It is possibly because of the harshness of life demand in South Korea recently makes the Korean women are free to step outside the house. The height of the living cost in Korea (Seoul was in the first place of cities with the most expensive living cost in the world according a survey in 2004) makes people must work extra hard until late at night. Beside that, as a tradition, to eliminate stress in their workplace the Korean workers likes to stop in the norebang (Korean style karaoke), drinking coffee or beer in cafes with their work colleagues or friends. Therefore, many women came home around the closing hour of the subway station.
***
BY the summer time in June 2004, the cool air covered Seoul that has just been splashed by rain. It was 11 pm but the atmosphere in Daegok, northeastern Seoul, was still seems like 7 pm.
The French bakery at the end of the road in Daegok was still opened and just in a quarter hour, three visitors had already come to buy. The other shops on its side were also still unwilling to close their shop windows. An old woman was still spreading out her merchandises; vegetables and fruits, on the ground in front of the subway entrance, line number 5.
During a quarter hour, I stood in the three-way intersection of the subway entrance in Hwarangdae, in front of the French bakery. I was waiting for a friend who was returning to our friend's dormitory due to her umbrella was left behind. While waiting for her, I paid attention to the people that went back and forth in the three-way intersection.
A group of women has just left the subway. They looks like the inhabitants of this area and just came home from visiting their friend's house. I assumed that because they did not bring bags containing the stuffs from shopping (as I know, Korean ajumma-the middle age women- really liked shopping). Then, a Korean girl passed carrying a notebook bag. On her shoulder, there hanged a big bag and the low tip of her “you can see” - shirt fluttered among the fast step of her feet. Apparently, she just came home from work.
After my friend came, we entered the subway station Hwarangdae. When stepping downward the escalator in the station I saw several young girls laugh with their friends. I suspected that these young agashi (miss) in their way to home. They must not leave for a trip at 11 pm in the evening because the last subway is operated until 12 pm mid night.
In the hall of subway station, we met several girls who came home alone without burden. The men just also went by, without gazing at strange or surprising look at the girls who were still outside of the house, although their clothes do not fully cover their bodies, the trend fashion for summer time in Korea.
My friend and I discussed this situation that was really different from Indonesia. The Korean society is more patriarchal than Indonesian society, and Korean women became the male subordinate (as their strong Confucianism tradition), but outside of the house, Korean women could enjoy more of their "freedom" and more secure than the Indonesian women do. In some cities in Indonesia, the women who were still outside of the house more than a particular time, and wear a particular shirt, are arrested by police officers, although they have just come from their work. In Korea, there were no cynical stare, no sexual harassment, and no frown if watching a girl, who was running to get the last subway at 12 pm at the station.
It is possibly because of the harshness of life demand in South Korea recently makes the Korean women are free to step outside the house. The height of the living cost in Korea (Seoul was in the first place of cities with the most expensive living cost in the world according a survey in 2004) makes people must work extra hard until late at night. Beside that, as a tradition, to eliminate stress in their workplace the Korean workers likes to stop in the norebang (Korean style karaoke), drinking coffee or beer in cafes with their work colleagues or friends. Therefore, many women came home around the closing hour of the subway station.
My friend and I arrived in our gisuksa (dormitory) nearby area at 12 pm. Daehangno Street that we passed by after getting out of the subway station Hyehwa the line number 4 was still busy. The young couples just came home from their dates and several men enjoyed the atmosphere of the cool night in the concrete benches of 4 meters Daehangno road pavement. The sky was so bright at that time.
Watching the crowded atmosphere in this night in Seoul, I suspected that there were still other activities in several places in the Korean Government office. Possibly, several government staffs must stay in their office tonight after working until late at night. Because in these two months, the conference about the nuclear problem in North Korea was taking place, in June 23rd 2004 Beijing was ready to become the host of the conference whereas Indonesia offered itself to be host for the conference of six parties that had contribution to the nuclear conflict resolution in the Korean Peninsula in the next month.
Professor Yang Seung-yoon, my acquaintance from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, ever said that the distance between Seoul and Pyongyang (the capital of North Korean) like ‘a throwing of stone’. If North Korea intended to give a 'gift' a small nuclear rocket to South Korea, then in a wink Seoul could become ruins. Prof. Kim from Seoul National University in one of his columns in the Korean newspaper The Korea Herald, wrote about the nuclear problem that has not been resolving made the South Korean people always anxious because of being haunted by the outbreak of the war incidentally.
If thinking about the possibility of the outbreak of this war, many Korean could not sleep soundly. My trip tonight to Daegok made me want to make other conclusion. It is not because of the nuclear problem, but economics demand and the increase of the security in the public places that made more Koreans come home at night and slept late. That night feels like going so fast. And then, suddenly, I also felt “Sleepless in Seoul”. ***
Seoul, June 19, 2004 Around departed to Dano Festival
The French bakery at the end of the road in Daegok was still opened and just in a quarter hour, three visitors had already come to buy. The other shops on its side were also still unwilling to close their shop windows. An old woman was still spreading out her merchandises; vegetables and fruits, on the ground in front of the subway entrance, line number 5.
During a quarter hour, I stood in the three-way intersection of the subway entrance in Hwarangdae, in front of the French bakery. I was waiting for a friend who was returning to our friend's dormitory due to her umbrella was left behind. While waiting for her, I paid attention to the people that went back and forth in the three-way intersection.
A group of women has just left the subway. They looks like the inhabitants of this area and just came home from visiting their friend's house. I assumed that because they did not bring bags containing the stuffs from shopping (as I know, Korean ajumma-the middle age women- really liked shopping). Then, a Korean girl passed carrying a notebook bag. On her shoulder, there hanged a big bag and the low tip of her “you can see” - shirt fluttered among the fast step of her feet. Apparently, she just came home from work.
After my friend came, we entered the subway station Hwarangdae. When stepping downward the escalator in the station I saw several young girls laugh with their friends. I suspected that these young agashi (miss) in their way to home. They must not leave for a trip at 11 pm in the evening because the last subway is operated until 12 pm mid night.
In the hall of subway station, we met several girls who came home alone without burden. The men just also went by, without gazing at strange or surprising look at the girls who were still outside of the house, although their clothes do not fully cover their bodies, the trend fashion for summer time in Korea.
My friend and I discussed this situation that was really different from Indonesia. The Korean society is more patriarchal than Indonesian society, and Korean women became the male subordinate (as their strong Confucianism tradition), but outside of the house, Korean women could enjoy more of their "freedom" and more secure than the Indonesian women do. In some cities in Indonesia, the women who were still outside of the house more than a particular time, and wear a particular shirt, are arrested by police officers, although they have just come from their work. In Korea, there were no cynical stare, no sexual harassment, and no frown if watching a girl, who was running to get the last subway at 12 pm at the station.
It is possibly because of the harshness of life demand in South Korea recently makes the Korean women are free to step outside the house. The height of the living cost in Korea (Seoul was in the first place of cities with the most expensive living cost in the world according a survey in 2004) makes people must work extra hard until late at night. Beside that, as a tradition, to eliminate stress in their workplace the Korean workers likes to stop in the norebang (Korean style karaoke), drinking coffee or beer in cafes with their work colleagues or friends. Therefore, many women came home around the closing hour of the subway station.
My friend and I arrived in our gisuksa (dormitory) nearby area at 12 pm. Daehangno Street that we passed by after getting out of the subway station Hyehwa the line number 4 was still busy. The young couples just came home from their dates and several men enjoyed the atmosphere of the cool night in the concrete benches of 4 meters Daehangno road pavement. The sky was so bright at that time.
Watching the crowded atmosphere in this night in Seoul, I suspected that there were still other activities in several places in the Korean Government office. Possibly, several government staffs must stay in their office tonight after working until late at night. Because in these two months, the conference about the nuclear problem in North Korea was taking place, in June 23rd 2004 Beijing was ready to become the host of the conference whereas Indonesia offered itself to be host for the conference of six parties that had contribution to the nuclear conflict resolution in the Korean Peninsula in the next month.
Professor Yang Seung-yoon, my acquaintance from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, ever said that the distance between Seoul and Pyongyang (the capital of North Korean) like ‘a throwing of stone’. If North Korea intended to give a 'gift' a small nuclear rocket to South Korea, then in a wink Seoul could become ruins. Prof. Kim from Seoul National University in one of his columns in the Korean newspaper The Korea Herald, wrote about the nuclear problem that has not been resolving made the South Korean people always anxious because of being haunted by the outbreak of the war incidentally.
If thinking about the possibility of the outbreak of this war, many Korean could not sleep soundly. My trip tonight to Daegok made me want to make other conclusion. It is not because of the nuclear problem, but economics demand and the increase of the security in the public places that made more Koreans come home at night and slept late. That night feels like going so fast. And then, suddenly, I also felt “Sleepless in Seoul”. ***
Seoul, June 19, 2004 Around departed to Dano Festival
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