By Brenda Koller
Contributing Writer
When I visited Korea for the first time last year, I arrived at dusk and was greeted by a sunset that I will never forget. On the bus ride from the airport, one of the first images that caught my attention was the many sparkling red crosses decorating the cityscape.
The following morning when I ventured out onto the streets of Haebangchon, what I immediately noticed was in sharp contrast to the welcoming sights upon my arrival.
Garbage littered the streets of the quaint neighborhood that was to be my home for the next four months.
After I'd been in Korea for a time, I realized that the garbage problem was not limited to my own little neighborhood. I saw garbage strewn everywhere on the streets of Seoul, from neighborhoods and shopping areas to major streets downtown, tourist attractions and everywhere in between.
Returning to Korea this year, I see that nothing in this regard has changed. On a recent trip to Gyeongju, I was disgusted to see one major street so covered with garbage that it was difficult to negotiate a walking path. I was shocked that such a beautiful city, which attracts thousands of tourists every year and offers so many incredible outdoor attractions, would allow such a situation to occur.
Part of the problem is a lack of public garbage receptacles. On numerous occasions, I have searched for trash bins, to no avail. Often, when I do find one, it is overflowing onto the street. For some, this seems to be an excuse to simply throw garbage anywhere.
I have also noticed what a disposable society Korea is. People here seem to have an ``out with the old, in with the new’’ mentality. I see perfectly good household and clothing items placed on the streets for garbage collection _ items that could be donated to the needy.
There also seems to be a lack of recycling facilities in Korea. Implementing a deposit and refund system on recyclables such as beverage containers would encourage people to recycle.
Education about recycling and littering starts at a young age and should be taught at elementary school level. I find it discouraging to see young children leaving corner grocery stores with snacks in hand, only to drop the packaging on the street.
Local city governments should conduct anti-litter campaigns to help clean up the country as well as impose fines for violators.
My home is in the province of British Columbia in Canada. ``Beautiful British Columbia,’’ as it has been tagged, is a province of diverse natural beauty. Local city governments strive to encourage citizens not to litter and to recycle to keep British Columbia beautiful. School children participate in anti-litter and clean-up campaigns on a regular basis. Signs posted along highways warn motorists of fines associated with littering.
Littering is simply a bad habit. Next time you see someone littering, consider setting an example by picking up after them and maybe they will get the message that littering is bad for everyone _ it’s bad for our health, it’s bad for the environment and it’s bad for tourism, which in turn makes it bad for the economy _ and it’s just plain disgusting.
Korea is a ``sparkling’’ country for many reasons: its warmhearted people, rich culture, varied tourist attractions and natural beauty. But the government and citizens must work together to clean up the country’s streets so that Korea truly shines.