By Rick Ruffin
Cars are killing South Korea. In a recent report in The Korea Times, Seoul residents said they equate the city on the Han River with ``traffic jams'' and ``severe air pollution.''
Hyundai and Kia cars (in the hands of Korean drivers, anyhow), are far more dangerous than American beef. South Korea has one of the highest automobile fatality rates among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
But I'm here to point out how cars are indirectly killing South Korea and its citizens.
Seoul is the largest emitter of CO2 in the world. Seoul emits more carbon dioxide per unit of land than any other city on Earth, about 5,000 tons per square kilometer per year. This figure is about eight times higher than what Americans emit per unit of land.
As you probably already know, the Earth's CO2 levels are rapidly rising and cars are the major reason for this rise. We all know what high levels of CO2 lead to, don't we? If not, I suggest you watch Al Gore's ``An Inconvenient Truth."
CO2 is not the only dangerous gas coming out of the tail pipe of automobiles. Cars also emit carbon monoxide, benzene, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, soot and fine metal particulates. Many of these are cancer-causing elements.
But all cities and countries have this problem of cars emitting exhaust. What makes South Korea unique are three very important factors.
One, South Korea is one of the most densely populated places in the world. It has a population density of about 500 people per square kilometer. Australia has about two people per square kilometer. Korea also has approximately one automobile for every three people.
Two, South Korea is an automobile-producing nation. Three out of five cars produced in South Korea stay in South Korea. The U.S., Brazil, China and Mexico are also automobile-producing nations, but the difference is that they are all big countries.
South Korea really can't afford to buy its own cars if it wants to avoid congestion and air pollution. Korea would do best to shut down its automobile industry, and retrain automakers to build bicycle lanes, create urban green zones, and improve mass transit.
Three, South Korea is a pretty lawless society. People drive their cars on the sidewalk, park their cars on street corners, in front of bus and taxi stops, virtually anywhere. And everyone idles their engines because there is virtually no penalty for doing so. In Korea you can drive your car anywhere, with no legal consequences.
Some of us believe that democracy means the right to drive a car, just like some believe that democracy means the right to smoke cigarettes. Well others think that democracy means the right to breathe clean air and walk down the sidewalk unimpeded.
One thing that would help to reduce congestion and pollution is pay parking. Here in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, parking at the potentially beautiful Gyeongpo Beach area is free. ``Why?'' I asked a couple of officials in the Gyeongpo Lake Beautification Department at Gangneung City Hall.
``We tried pay parking several years ago," one of them responded, ``and all the tourists took their money and went north up the coast to Sokcho, or south to Samcheok. The Department of Tourism opposes pay parking,'' he added.
``They think that pay parking will only drive customers away. But many policymakers agree that pay parking is the answer. We are simply afraid of public reaction.''
And there you have it. Here in Korea, the consumer has the politician by the balls. And the politician is too interested in getting re-elected to do anything serious.
Change will happen. Someday, South Korean streets will resemble more those of Japan, where many people ride bicycles and everyone parks their car in its proper place. But change will take time.
Meanwhile, the government is pursuing its short-sighted plan of economic growth at any cost. The Lee Myung-bak administration plans to build more automobile factories, and, alas, more roads. This is the future of Korea.
The writer, a graduate of University of Texas, Austin, now writes from Gangneung, Gangwon Province. He can be reached at rick_ruffin@yahoo.com.