More Korea

I've been slammed with work this week and only now, the morning of departure, have the chance to post.
There are only two countries in the world where 99.9% of the population has the same ethnic background: South Korea and North Korea. Regardless, society here cannot be characterized as a herd of homogeneous drones (though many say that's exactly the case in the North) . There are few guest workers doing the "3 D'" jobs (dirty, dangerous, difficult), but this is slowly changing as the population ages and demographics are forcing the government to look beyond its borders to find workers to fill the factories.
The first time I came to Seoul, I arrived at night and was struck by the forest of neon crosses that stand out in the the skyline in the evening. They're not noticeable in the daytime, and I would say that's more reflective of the population. Though the "Moonies", born again Christians, and Catholics all have a constituency here, it is Buddhism which is the main religious conviction. The statue above is in a Buddhist monastery across the street from the COEX conference center. Its over 400 years old and sits bang in the middle of a bustling part of the city.

There are two historical events which have had a profound effect on society here. The Korean war has had an understandable impact and the papers are full of the latest strange utterances coming out of the North. The DMZ, which I'll discuss later is a strange monument to the hostilities of 50 odd years ago. Technically the two countries are still at war as it was a cease fire rather than an armistice which ended hostilities. The US army has a very low profile, and one would be forgiven for not realizing there are 50,000 American troops in the country.

Japanese colonization of the peninsula has a less obvious, yet powerful resonance. There is an instinctive antipathy to all things Japanese, yet at the same time Japanese influence is undeniably present. Social rituals, business relationships, Karoke are all part of the social fabric and have a very Japanese feel to them. A love-hate relationship , complex and beyond my powers to explain is very much evident.

Koreans, like people everywhere, like to drink. The difference here is that it takes on an air of determination and expence which is equalled in few places (except maybe Japan).

It seems that blogger has said "enough" in terms of picture posting so I'll pic this up in Beijing.

Regards

T