildings, or on mountains, which was so inconvenient.

South Korea has the world’s best delivery service. If you accidentally leave something at home, you do not have to go back to pick it up; you can ask your family to send it to you by “quick service.” In Korea there are numerous private delivery service companies. The post office, too, has same day delivery service and next-day delivery service at incredibly inexpensive prices.

Another impressive thing in Korea is the friendliness of telephone consultants. Whenever I call a company in Korea, I feel at ease because the operators and consultants are so nice and friendly. Salespersons are courteous as well. Even post office clerks and the Department of Motor Vehicles staff members are friendly in Korea. In the States, the post office and the DMV are the two most infamous places for having unfriendly and arrogant staff members.

Another noteworthy thing about Korea is the excellent service rendered by extremely polite flight attendants. Once on a Korean Air flight, I saw a man using his mobile phone during takeoff. A flight attendant noticed the man, and whispered to him softly, all the while smiling, “Would you please turn off your phone, sir?” Two weeks ago, while flying in the U.S., I witnessed a completely different scene. A passenger stood up to take out his bag from the overhead compartment after the captain had turned on the seatbelt sign. Upon seeing the man, a flight attendant immediately scolded him in a stern voice, “It’s a federal offense if you do that!” Although the flight attendant was just doing her job, I missed the friendliness of Korean flight attendants.

Today, living in South Korea is convenient and comfortable. I am only impressed by the remarkable changes that have taken place in Korea in the past 30 years.

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor of English at Seoul National University and director of the Korea Literature Translation Institute. ― Ed.