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COUNTRY IN SNEAKERS or what is real Gangnam Style

22 April 2016 • Travel time: with 04 July 2015 on 03 august 2015
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Returning from distant wanderings Man proposes, but God disposes…

Once again, this common truth "worked" one hundred percent: instead of the planned short vacation, I plunged for two whole months not just into another culture, but, in the truest sense of the word, into a different reality. And I realized: it is impossible to comprehend a foreign country by visiting tourist sites - you need to feel it from the inside. To catch all the subtleties hidden from the fleeting glance of the guests, it is necessary to live in a new society side by side with the indigenous population.

As happened to me in South Korea. This country, of course, is a vivid and original example of successful capitalism in today's realities. Why is it interesting for us Ukrainians?


Once poor, devastated by war and national strife, South Korea has managed in just two decades to become one of the "Asian tigers" that literally burst into the ranks of the most industrialized powers in the world. I repeat: it happened in just two decades. In terms of time, the same length of path that independent Ukraine has traveled has been covered. I leave the reader to make comparisons and comparisons.

In these notes, I could not get around North Korea - an Asian concentrate of totalitarian communist dictate. Reliable information about a lifestyle that levels the human personality, making it dependent on a bowl of rice and the size of the leader's badge, I gathered from a new acquaintance, Shin Eun Kyung, and other North Koreans who managed to escape from the deadly embrace of the anti-people regime.

The story of life behind a reinforced concrete fence, which is divided even by the friendly Yellow Sea, I hope will be interesting. So, first things first…

Concerts at the airport On one of the largest airliners, a comfortable Airbus A330-300, we got from Helsinki to South Korea in 9.5 hours. Why from there? So cheaper than from Kyiv. This is a well-known way to save on air travel - choose not a direct flight, but with transfers. I won’t dwell on transit Finland - a beautiful “green” country with EU prices. A chicken sandwich, soup, one banana and a hot drink cost 25 euros. I note that a tea bag pulled on 2.5 euros. Where are we heading? Well, oh well ...Sometimes the flight took place at an altitude of more than 12 thousand meters, leaving behind a thunderstorm front with turbulence. The smiling Finnish-Korean crew immediately explained how to use the multimedia system so that the time passed properly and interestingly.

On a personal touch screen, each passenger can choose entertainment to their liking: a concert, a movie, computer games. Moreover, he can get acquainted with the readings of navigational instruments or connect to one of the two cameras installed on the aircraft.


In the huge Incheon International Airport, there are electronic touch-screen displays, glowing signs in English, and volunteers who help arriving passengers and hand out a free terminal card everywhere. The latter turned out to be very useful, since it is one of the largest aviation hubs in the world: since 2005, it has been recognized as the best on the planet. The ultra-modern design and thoughtful infrastructure are striking: gently floating rubber paths, along which people with luggage seem to hover above the ground, relaxation and massage rooms, bedrooms and free showers, shops, golf courses.

Everywhere there are racks with dozens of wires and plugs for charging any phones, tablets and laptops, computers with the Internet for everyone. Here is one of the world's largest 4D cinemas, a museum of Korean art, "green" islands with bright flowers and evergreen trees, large TVs, comfortable chairs, fountains and ...a stage where professional performers perform from morning to night. "Live" concert energizes and waiting for a flight becomes less tiring.

The passenger terminal, consisting of 4 overground and 2 underground floors, impresses with its gigantic size - it's 60 football fields! Can you imagine? Information desks have booklets offering free translation services. As soon as a language barrier arises, you just need to call the indicated number and press an additional number: for example, for English - 1, French - 2, Russian - 3.

Of course, there can be no question of any comparison with the Dnepropetrovsk airport, we are in too different weight categories. But the memories of the new terminal of the Kyiv "Borispol" simply made me sad. And where did so much money go? Having gone down in the elevator, I appeared in front of a transparent wall, behind which I saw a train approaching. It turns out that heavy-duty glass insures against falling onto the rails. A comfortable mini-metro delivers in a few minutes to another terminal - to passport and customs control. By the way, the country has introduced quarantine for the import and export of fruits, vegetables and meat products, for violation - a fine of $ 5.000. Since I didn’t have any apples, cucumbers, or even bacon with me, there were no problems. Walking through the airport is not tiring at all.


After walking past a free artificial ice rink, you get directly into the subway that connects the island with the two largest cities in the country - ten million Seoul and three million Incheon. By the way, the world-famous single "Gangnam Style" by the South Korean artist and songwriter PSY is named after the richest and most fashionable area in the southeastern part of Seoul. There, next to the business center and entertainment venues, politicians and show business stars live.

When exiting the subway, you immediately find yourself in a huge underground shopping complex, reminiscent of our well-equipped flea market with pavilions, and from it - to skyscrapers, among which there is a bright stage with large letters: Gangnam Style. Anyone can climb it in order to feel like a star! By the way, in South Korea, many areas of modern pop music are developing.

Young pop artists copy Western "stars" in their videos, and girls are already beginning to perform in revealing, sometimes even erotic costumes. Many, while clumsily, but already sing to the "plywood". The older generation prefers other music: calm songs “for life” without a phonogram, artists in strict stage clothes and a minimum of scenery. Following modern trends, performers are increasingly entering the stage with backup dancers, which, given their traditional mores, looks a little ridiculous. Imagine a few girls with forced smiles and short dresses, who automatically perform movements that are frankly reminiscent of aerobics.

The end point of my trip was Incheon, which is called the "gateway of the Korean capital" and is considered as part of Greater Seoul. The Seoul and Incheon subways are connected. In 1994, the New Songdo City project, the district of the future, was launched here.

It began to be erected on reclaimed land - a restored huge area, "selected" after the sea was drained. A truly “Martian” landscape opens from the windows of the elevated metro with pinkish soil and bizarre landscapes, which until recently were the deep-water bottom.


A bit of history about two Koreas The word "Korea" comes from the state of Koryo, which existed on the peninsula in 918-1392. In turn, this name came from the ancient state of Koguryeo, which in its heyday occupied the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, as well as part of the territory of modern northeastern China and present-day Russian Primorye. From 1910 to 1945 the country was a Japanese colony. The recent history of South Korea begins after the defeat of Japan in World War II.

According to the 1945 Soviet-American agreement "On the division of spheres of influence on the peninsula", part of the country south of the 38th parallel came under the jurisdiction of the United States, while the northern part - under the control of the USSR. When both Koreas unleashed a military conflict, the United States was allies of the southerners. And the Soviet volunteer pilots, as they joked, squinted their eyes with might and main during air battles. As the years passed, once one of the poorest in the region of Korea called South Korea, it became clearly richer, and its northern part fell deeper and deeper into poverty. Its 24 million inhabitants have been dependent only on external assistance for many years, as 16 million of them are chronically malnourished. In 2013, food alone required $109 million in external assistance. On an international scale, this is a drop; for the DPRK, it is a huge amount that allows saving its citizens from starvation.

The two Koreas are separated by a demilitarized zone - a strip of land more than 200 kilometers long and 4 (two from the South and North) kilometers wide. This is the most guarded border in the world, along which the main forces of more than a million North Korean and 650.000 South Korean armies are concentrated.

Before the trip, I imagined that I would see hundreds of kilometers of snow-white beaches of the Yellow Sea around Incheon, South Korea. That's what it looked like on the map. The reality turned out to be different: the coastal edge of the sea, in addition to protected civil and cargo ports, is surrounded by a high fence - from below it is concrete and stone, and from above it is metal. Once I drove up to the coast, I took out my camera: at that very moment, the police literally appeared out of nowhere. Since I didn’t even remotely resemble a North Korean saboteur, there were no questions for me. Of course, there are official beaches here, but only on the islands.


You can get to them by ferry, by subway or by car through the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world - more than 20 kilometers, connecting the continent with the Incheon International Airport located on the island.

Party icons of the DPRK North Korea is a country with war communism, which has absorbed all the most negative of these two concepts. The ruling dynasty has long elevated itself to the rank of supermen. Its founder, Kim Il Sung, known as the "Korean Sun", claimed in all seriousness that he could control not only people, but also the weather. After his death, the body of the dictator was embalmed and placed in a mausoleum. The current leader, Kim Jong-un, is the regime's founder's grandson and is the world's youngest head of state, having taken office about two years ago. He studied abroad, loves fast food and foreign stage - that is, what is prohibited in his homeland.

Some hopes for positive changes are associated with his name. And there is already confirmation of this.

The Milky Way rocket, the pride of the DPRK, launched the Shining Star satellite into orbit, and New Year's fireworks were held in the capital for the first time. True, there are rumors that instead of a satellite, the Koreans tested an intercontinental missile, which, in the end, fell into the ocean. But the fireworks were real!

Portraits of the founders of the DPRK have an almost sacred meaning in the country and serve as a kind of icons. They should hang in each house on a separate wall, they are supposed to be cleaned with a special brush, for damage to which, like the “face”, the whole family is sent to the bunk. They say that during a recent flood, when water rushed into the house, a 14-year-old girl removed the paintings from the wall, wrapped them up and held them above the water until she choked herself.


The authorities highly appreciated her "feat", posthumously honoring the Youth Prize named after the son of Kim Il Sung - the second hereditary leader Kim Jong Il. And this wild case is not the only one. Worker Kang Hyung-gwon, escaping during summer floods, put his 5-year-old daughter on his back, and took portraits of the founding fathers in his hands. At some point, the girl broke, but the man squeezed the paintings even tighter, not even trying to save her.

The North Koreans are very belligerent, their missiles are constantly on alert and aimed at Seoul and Washington. Threats and even attacks against South Korea are carried out regularly. As the locals said, shortly before my arrival there was shelling of peaceful islands near Incheon from heavy guns. But, as usual, the matter did not come to a real war - the North Koreans simply reminded that they had not received humanitarian aid in time.

Pyongyang is already used to it when money runs out and famine approaches - it starts saber-rattling. And even let in small groups of tourists to get the currency. These lucky ones are given maximum attention and care, but in a purely North Korean way: for a group of even two people, escort staff and servants, guides, chauffeurs and hotel staff, who are state security agents, are allocated. Visitors to the country are allowed to photograph only government-approved attractions.

Intourist hotels also provide sex services provided by visiting Chinese women. They, of course, "knock" who needs it, otherwise they would not work. In spas closed to mere mortals, they appease the local party leadership in the same way. That's kind of a concept of morality.


The shooting of a mistress Ordinary young people in North Korea have not heard about sex at all. Decent girls do not allow men to approach them until marriage. And only if you are thirty years old, and there is no husband, you can dispose of your body at your own discretion. However, while I was in South Korea, the local press published a hidden camera photo report of the public execution of singer Hyun Sung Wol, former lover of Kim Jong Un. This soloist of the orchestra of electric musical instruments was convicted of violating the law on the prohibition of pornography. Together with her, 11 more people were shot: just for the number, at the end of which, having thrown off their outer clothing, they remained in the usual closed bodysuit. In addition, during a search of the musicians, Bibles were found, which are prohibited in the DPRK. Relatives of all those executed were driven to death, and then arrested and sent to camps for political prisoners.

There is a rationing system here, according to which each worker receives 700 grams of rice a day, several kilograms of meat and two dozen eggs a year. But red propaganda claims that “people in the US or neighboring South Korea don't even have that! “We have this guaranteed, but the state does nothing to help them! » Radio and state television of the DPRK broadcasts about this every day. The information cannot be verified. Citizens are only allowed to own a sealed radio tuned to the "right" waves, such as the Voice of Korea. For storage of unsealed - five years in the camps. And if they are caught listening to "enemy stations", then all 15 "strict" ones. At the same time, the entire family of the perpetrator is repressed, and the closest relatives are included in the "black list". And this means that they are exiled to a deep province, where they are doomed to starvation.

The country is shrouded in harsh punitive discipline.

In order to go to a neighboring city or stay overnight with a friend or relative who lives even in a neighboring entrance, you need to obtain permission from the “party supervisor” ...Each community or house forms a “folk group” of about 40 families. Their elder is a politically and morally stable woman who can enter anywhere at any time of the day. If she is not allowed, then they are immediately sent to the bunk. She is responsible with her head for all the "disorders", collective work and must know everything and everyone. In apartment buildings, electricity is turned off at night, there is regularly no water. In toilets, it is sparingly flushed from a ladle. And sewerage is not everywhere. Crowded, rotten and rusty buses roam the wide, clean streets, often pushed ahead of them by passengers, past huge images of heroic North Korean soldiers and party bosses. In general, there is very little transport here, even at rush hour.


Two-wheeled "bicycles" are registered with the traffic police and have a license plate. Until 1992, it was forbidden to ride them in Pyongyang, so as not to spoil the official image of the capital, but recently the ban was lifted. More or less, the armed forces have cars on the move.

By the way, the army in North Korea is conscripted for men and women. Service life from 3 to 10 years. American experts believe that the DPRK has the amount of plutonium to produce 12 nuclear warheads, but does not have the technology to create a weapon that could be placed in the head of the missile. And thank God! Almost everyone dressed in a military uniform or in clothes of gloomy colors.

In the DPRK, there is no mobile communication and the Internet, there is no Coca-Cola with hamburgers. And yet the country is not so bad. Crime is almost zero, apartments are not locked.

North Koreans are a very healthy nation, since everyone has been involved in sports since childhood, regularly undergo medical examinations and, of course, do not overeat. Women, on the instructions of Kim Il Sung, do not smoke at all. But, the men smoke like steam locomotives. The slogan adorning North Korean banknotes reads blasphemously, "We envy no one in the world. " In fact, no one is jealous of them.

Let's talk about Hyundai But enough about the gloomy North, let's talk about the Land of Morning Calm, as South Korea is also poetically called. Today, Incheon and Seoul, as I already wrote, are connected by a subway network consisting of 19 lines with more than 500 stations with a protective transparent wall and sliding doors. The multifunctional screens show where the train is and when it will arrive at the station. Escalators with motion sensors and, of course, elevators with cabins going straight to the street.


At every stop in the available cabinets - flashlights and chemical protection kits, as they say, for every fireman. The cars are very bright, spacious, with comfortable velor seats with orthopedic backs. Everywhere there are monitors with commercials, social stories and information about the next stop. The train brakes and accelerates inaudibly, and when it enters turns at high speed, it is also not felt, and even those who are standing do not hold on to the handrails. From Seoul to the resort of Busan, on the Sea of ​ ​ Japan, can be reached by bullet train in 2.5 hours. On some straight sections, it develops a speed of 300, although it is designed for 350 km / h. Old-timers will not remember cases of breakdowns and stops along the way, idle stoves or air conditioners.

Why do the South Korean trains traveling around Ukraine spoil our nerves and health so much? Maybe they didn't buy the "first grade", bringing quality for the sake of the notorious "kickback"?

It's hard to say...Although, let's note that some high-ranking South Korean officials are infected with the bacillus of bribery no less than Ukrainian ones. But there this is strictly monitored, and those caught "hot" are threatened with long terms or even the highest measure.

When you look at modern giant industrial and agricultural enterprises, the local auto industry and the world-famous brands Samsung, LG, Daewoo, Hyundai, KIA and others, you simply marvel. After all, the country has neither its black soil, nor oil and gas, nor ore and coal. Not even a single source of mineral water. And let's take the shipbuilding industry - it's about 300 factories. South Korea is ahead of Japan and controls more than 50% of the portfolio of orders in this segment of the world market. The assembly of ships is fully automated and computerized.

They are so huge that due to the large draft they cannot pass through the Suez and Panama canals and therefore are mainly used in the ocean. This success has been achieved due to the high quality of products, the professional level of the engineering and technical staff and the qualifications of workers, and the culture of production. Koreans like to repeat: everything that the country has today is made by society as a whole and by each of its members, in particular, it is the work of many generations. Everything in the country is interconnected, one is tied to the other.

Presidential limousine - no benefits I traveled around South Korea and my eyes appeared wonderful high-speed roads, magnificent skyscrapers, landscapes striking with man-made beauty. The well-being and dynamism of a well-organized life made a particularly deep impression.


This was further evidence that selfless work, with skillful leadership and in the presence of freedom and democracy, works wonders, which cannot be said about the North Korean neighbor. Thanks to a well-built and well-built subway, there are practically no traffic jams on the roads. Yes, and the main roadway without potholes and traces of patching, 6-8 lanes in the center and 4 lanes - secondary. Korea has a very hot summer, but the asphalt does not melt, after the rainy and frosty season, the coating “does not come off”. And our "road builders", as a rule, nod at the weather, writing off their unprofessionalism and elementary theft. As soon as dusk falls, excellent lighting is turned on throughout the country's road grid, with no burnt out bulbs or dark areas even in the most remote areas.

On the roadway, “safety islands” are illuminated, the sidewalks are neatly lined with colored tiles, the storm drains are not clogged and all the hatches are in place! Roads and sidewalks are cleaned regularly. What is surprising for us: traffic is not blocked here even when the president passes. Special vehicles, police and ambulances, along with everyone else, are stuck in traffic jams and even with flashing lights do not go into the oncoming lane or red light. If there is an “acute patient” in the car, then helicopters are connected, following the principle: saving one person, one should not create inconvenience for others on the road.

South Koreans, as true patriots, prefer domestic cars to foreign ones. Personal and official vehicles for more than 90% of our own production. The cars of Japan's closest neighbor that have flooded the world can be counted on the fingers.

This is understandable: local cars are famous for their high-quality assembly and first-class interior finishing materials, rich equipment. And such models as Alpheon, Dynasty, Genesis, Samsung are used only for the domestic market. Recently appeared here, by the way, in Dnepropetrovsk, a huge and luxurious Hyundai Equus business class sedan can be purchased there for 70-80 thousand dollars, while in Ukraine its price starts from a hundred. Interesting: for all the time I did not see a single Chinese car there! Also, not a single large SUV caught my eye - maximum Hyundai SantaFe. There are, of course, the familiar Chevrolets, a few Daewoos and Europeans. Cars are left only in strictly designated areas, in multi-level parking lots and underground and above-ground parking lots. No one parks in prohibited areas. Yes, and a pedestrian at the crossing is sacred.


Perhaps the only problem on the wide highways is the traffic on the "flashing amber" and the flickering hot lunch delivery men, chasing scooters through red lights. They then just as randomly collect ceramic dishes. Disposable plastic has long been abandoned there because of its toxicity. Taxi - new, large and comfortable business class cars - inexpensive. Twenty hryvnia will cost landing and the first few minutes. But, even for the longest trip around the huge city, the bill does not exceed 50-70 hryvnias in our equivalent, since all of them are equipped with gas-cylinder installations. Gasoline, very high-quality and high-octane, costs about 14 hryvnia per liter. Expensive, but the average salary there is 3-4 thousand dollars.

People with disabilities, pensioners and pregnant women can get on the subway not by the escalator, but by the elevator, which is waiting for them right on the sidewalk.

Wide turnstiles are installed for wheelchair users. An interesting fact: there were no elevators at the previously built stations, but special platforms were installed there, served at the touch of a button. A person drives onto it in a wheelchair, and the platform smoothly lowers or raises him over all the steps. For such people, descents from curbs are equipped absolutely everywhere, a metal non-slip track with special ledges that guide the wheels is installed on the sidewalks throughout the country. All shopping centers and institutions are equipped with additional lifts. Such feel like full members of society, without experiencing any inconvenience. There are special taxis for them, many buses are equipped with a movable platform. And no one turns the wheels by hand - all wheelchairs are electric, controlled by joysticks, have rear brake lights and turn indicators.

Many television channels use sign language translation, and on the central one one of the announcers reads in Braille.


Electronic information boards at stops display bus numbers, indicating where they are now and when they will arrive. The schedule is thought out very competently and the interval of movement is such that no one stands during the trip. To pay for travel in them, as well as in the subway and taxi, a single T-card is used. Passengers enter only through the front door, applying a card to the sensor. The remaining balance is displayed on the screen. Exit is only through the back door, where again you should attach the card to the sensor so that the amount withdrawn for the fare is displayed. In the metro, the principle is the same: the card must be attached to the turnstile at the entrance, and then at the exit, so that it opens. The card is replenished in special machines - just put it on the shelf and the required amount in the bill acceptor.

These are the most beautiful complexes of the imperial palace with a costumed reconstruction of the medieval changing of the guard, ancient city gates, parks with ancient places of worship, original streets bordering on ultra-modern buildings, Buddhist temples, Museum of Optical Illusions, in which you can take a picture so that you yourself become a participant in the exposition and much more. It is worth visiting the largest in the region, officially existing since the 19th century Chinatown, islands with ancient temples and natural monuments and, of course, Grand Park.

This huge garden and park complex is located on the sloping slope of one of the mountains south of the capital.

There are relaxation squares, theme and botanical gardens, a rose garden, an amusement park, hiking trails, a modern art museum and a huge zoo, most of whose pets are behind moats and other natural barriers. It is most convenient to go up there by funicular, contemplating the stunningly beautiful landscapes, and go down already on your own, or on buses or mini-engines plying here. When entering the zoo zone, you must take a map and choose a route for yourself: yellow, blue or red. And in order not to get lost, the lines of these colors are drawn on the footpaths throughout the territory. The entrance to the complex is paid, and to the left of the ticket office there is an exit that no one controls. I noticed that, despite the line at the cashier, no one even tried to get in for free.

But in Incheon, in the huge "Art Center", despite the many exhibition and concert halls, it is also not difficult to navigate. Smiling employees are everywhere who are ready to help at the first call. In art galleries, you can use a digital guide: a small box with headphones. A smart device “knows” which exhibit you are near and a pleasant voice in the headphones leads an interesting tour in the selected language.


Stunned and Korean mermaids. They work on the volcanic island of Jeju. This wonder of the world with lava tunnels consists of three parts and the famous gallery with colorful carbonate vaults. Here is the highest mountain in Korea, Hallasan, which impresses with picturesque rock formations, waterfalls and a lake in the place of a large crater. There is also a monument to Hö nö . Hye is Korean for sea, and nyo means woman.

So immortalized divers, which the country is proud of. They dive to great depths without scuba gear, and many are already over 60!

All restaurants on the island receive trepangs, large shells with clams and other seafood only from these "mermaids". The fame of these fantastic establishments, where you can taste everything not just fresh, but raw, is booming throughout the peninsula. It is simply impossible not to dine here. But you need to be careful when calculating. Tipping, generally accepted in the world, can greatly offend a Korean. Here, even taxi drivers have special plastic "honeycombs" for small change to give change to the last won (1100 won approximately = $ 1).

For the weekend, all families go either to city parks, where they pitch tents, play and cook food, or to island beaches. What is unusual for us is that guys, girls and older people swim in the sea in shorts and T-shirts. Sometimes even in socks and under a sun umbrella.

On the beach, some young people defy society by appearing in swimming trunks and bathing suits. Even stories in the news are devoted to this egregious fact. Many vacationers shoot this "erotica" on their phones. South Koreans are unanimous in their opinion that "debauchery", like other "troubles", came "from abroad". So, in their opinion, it is necessary to stop the already negligible flow of tourists.

People and Toilets I took the liberty of paraphrasing the title of Arkady Raikin's film "People and Mannequins" a little, since this is a separate topic in South Korea. Toilets everywhere! And there is no charge! And if the "water closet" is not within sight, then you need to look for signs - and you will see how many meters to the desired goal. Each “rest room” is original in its own way: in the city center there is a capital beautiful building, in the metro there is strict granite and marble, in the square there is a log house, etc.


Classical music sounds everywhere, clean and neat, there are flowers and paintings on the walls. Naturally, cold and hot water, mirrors, soap and toilet paper. Necessarily - photocells, an additional circle for babies, children's, like toy toilet bowls and low washstands, changing places. And, of course, in every establishment, electric wide sliding doors that open at the touch of a large button for people with disabilities. Inside there are comfortable handrails, two types of toilet bowls and a mirror tilted to the floor so that it is convenient for a person in a wheelchair to look into it. And no one "walks" past, breaks anything and takes home, for example, soap "necessary in the household"!

People in South Korea are calm, kind and helpful. The older generation, which survived the war and different stages of the country's development, is wary of foreigners. Many do not know English or pretend not to understand.

Like all veterans, they are proud of their awards and, according to tradition, wear them on a cap. But those who are under 40-45 years old are a completely different matter. One has only to stop and take out a card, as young people immediately come up to you with an offer of help. Many of them were in a hurry to go about their business, but when they saw misunderstanding on their faces, they immediately called, explaining that they would be delayed because they needed to show the way to the guest of the country. And see off - with a smile and pleasure. They can also deliver for free. And if they don’t understand what the tourist wants, then they call someone, dig into the smartphone, studying the electronic map, but they don’t leave them without help. People are very sociable and, of course, I was pleased that everyone I had to deal with knew or heard about Ukraine. But usually, in other countries, I had to explain that, they say, we are Russia's neighbors.

By the way, everyone has smartphones.

Free high-speed WI-FI is everywhere, and therefore, as soon as a Korean enters a bus or subway, he immediately plunges into the Internet. Given this feature, all phones are sold with a spare battery.


South Korean guys are much more fashionable than girls. The latter, as a rule, wear sports shoes, shorts or trousers and T-shirts a couple of sizes larger. For all the time I saw only a few girls in stilettos and minis. But with a deep neckline - never. But young men, on the contrary, are big fashionistas: they dye their hair and sometimes nails, wear bright things, tight trousers and unisex bags. They are traditional, just so trendy and they love it. There are no tattoo parlors here, and in general, no one walks around with “monograms” on their bodies. But everyone wears sneakers!

In the city center there are a huge number of dragonflies, butterflies and various beetles. And how many cockroaches and Prusaks have already disappeared from Ukrainian apartments.

By the way, about housing: it is expensive on the peninsula: a decent 3-4 room apartment in the center of a large city will cost from 250 to 400 thousand dollars. But on the other hand, like cars, household appliances and electronics, you can buy it in installments for just ...1-2 percent per annum.

Sleeping on the floor and babies without nipples South Koreans are a very hardworking nation. Imagine that civil servants and doctors have 3 days of vacation per year, while employees of private companies have 7. The work week is basically five days. Yes, and Koreans live without luxury - in apartments, usually, in addition to electronics and computer equipment, a minimum of necessary things. Interesting, but they don't have cribs. All entrance doors are the same with typical coded digital locks.

He dialed the desired combination of numbers - and he opened, slammed the door - automatically closed. They are not used to showing off. Next to ultra-modern skyscrapers looking straight into the clouds, new sleeping areas are being built. Basically, there are small houses, which, according to the original design and completely different in color and structure of the cladding, are not similar to each other, which creates a stunning architectural ensemble. Basically, they are built right next to each other and often the windows face the adjacent wall. There are practically no fences. They, unlike the Ukrainians, do not protect themselves from each other, but have long been accustomed to the "feeling of the elbow. " Everyone should be close and together - then this is strength!


In the evenings, cars drive around the city, which "fumigate" sleeping areas from mosquitoes with special smoke. There are, of course, premium-class cottages, but not in the center, by the sea or on the hills - they are hidden from view.

Traditionally, here people sleep on the floor or on very hard mattresses. The top of chic is a bed made of precious wood with a mattress made of noble stone. Its cost can reach up to 5-7 thousand dollars. Local cafes and restaurants have not been rebuilt either - they have tables on low legs, and visitors sit on cozy rugs right on the floor and eat with chopsticks. In the evening, you can see mountains of ceramic tiles and other building materials near construction stores. This is so that a person after work on the way home can choose what he needs and the next day, without wasting time, purchase. And no one steals! It is curious that in the sleeping areas, small shops (mini-markets that have everything from bread to a fan) are located literally on every block with an interval of only a few houses. And they work successfully!

Locals go to the one they like, like the hero of an old joke who ended up on a desert island. When they found him a few years later, they asked: “What are these three huts? » « The first one is my house. The second is the club I go to, and the third is the club I ignore”…

The subway is almost never ridden with children, and their babies do without nipples. And why, if they are as calm as their parents. There are a lot of children everywhere - and they all behave quietly, do not demand anything, do not roar, do not shout. Fell, got up, and silently "to battle"! In shopping centers, children can, again, for free, be left in the playrooms, in which instead of sand there is grain covered with food paint! Children play on it, developing motor skills and parents do not worry if something gets into their mouths. Saturday and Sunday are traditionally "daddy's day", that is, after the working week, fathers spend time with the kids.


And shopping with them is not tiring - after all, each supermarket trolley has a special place for a child with leg holes located so that the baby sits facing the parent. It also has a display showing the number of calories burned and a pedometer, as well as a retractable magnifying glass.

I note that in any institution or, for example, at the post office, there are always several pairs of glasses with different diopters, free adhesive tape, scissors, pens and markers. In stores, security does not check bags either at the entrance or at the exit, does not ask them to leave them in a storage room, does not go after visitors, suspecting everyone of theft. On the contrary, the guard bows to everyone at the entrance, and if they want to put the child in the cart, they wipe it with a disinfectant solution with a smile.

Out of habit, everything was thrown into one bag, and representatives of the municipality were not too lazy to disassemble it and find fragments of the document, according to which the owner was identified. The first time, she got off with a $100 fine. In the mornings, between the houses where Koreans take out the garbage (strangely, they don’t have containers, and they put waste bags on the street near the house) you can often see refrigerators, TVs, washing machines, computers with modern monitors. Well, a person bought himself a new technique, but what to do with the old one? It remains only to throw it away, or rather, to take it out into the street. Maybe someone will come in handy.

Smartphones, digital and computer equipment from well-known manufacturers cost the same as in Ukraine, and sometimes even more. There is an explanation for this: Samsung and LG products can be bought from us much cheaper, because these giants are pursuing a targeted policy to conquer foreign markets.

Mostly Protestant everywhere, with a small number of parishioners. Only very rich people can afford to go to the temple, pray and communicate with the abbots, because everyone is obliged to pay tithing.


Medicine of the future This is a separate issue. Its level is one of the highest in the world. - Our hospital, like the rest in the country, uses only the top-end equipment. If a new generation of medical equipment manufactured in South Korea or Japan appears, then we immediately purchase it, - the director of the clinic of the Gil Hospital at Gachon University, Professor Min Chung Pak told me. - We cannot afford to diagnose and treat in the old way, when there are newer developments - after all, human life and health depend on it. You can see obsolete equipment as museum exhibits in the lobby of one of the 13 buildings of our hospital.

And I saw it: chic working tomographs, computer equipment for diagnostics and treatment, and much more, which any Ukrainian medical institution would be incredibly happy about. - On average, we receive about 3.000 outpatients and 1.000 inpatients per day. Approximately 300 ambulances bring. Five hundred highly qualified doctors, not counting their assistants, nurses and other personnel, work in oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology, gynecology, dentistry and Oriental Medicine and Emergency Centers.

The usual South Korean multidisciplinary clinic seems to me the hospital of the future. Here you can easily and quickly get the most qualified help for all health problems. The percentage of successful operations is the highest in the world! Here are some of the miracles that make sick people healthy here.

Angioplasty, knee arthroplasty, reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, replacement of the hip joint, restoration of the shoulder cuff, operations to fix the vertebrae are carried out. If necessary, IVF + ICSI uses the unique software of the Vitro-Life system, and the "direct vision" system fertilizes with a laser, which contributes to a high percentage of pregnancy. Medical staff with the help of the most modern technologies monitor patients 24 hours a day. For work and wages. It is decent for doctors: it starts from $3.500, an experienced doctor gets $5-7, and the head of a department gets $10.000 a month. Local doctors, of course, admit that Ukrainian and Russian surgeons are also well known in the world. Some of them they know personally. Others are known from specialized literature.

The trouble is different: due to the lack of a proper material base, modern computer and medical equipment, the results are not yet what we would like ...


In Gil hospital I met many patients from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries. All of them are attracted by the high level of medicine, quality of service, guarantees and friendly attitude of the medical staff. All of the above, they say, is difficult to compare with some clinics in Israel, Germany or the Czech Republic, which earn money with the help of a promoted brand. South Korean medicine for locals is insurance, for visitors it is only paid. Without insurance or money, no one will even talk about treatment. But the price-quality-result ratio is the best in the world. By the way, about prices and terms. Faster, better, more reliable and sometimes even cheaper than in Kyiv or Moscow.

Yes, and there is no problem with the language barrier - any South Korean hospital provides coordinator-interpreters who not only accompany you during treatment, but also help you in every way to adapt to life in the country.

"Doctor, make me beautiful" And now about plastic surgery. As technology improves, it becomes cheaper, safer, more efficient and more popular around the planet. But nowhere has it become such a craze, even an obsession, as in South Korea, where every fifth girl has already resorted to such a procedure. Women here dream of what they consider to be the perfect look: fair skin, a small nose, big eyes and a V-shaped chin. Plastic surgery has become the norm and a familiar topic of discussion. People may ask where you got such a nice little nose for yourself, and this will not be a faux pas.

A procedure that costs at least $1.000 in the US can be done three times cheaper in Korea. Life expectancy in South Korea is high. Pensioners, who are already well over 60-70 years old, dress very fashionably and brightly, regularly climb mountains in studded sneakers and with equipment. The cities are surrounded by mountains and locals use it with might and main. There are a lot of elderly people in sports shops. On weekdays, they walk in parks and work out on the simulators installed there. And in the evenings, there are free concerts on specially equipped venues with comfortable chairs.

There is a lot of greenery in the country, every piece of free land is used. The roofs of almost all houses - from 2-3 to 20-story - are made with a fenced area, on which trees also grow. They also dry clothes there.

Somehow their balconies did not take root, and therefore, between cars and garbage bags, you can find hanging bundles of red pepper and developing wet jeans and T-shirts.


There is no spontaneous and even souvenir trade in the country. If you want a T-shirt with national symbols or a fridge magnet - only at the airport or on the Insadong-Gil street specially designated for this in Seoul. This is like an analogue of the Moscow Arbat or the Dnepropetrovsk Alley of Artists. Only with more civilized shops, with an admixture of antiques and adequate prices. Koreans are a very superstitious people. For example, they try not to pronounce the number "4" and even write it a little differently, slightly crossing it out, since it is almost 100 percent consonant with the word "death". Often on the streets with joyful faces there are people carrying large wreaths with ribbons, which they gladly place near the doors.

At first I was incomprehensible to this strange tradition, and then I figured it out: a bright wreath is good! The mourning color is white. Naturally, there are no reminders of tragic accidents along the highway, so as not to spoil the positive energy of the area and the mood of drivers. Yes, and there are no cemeteries - here, as in most Asian countries, the dead are cremated. True, wealthy people, if they wish, can buy land and build a family crypt on it. But, again, it should not be in front of everyone and, moreover, near the road!

“Would you like dog meat for a hot meal? » Almost no restaurant asks about this, and you won't see Bobik on the menu. Koreans eat dogs as often as we eat bear or venison. In Seoul, only in the Russian Quarter and Incheon, in a Koryo restaurant, you can find soup or stew from dog meat. Moreover, these establishments were opened by "our Koreans" - immigrants from the CIS.

The main thing is to pinch your nose, because the smell is like a barrel of ammonia has been spilled. When it is served, a fountain of tears splashes from the sharp ammonia “aroma”, but the taste is very delicate and refined. It vaguely resembles unsalted halibut. I really liked abalone - Abalone. They are sold alive along with the "house" - a beautiful mother-of-pearl shell - and look like a moving human ear. Five minutes in boiling water and a healthy delicious shellfish is ready. In addition, there are a lot of different fish everywhere, huge crabs, lobsters and octopuses, the freshest ungutted squids, giant shrimp the size of a man's palm, sea and river snails, clams in shells and in hefty beautiful shells, etc. Fried silkworm larvae are sold on the streets , go and chew, well, as we seeds. And in stores - canned - a rich source of protein, according to locals.


But they have a taste, as the same Raikin said - “specific”. It's nice to make purchases in large supermarkets - here, like in our markets, they let you try everything: vegetables, fruits, juices. Fish, shrimp, squid and mushrooms are fried in front of you, freshly baked pizza is cut, sausages are boiled and all this is given to “test”. But they don’t have homemade, boiled and raw smoked sausages. There is a "blood drop" stuffed with transparent vermicelli. The taste is only vaguely reminiscent of the traditional. In the country, quarantine and immigrants from the CIS dream of olive oil, jelly, sausage sticks and ...cherry jam. They have long cucumbers and only one variety - 8 hryvnias apiece. Tomatoes also did not please - a couple of species at a price of 35 to 50 hryvnia per kg. Garlic is sold already peeled cloves for 20-30 hryvnia per zhmenka. And in general, the prices for food "bite". Sour grapes, vaguely reminiscent of "Lydia", with a thick skin - 100 hryvnia, tangerines - 70, cherries - 100, cherries - 120.

Watermelons in season - small ones at 100, and medium ones at 150 hryvnias apiece, corn from 20 to 30 hryvnias per head, tasteless peaches at 100. Potatoes 12-14, bananas 25, cereals similar to millet - 65 for a half-kilogram package, and meat - from 200 to 700 hryvnia per kilogram. Bread only white from 12 hryvnia for a half. Black can only be found in the Russian quarter. Sour cream is an import from Holland, as are yogurts, but there is no trace of cottage cheese and kefir.

Due to high retail prices for food, there is practically no economic difference: cook at home or eat in a cafe. You can simply cook whatever you like.

True, there are “Buffets” beloved by our fellow citizens, where for a relatively small fee - from 11 to 20 dollars per person - you can spend at least a whole day and consume all kinds of sushi, fish, various salads, vegetables, fruits, pastries, ice cream and on your own without limit. choose the ingredients for the soup, which will be cooked right at your table. In a word, everything except "one hundred grams. " In these establishments, Koreans communicate and eat slowly until they are satisfied, but emigrants or tourists behave differently, as if they came from a hungry land. How the word “Buffet” caresses their soul, consonant with the usual “All inclusive” ...Only sesame and corn oil is used for cooking. The sunflower is a rare, ornamental plant here. It can be found occasionally in flower beds or in flower shops for 80 hryvnia per plant. We were surprised by the eggs - there are ordinary ones, and there are - without protein. Imagine, a solid big yolk!


And adults and children of all ages cannot imagine life without kimchi. This is a traditional Korean snack served with every meal. Kimchi is a special kind of pickled or pickled vegetables, but mostly Chinese cabbage in a thick layer of hot pepper, garlic and ginger paste. There are many recipes for making kimchi - every family, restaurant and cafe has its own secrets. Such vegetables are also called fermented or fermented. It is in the process of fermentation that beneficial bifidobacteria ripen in them, which improve bowel function. Well, vitamins are not destroyed, since kimchi is not subjected to heat treatment. Seoul's giant COEX mall has been a kimchi museum and study hall since 1987. Here is the history of this dish in ancient documents and archaeological finds, drawings with ingredients, special dishes, recipes and so on.

By the way, "KOEX" is so huge that inside, between the passages, there are several halls of the oceanarium with hefty sharks, rays and other inhabitants of the underwater world. In general, they eat right here and mostly fresh seafood. Almost no one is obese. Everyone leads a healthy and active lifestyle and regularly consumes the red "golden" ginseng root, which grows only on this peninsula.

Power and claims to it And what about without them? After all, we live from elections to elections and from Maidan to Maidan. And they? I wonder what they promise, how they perform? Or maybe they bribe with sets of squid and shrimp? The current 11th head of the Republic of Korea, Park Geun-hye, is the leader of the Great Country Party and is the first female president. She, representing the Senuri party, was elected in 2012.

Concern for people is constantly growing in the country and infrastructure is improving, " Sin Hwang Lee said. If desired, everyone can meet with the mayor of our city at any time, as he is a person open to the people. On weekends, he walks around the city with his family and sees for himself what needs to be improved and where. - So it turns out that you have no claims to power at all? I asked. - Well, why not? Of course have! When we have a question, we write an e-mail to the appropriate official. For example, I used to live in Seoul. There was a small pothole in the road near my house and after my e-mail, this area was repaired on the first night. And Incheon is not the capital. After my same appeal to the mayor's office, I waited three days for road repairs. But the authorities must react immediately. Correctly? Of course, right, I thought, and went to City Hall, that is, to the city hall.


The beautiful monumental building in the center is located at the crossroads so that it could be entered from any direction. There are two people in the spacious lobby behind a beautiful counter. They did not ask for a pass or identity card, but, on the contrary, suggested where and what was. The upper floors house the offices of the mayor and officials. On the second - a museum and free services: copiers, computers with Internet access for everyone, translators, guides, consultants, a library with reference books, etc. Care for people is felt not only in the mayor's office. For example, when you enter an institution, shop or clinic (whether private or public) after rain, it is dry there and no one is waving a wet umbrella. This is because as soon as the sky is covered with clouds, small boxes with two niches appear near each entrance under the canopies: a short one and a long one. The first is for an ordinary umbrella, and the second is for a cane.

Somehow, for a whole week, the news showed a story about how a Pakistani worker stole a handbag from a woman in a supermarket. It was presented as a flagrant crime. The police, of course, tracked the route of the criminal on the cameras and handed it over to the patrol - where it is more convenient to "take" him, so as not to irritate those around him. So here it is… …

The plane was slowly turning towards the runway. I looked out the window: the airport technicians, who did not leave, but carefully put things from the arriving double-decker Airbus into covered trailers, were distracted from work and waved to us with smiles on their faces. A couple of months ago, I would have taken it with surprise, but now I understand that they did it sincerely, wishing strangers a happy flight from the bottom of their hearts. The liner picked up speed and uncontrollably rushed up.

Sitting comfortably in a comfortable chair, I turned on the front camera - there was a cloudless sky ahead of us! Andrey TSURKANOV, Dnepropetrovsk-Incheon-Seoul. Photo by Irina TSURKANOVA courier@i. ua

Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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3D Музей оптических иллюзий в Сеуле
Активный отдых пенсионеров
Songdo - Новый район Инчхона
Аэропорт_Кокаин_ героин_ марихуанна и прочая дурь_ запрещённая к ввозу
Бесплатная упаковка для мокрых зонтов
Аэропорт_стенд с запрещёнными и провозу и передаче
Бесплатный общественный туалет в обычной больнице
Бесплатный концерт а Аэропорту
Бесплатный общественный туалет в парке
Бесплатный туалет в торговом центре
Больничный комплекс госпиталя Gil в Инчхоне
Везде бесплатные туалеты для людей с ограниченными физическими возможностями
Внутриквартальные дороги
Все и всегда ходят в кроссовках
Вход в императорский дворец
Выбросили оргтехнику
Выход из Гранд-Парка
Выставочный зал без единого угла «Три чаши»
Выходные в центральном парке
Гигантская (бесплатная) качеля в центре Сеула
Готовлюсь к съёмкам
Грозные полицейские
Дешёвое меню доставки
Женьшень на любой вкус и кошелёк
Дешёвое меню доставки на дом
Инвалид на специальной дорожке
Интервью с профессором Паком
Инчхон - езда без пробок
Консервированные личинки тутового шелкопряда - богатейший источник протеина
Корейские дыни и яйко без белка
Корейская груша и мандарины по 7.5 долларов за кг
Краб
Морские ушки Абалон
Метро
Медицинская лаборатория
Музей оптических иллюзий в Сеуле
На пляже – в одежде
Новый Alpheon
Новый тихий спальный район с неповторяющимися фасадами домов
Общественный транспорт со специальными платформами для инвалидов
Офис Samsung
Овощной рынок
Охранники в магазинах кланяются каждому посетителю
Пациентов никто не ограничивает в передвижении
Пенсионеры после восхождения на гору
Поздравительный венок
Парк с отдыхающими семьями
Помойка
Порция суши
Район Songdo в Инчоне
Реконструкция смены императорского караула в Сеуле
Рекультивированные земли_ отобранные у моря
Рыбный рынок
Свежие скаты на любой вкус
Сеть магазинов женского белья_ с забавным для наших глаз названием
Скорая медицинская помощь госпиталя Gil
Турникеты для инвалидов на каждой станции
Спам в консервах -)
Урок физкультуры в школе
Ученики в школьной форме на остановке
Фонтан
Шоппинг с детьми
У природы нет плохой погоды
Центр района Gangnam
Почта_Бесплатные очки_ ручки_ скотч и салфетки
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