Noksaek means "green" in Korean

There have been numerous and visible efforts to make living in Korean cities more comfortable.  I'll write about some of these projects - completed, under construction, and planned - in the coming weeks, but in this posting, I'll address certain environmental improvements made in Seoul since I last visited.

Although the number of cars continues to increase here, I've noticed that the exposed parts of my socks no longer turn to a dark brown after spending the day walking in the streets of Seoul as it used to in the early 1990s.  Also, I would have to wash up dirt and pebbles off my umbrella in my bathroom after a short promenade in the rain.  It was scary to think about what I was breathing in.

Twenty years later, all public buses and taxis in Seoul run on LPG.  Perhaps later studies will show that LPG is actually more dangerous than diesel because it facilitates the spreading of mad cow disease, but I am certainly spending less money on socks this time around.

Another incentive to use public transportation is the price of gasoline.  It obviously is difficult to set a price that is high enough to deter without generating a popular uprising.  Even though one litre costs around $1.50 (that's roughly $5.50/gallon), there are still far too many motorists in Seoul.  The car is such a powerful social status symbol.  Indeed, foreign car manufacturers have started to establish themselves in Korea, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and some American automakers which may or may not be alive at time of posting.

The two-wheels have also gone more green.  Until just a few years ago, you had to be nearly suicidal to brave Seoul traffic on a motorbike, so I am quite surprised to see that there is a growing number of cyclists here.  I haven't checked recent Korean hospital statistics, but I would think that the government wouldn't waste its money building bicycle lanes if it were just for a few nutcases.  Granted that these lanes are not common, but there are bike shops and bike racks here and there, e.g. subway stations or on university campuses, such as Yonsei University (see picture below).

Furthermore, Yonsei University has adopted the policy of restricting access to its campus to licence plates starting or ending with determined numbers on certain days of the week.

Of course, there is plenty of room for improvement.  I am delighted that buses, subways and taxis are convenient, quick and generally affordable.  No doubt this protects the right to freedom of movement more effectively than the private car, while minimising the environmental impact.

But as I type this, I am feeling a cold draft coming from the sealed window of my apartment.  Many of the windows I have seen in Korea still only have one glass pane, and/or can't be closed properly.  I wonder if global warming doesn't originate from the heat coming out of Korean windows.