How to Drive Like a Korean

We've been the proud owners of a Kia Sephia for about 3 weeks now. In that time, I have learned how to dodge pedestrians like a pro, cut off people without feeling guilty, run red lights with little hesitation, whip around tight corners and barrel down tiny little streets barely wide enough for two cars. I can back into deceptively small parking spots, read the overly confusing street signs (in two languages!), and somehow arrive in one piece to my desired destination.

Unfortunately for my excellent and typically law-abiding driving skills (speed limits, of course, being guidelines rather than hard and fast rules), you have to learn how to drive like a Korean in order to survive on the streets here. Which basically means you have to drive like maniac with no clear sense of direction, purpose or understanding of a turn signal. Thankfully, in the short time I've been driving here I have started to learn that Koreans are often predictable in their unpredictability and I've learned how to anticipate what they will do. It has made the number of heart attacks I suffer drop drastically and has made driving in Korea much more enjoyable. (Well perhaps enjoyable is too pleasant a word.....survivable may be more correct.)

All told, I love the chance I get to drive in Korea. It makes me feel brave. Sure, there are lots of foreigners who drive all over the world and do so without compunction. But it can still be a scary proposition and I know several women who will not drive here (being content to let their husbands do all the driving). I, however, was determined to drive and I'm proud of myself each time I get behind the wheel of our car and drive in Korea. [Driving on base doesn't count.] Just don't get me started on Korea's convoluted roads. (David thinks whoever designed them should be shot.)

While sitting at a very long light at a busy intersection the other day, I decided to take some photos with my phone's camera to illustrate driving in Korea. Granted, these are all from a busy road, and is not indicative of the tiny streets are the norm around here.

On the left of this picture is the Sejong Performing Arts Center. The mountain in the distance are close to Gyeongbokgung Palace and that statue is of Ye Sun-sin, a Korean military hero who designed Korea's famous "turtle ships." In front of me is a blue Hyundai truck. (They are always blue!) These are all over the place and are Korea's version of a pick-up truck. You can often buy a lot of good produce from the back of these trucks but they're also used for hauling, moving, and transporting things. Like taxis and buses, drivers of blue trucks believe they own the roads and ignore all other vehicles on the road with them.

A couple things to point out: road signs are thankfully in Korean and English but are not exactly instructive or helpful in understanding where or when to turn or what road to follow. And lanes just suddenly disappear or appear or the time. Second, the number of cars on the road is typical. The only time there are not a million cars on the road is either late at night, early in the morning or on Chusok weekend. And third, just beside the Christmas tree is a huge TV. There are massive televisions all over downtown Seoul playing all sorts of commercials or news shows (with subtitles) which are an annoying distraction when you're trying to pay attention to the road and not die.

More televisions. I think I counted that at this particular intersection there are 5 visible bigscreens. Also, note the number of pedestrians and how the cars like to block the intersection. What fun!

In addition to blue trucks, taxis and buses, the most elusive and annoying vehicle are the countless number delivery men who use motorcycles and scooters. Apparently, if your vehicle has 2 wheels instead of 4, you don't have to follow any traffic laws at all. The motorcycles scare me the most because they whip around cars on either side of you, squeeze in between the small space between two cars, are hard to see, and are the most unpredictable drivers. I'm just waiting for one of those motorcycles to knock our side-view mirrors off.

Here you can a see several Korean buses blocking several lanes of traffic. Buses are the most deadly vehicles in Korea because they throw all their weight around as often as possible. They are the worst in terms of running lights, cutting people off, and stopping traffic.

Another bigscreen. They're everywhere.

Next time I'm driving home, I should stop and take some pictures of the tiny alley-ways and back roads we typically drive. And someday soon, when we actually leave Seoul, I'll get to see what Korea is really like. Who knows, those roads may be worse.