Of RVs and a more nomadic way of life

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Opinion

Bernard Rowan

Of RVs and a more nomadic way of life

Posted : 2023-06-25 16:35

Updated : 2023-06-25 16:35

By Bernard Rowan

My wife and I visited recently with friends who have retired. They are traveling the continental United States in a comfortable RV or recreational vehicle. For the last year and a half, they have journeyed from one end of this great land to the other, visiting national parks, meeting and making friends, and enjoying what they describe as a nomadic existence. Recreational vehicles in the U.S. today are small homes, really. They have all the conveniences and then some, depending on one's preferences and budget. My wife and I marveled at the comfort of the vehicle and its thoughtful and thorough design. Visiting the 50 states, seeing national monuments and sites, and enjoying life at campground stays seems appealing. Most surprisingly, the people our friends have met while staying in campsites have been nearly uniformly kind, respectful and neighborly.

Many people in advanced countries are making such life adjustments. Fatigue with the pace or the endless "rat race" of present-day work ("work til you drop"). Falling real wages and incomes compared with past generations seem a reality for most of us. Concerns about life in urban environments, from crime to pollution and others, all incline people to make changes.

I looked at information on the internet, and I've learned that Koreans also have taken to living in RVs. South Korean companies also have begun to produce more RVs. More Koreans are taking on the camping life. Yonhap News reported in 2019 that RV sales accounted for nearly half of South Korean automakers' domestic sales. A 2020 article in New Atlas notes that the Korean government's decision to allow converting cars to campers has spurred Korea's move to recreational vehicles. This has been accompanied by a growing interest in camping and related activities. A March 2023 Statista online report had the Kia Carnival as the top seller, with about 95,000 units in total for all brands in 2022 reported.

One can see various models of RVs: the Hyundai Porest and Staria Lounge Camper, Neoauto Beyer, the Kia Ray micro-campervan and the Kia Bongo Camper are some of the models. Various YouTube videos feature "Van Life in Korea," "Rough Camping," and more. They are interesting and helpful to those wanting to explore this way of living. Koreans are undertaking changeovers of automobiles or buying automobile-sized RVs more. Similarly, luxury carmakers like Mercedes now produce smaller-sized RVs too.

South Korea also has many, many beautiful national, provincial and local parks and sites. I am not familiar with Korean campsites. It is a safe bet there are more than people would think. There are several articles about camping and glamping sites in South Korea. One site lists some of the best campsites including Surfyy Beach Camping, Gongju Hanok Village, Seogwipo Natural Recreation Forest, Daecheong Lake Lohas Camping and Campa Jeju. I think it would be wonderful to camp on Jeju Island.

The notion of nomads also needs qualification. Perhaps because of the film, "Nomadland," a 2021 Academy Award winner, and opinions of campgrounds as housing for poor people, or for budget travelers, many think campsites pose dangers or lack convenience. After working for so many months or years, people on vacation or in retirement look forward to comfort. That can mean many things to many people. Most would not begin to think of campsites as places to go.

However, what I am learning online and offline is that communities exist on campgrounds and at campsites. I do not think we need to describe those sites in idyllic terms, but life there is decent, and increasingly, it has the kinds of conveniences 21st-century travelers want. These are often available at better prices for an extended stay. There is also security. Nevertheless, the main benefit is that people show respect for and concern for each other.

My wife and I learned much from our friends. We are thinking of spending some time traveling with our friends in their RV this winter. My wife is even more gung-ho. She now wants to buy an RV in the future!

Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and academic services and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.