Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Zackback]

Ok here's what I assume:

If traffic is on the right side (USA, Korea) then on sidewalks people should walk on the right.
If traffic is on the left side (Japan) then on sidewalks people should walk on the left.
------------------
If on the road (USA, Korea, etc) bicycles on the right side while people walk on the left (facing traffic).

Does this make sense?

[ttompatz]

[fermentation]

In Korea you're supposed to walk on the right but most people don't take this rule seriously. I just walk wherever there's space.

[Jane]

It makes sense that people should walk to the right in Korea since Koreans drive on the right side, but nothing is that simple in Korea.

Koreans are collective people and tend to have similar behaviour in public, and since Japanese colonial times, Koreans walk to the left as an unofficial rule.

Only about 5 years ago, the K government made a big effort to erase any 'colonial behaviour' that still remained, and had campaign to make people pass to the right. However, Koreans still walk to the left, so it didn't take too well.

Also during this time, any escalators that went up or down to the leftside were switched to the rightside.

[pkang0202]

OP, if someone can walk on a straight line in this country then I'll be happy, regardless of left or right.


Here's another frustrating thing. People in a group walking side by side.

I see this in Itaewon all the time. 2 people walking side by side is fine. Any more than that, you are being a nuisance. You got 3-5 people walking side by side preventing anyone behind them to walk past, and people in front of them have to dodge or stand to the side to let them pass. If you attempt to go between the group, they will complain loudly about rude pedestrians.

[fermentation]

[radcon]

[ttompatz]

[CrikeyKorea]

Australians walk on the left... My Dutch friend said he was shocked to see most people sticking to it even on escalators, and that in The Netherlands, people walked wherever they so pleased.

[Captain Corea]

[fermentation]

[nate1983]

[PRagic]

Actually, the 우측보행 (Walk to the right) signs are relatively new as is the government push to get people to walk on the right in general. This is largely a generational shift.

Most Koreans 40 and older were raised to walk on the left despite the fact that they drive on the right. Population density being what it is, the government decided to try suggest some order to the modal universe by shifting the norm to a 'walk to the right'.

Still blows my mind, therefore, when you see people trudging up stairs with big arrows pointing the opposite direction and large signs reading 'walk to the right' plastered everywhere. Just another novel thing to deal with living abroad.