Insert Card for Power, Please!

Hello y'all! Welcome to week 4 ~

South Korea is a republic that has undergone rapid development very recently! Since the 1960s, South Korea has become one of the world's biggest economies. Traditionally, Korea was dependent upon their agricultural industry, with their forests dense and abundant with wildlife and the ocean providing food to the people. Today, Korea's economy has shifted to technology and service industries with a few of their biggest companies being Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. 

With modernization comes population growth. Seoul alone has over 10 million people as of 2016. This staggering population has put a strain on the countries environmental quality. A large population might be great for economic development, but the environment suffers. Below, I will go over a few of the "problems" with living in a major metropolitan city and some of the things that Korea is doing right. 

Wear your mask!

Specifically, air quality is poor due to automobile and industrial pollution. Many people also believe that the fine dust that contributes to the poor air quality drifts over from China, located Northwest from the peninsula. When I first arrived to Korea, my instructors advised us to check the air quality before going out to know whether or not to wear masks. Masks are very common in South Korea and have even turned into a fashion statement! Believe me when I say that they are necessary. Since arriving to Seoul, my allergies have gotten considerably worse. If I forget my mask, I get home with a sore throat and a persistent cough. It goes away after spending time indoors, but it is a reminder for me to wear my mask next time! People are also expected to wear a mask when they are sick in order to be hygienic and prevent the spread of germs. Would you feel comfortable wearing a mask to school if you were sick? How would you feel if that became a social norm?

BTS V wearing a simple black mask to protect from the pollution

Plastic, plastic, and more plastic. 

It is not just South Korea, our whole world is dependent upon plastic. It is convenient! Wherever I go, I see trash bins overflowing with single use plastic cups, straws, and food containers. This is especially bad on college campuses where mini marts and coffee shops are located on every corner. Plastic bags are especially bad. When I go shopping, plastic bags are provided. Seoul is making an effort to reduce the amount of plastic that is used though. Most mini marts, grocery stores, and retail stores charge for plastic bags. It is usually the smaller clothing stores that provide plastic bags for free. That is where I would say that the majority of my bags have come from. Since most stores charge for plastic, they also have reusable totes for sale! I see many locals utilizing reusable tote bags, like in Portland. While I would say that plastic bags, plastic packaging, and single use containers are a convenience, I see large cities like Seoul making efforts to reduce the amount of waste.

Recycle like a Korean

In South Korea, the people uses a system called "jongnyangje". This system is designed to ensure that the waste that people produce is being disposed of properly or else they get fined. Garbage is separated based on: common garbage, food waste, recyclables, and non-recyclables. Food waste is separated from common garbage and must be put in special biodegradable bags that can be purchased at most grocery stores. Recyclables include what you are probably used to recycling at home, but they also recycle any plastic bags, plastic cups, plastic film (like for instant noodles), batteries, and light bulbs. I thought this was really interesting about South Korea because in the United States, we can't recycle a lot of the single use plastics from home. Do you think this makes it okay to use single use plastic items? Or should we continue efforts to reduce our dependence on plastic convenience?

Insert Card for Power

One thing I think Korea does really well at is conserving energy! Many of their products and systems have developed to be energy efficient. This is due in part because South Korea relies heavily on petroleum imports. Meaning that the gas and oil they use has to come from other countries. There other sources of energy include coal, nuclear, and hydroelectric. In recent years, the republic has begun efforts to move toward renewable energy resources to reduce reliance on foreign imports.

In terms of saving energy, it is normal to be energy conscious in Korea. My dorm even has a system in place that saves energy. We have these key cards to get in and out of the building, but they also function to give us electricity! We tap our room keys to get in the room then we insert the card into a slot to activate the power. This includes the heating and cooling system. While many foreign exchange students might want to keep the heater on while they're in class, the key card system does not allow it. Students could even get punished if they try to leave the heater on while they are not in the dorm.

Mini Questionnaire 

To get an idea of how a fellow student feels about sustainability in Korea, I asked my friend Nancy a few questions about the topics I mentioned above. Nancy is a Korean-American engineering student with family here in Seoul. 

What do you think Korea could do to improve their sustainability efforts?

Nancy: "I think they could improve their waste disposal system. There needs to be more trash cans and more regulation on littering. I see so many people handing out paper flyers on the street and then they end up on the ground because people can't find a bin to dispose of them."

Do you wear a mask when you go out? Why or why not?

Nancy: "I check my phone in the morning to see if the dust is bad. If it recommends a mask, I'll wear it. Naver has the levels as: good, normal, bad, and very bad. If it says bad or very bad, then I wear a mask."

*Naver is an app described as the Google of Korea. They use it to get local information like movie times, shopping, email, weather, etc. It's only available in Korean.

How do you feel about recycling in South Korea? 

Nancy: "I feel they put an emphasis on recycling. Everywhere you go, you have separate bins for your different kinds of waste. I don't know when it started, but I think it is good because it has become a part of the South Korean lifestyle to recycle."

Do you leave the heater on when you are not home? 

Nancy: "No, I make sure to turn everything off before I leave. The lights, thermostat, and appliances. It's normal for Koreans to turn everything off in the house before you leave because it can get really expensive otherwise. My friend has her own apartment and always makes sure everything is turned off."

Let's Recap

Masks: Would you feel comfortable wearing a mask to school if you were sick? How would you feel if that became a social norm?

Recycling: Do you think recycling makes it okay to use single use plastic items? Or should we continue efforts to reduce our dependence on plastic convenience?

Please include your name in the comments, friends!

Sources:

https://asiasociety.org/education/geography-koreas
https://www.korea4expats.com/article-waste-disposal-recycling-korea.html