Month: May 2011

Creating a nation of readers

by

When Professor Doh Jung-il founded the NGO  “Citizen Action for a Reading Culture”  in 2001, no one took him seriously. But he has put together a strong alliance across the political spectrum for the creation of a “reading culture” in Korea. Five years ago even, I was struck by how many fewer people read books in Korea than in Japan. Although that is still the case, as we observe on the subway, the situation here is changing rapidly. We now see reading promoted everywhere in Korea and increasingly bookstores are popping up in subway stations. 

For an American, I am struck by the ability of Koreans to actually change policy and habits. We lament problems in the United States, but we do not seem to be able to carry out such successful campaigns.

Even more improvements planned for Seoul subway

by

The Seoul subway is increasing its sophistication by leaps and bounds, well on track to go far beyond anything found in Tokyo or Singapore in terms of design, efficiency and cleanliness. This advertisement, with some young Koreans with a strong fashion sense, indicated some of the upcoming additions. 

Korea as Number One in the Robot Revolution

by
Monday, March 21, 2011
robot

We have read numerous articles describing the apocalyptic future that awaits Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and portions of China’s coastline as a dramatic drop in childbirths, combined with the extended life expectancy, creates cities of elderly with no youth to support them.

Although such concerns are not unfounded, and if all other factors were constant, this would be convincing enough, yet there is one factor that many analysts have left out. There is currently a revolution taking place in robot technology which will be fully unleashed over the next five years, from 2012 to 2017. An increasing number of tasks will be done more effectively and more consistently by robots, a change that may well completely transform society as well as our relationship with machines. Although we are beginning to get some sense of the contours of this shift in our world, most citizens have not fully thought through just how profound those changes may be.

Superannuated societies are distinctive in that they have an extremely low resistance to the use of robots and mechanization. In fact, many children in Korea are hoping that robots will be as sophisticated as possible, as soon as possible, so that they can entrust their aging parents to be cared for by them. It will be no small feat to design robots that can feed, bathe, medicate and amuse aging people, but we have every reason to believe that such robots will be developed in the very near future—in part as a result of the evolution of technology and in part because of demand in Northeast Asia.

The question is not so much what technologies are possible, but rather how much social resistance there will be to their implementation. In this respect, Korea will have the least resistance, as it literally may need robots to run its society. Although this might seem at first glance to be a de- mographic disaster, it is very well possible that we are observing a classic blessing in disguise. As other nations struggle over the pros and cons of complete automation and the use of robots in the home, Korea will have no doubt as to which way they should go. That means that Koreans will be the earliest adapters of robot technologies and Korea will potentially become the leader in the new wave: complete integration of robots in daily life after 2015. Korea will gain tremendous advantages in its technological and economic development, advantages that far outweigh the short term problems of a drop in population.

http://www.biztechreport.com/story/1161-korea-number-one-robot-revolution

Technology with a Human Face

by

The remarkable thing about contemporary Korea is that is has so embraced advanced technology, but at the same time, when you make a phone call, a human answers the phone. It is remarkable combination
of human and technological elements. That combination may seem jarring, or even like an indication of a less advanced state of development, but in fact, it may be Korea’s saving grace.

One of Korea’s cultural appeals is that it is both high tech and human. but that state may not be a stable one. Just as Kenyesian economics were a product of the clash of capitalism and socialism in the 1930s, it could not hold up against the later ideological and economic shifts. But right now, Korea is on a roll.

Korea shifts its street address system

by

Korea is currently engaged in a massive project to convert all addresses from the Japanese do (block) system –dong in Korean–to street address-based system. The shift is massive and is the equivalent of the US shifting from English to metric measurements. But it is going forward like clockwork. Very impressive indeed.

Beautiful Seoul in the Yellow Dust

by

Seoul is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most international cities with a remarkable number of cultural amenities and beautiful walks. If it were not for the yellow dust blowing over from northern China, you might think you were in Paris. We see such paradoxes everywhere: Seoul rapidly becoming the world’s great capital at the same time that environmental demons raise their heads.