This is because we pay one base fee and an additional fee when the distance is over a set number of kilometers. For example, the adult cost for a subway ride is 1,250 won for a maximum distance of 10km. More than 10km travels may cost an additional 100 won for an extra 5-10km. How do you feel about living in a city that doesn’t need a car? Do you think more cities should be like this?
For me, South Korea’s well-developed transportation system has been a big factor in my decision to move here one day. You see, here in Seoul, the public transportation is inexpensive, fast, convenient, safe and extensive in its reach. For the seven months that I’ve been here, I have been able to go to so many places without a car, including the beach, a water park and even a ski resort way up high in the mountains! Of course, when the need arises, one can always rent a car (you can also rent a driver!).
Koreans have a fast-paced lifestyle that is embedded in their culture. They call it 빨리 빨리 (ppali-ppali), as in "hurry, hurry!" In order to accommodate this fast-paced lifestyle, the subway and bus systems need to be efficient and on schedule No government wants a disgruntled public! Although Seoul is a large city geographically, it is very crowded, and so to save space for more important needs such as housing and enterprises, vehicle usage needs to be minimized. In addition, the air pollution that cars contribute to the already suffocating environment. Remember my logbook about the fine dust problem?
