HEALTH - Living Abroad in South Korea - page 135

is still an authoritarian society, and keeping your cool and addressing police officers with
respect pays massive dividends.
More often than not the police are lenient with foreign nationals. The clear exceptions
to this are drug offenses or cases of assault against locals, which are pursued to the fullest
extent of the law and almost invariably end with jail time or deportation (for drugs) or jail
time and sizable compensation payments (for assault). Embassies are unlikely to be able to
provide much assistance in these cases beyond recommending a lawyer.
Buses carrying riot police are a fairly common sight in Seoul and other cities, especially in the
strike-prone summer.
ACCIDENTS
South Korea's roads are by far the greatest hazard most residents will ever face here. The
country has one of the highest traffic-accident fatality rates among developed countries,
with about 14 traffic-related deaths for every 100,000 people each year—one of the worst
rates in the OECD grouping of developed economies. Regardless of what you see the locals
doing, when behind the wheel it's a good idea to drive defensively and to stick to the speed
limits. Pedestrians should always use designated crosswalks or footbridges and avoid jay-
walking.