Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with disabilities, and finding a public washroom with handrail-equipped toilets is a similar
crapshoot. Newer office buildings and commercial complexes in Seoul usually have infra-
structure in place for wheelchairs, but there are many more that don't. Those with disabilit-
ies usually find they need an able-bodied friend's help getting around the city.
People with disabilities do receive heavily discounted or free entry to many government
facilities and tourist attractions, and the Seoul subway network has done a particularly com-
mendable job of improving access with special sections for wheelchairs on trains, indicators
in braille, and a comprehensive system of lifts, ramps, and stair-climbers to take people to
and from street level.
The relative lack of street crime invariably tops some lists whenever expatriates discuss the
main benefits of living here. Statistics vary, but most foreign residents
feel
a lot safer in
South Korea than wherever they came from. People can and do roam around large cities
like Seoul or Busan freely late at night without fear or incident. In part this is because these
places really never do sleep; people, even young students, are out at all hours, and it's rare
that you'll be walking utterly alone. But it also speaks to South Koreans' generally honest
and orderly ways. Goods displayed unwatched outside of shops are left untouched; dropped
wallets or lost mobile phones are regularly returned. Random attacks, and muggings in par-
ticular, are extremely rare.
That said, low crime doesn't mean no crime, and it's never advisable to throw all caution
to the wind. Dark or abandoned areas are best avoided in the wee hours. Incidents of pick-
pocketing and bag-snatching, usually by young men on motorbikes, have been reported, as
have break-ins, usually in smaller unguarded villas or apartment complexes. Don't get com-
placent, and lock doors and windows before you head out. Considering the country's hard-
drinking ways, there's a remarkable shortage of alcohol-fueled violence in South Korea's
streets, but it's wise to be a little cautious around packs of drunken men—foreign males,
particularly if they're in the company of a young Korean woman, are very occasionally
singled out for unwanted attention, as are foreign women, due to the unfortunate stereotype
that they're more promiscuous than their South Korean counterparts.
For men: If you run into problems with the locals, keep your cool, and do your utmost
to defuse the situation, even if that means swallowing your pride and walking away. In any
altercation with a local it's safe to say the foreign male is automatically perceived to be at
