Coming to South Korea right after North Korea was the most shocking political experience in my life. Two Koreas split their ways in 1953: the fairly rich and industrially developed northern part of the country chose the path of communism, while the poor agricultural southern part chose the path of democracy. Both Koreas had their ups and downs throughout history, but ultimately they switched roles. Nowadays, democratic South Korea is one of the richest countries in the world, while communist North Korea literally struggles to just survive. But the most shocking part was to see how similar these two countries are. They speak exactly the same language, share the same culture, food and traditions. On the other hand, the mental difference is also striking: South Koreans have a desire to study, grow personally, they believe in freedom, globalism, and technology. In North Korea, all these things are completely missing. I find this butterfly effect amazing: the difference in the political system completely changed the mentality of the two parts of the same nation, and with the same input, they achieved completely different results. Seoul is a good visual representation of these changes. This vibrant megacity is a mix of tiny shops, eateries, authentic markets, but also towering skyscrapers, huge shopping malls, international universities, national parks and industrial areas. This is Korea that chose the future.
Seoul, South Korea // Jan 2019
