After traveling to Korea many times, it's crazy finding out how vastly different Busan is from Seoul in terms of population and urban-ness, considering Busan is the second biggest city in Korea.
Busan is about a third of the size of Seoul in population. A city of 3.3 million people or so. That's still a huge city. But it is much poorer. It's a shame because Busan surely has a lot of potential
I live in Busan and I just like it the way it is. Granted I do live in a more urban area, but it's populated just quite enough. Even then we have tourists and venturers all over the place when it's in its holidays seasons. People, why do you forget that Korea is already one of the most populated countries already? It's the highest among the OECD, we're a small country as it is with 70% mountains, give us a break. It seems like you conveniently gloss over this fact whenever you talk about the "fertility problem" of S. Korea. I do agree with the centralization problem but Busan is the least of the problems. You thought Busan was bad, wait till you hear about the other districts. The population is dense as it is and we're focusing all that people power on Seoul alone. We don't need more people, if anything we need more freedom to move in and out of districts, just a tad bit more openness to foreigners, and most of all a way to mitigate the age imbalance. Other than that, it's bad sure, but it's a natural curve people more or less need to accept and prepare for.
10 years ago in geography class we learned about the pros and cons of having a population of a country spread more evenly or be all concentrated in one place and back then South Korea was used to show all the problems that arise when the citizens concentrate in one general area that is just not equipped to handle the amount of people. It’s really a circle to get stuck in, the companies move there because of the people and the people move there because of the opportunities from the companies.
Primate cities! Another good example is Bangkok and Thailand. Essentially a megacity with an uberdiverse economy and the most tourism capital on earth. Not really any other cities in the country that can hold a candle to it's development, despite the name recognition of places like Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
Their focus and over reliance on Seoul is shocking. In Japan, they have Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and numerous other smaller cities as their engines for economic growth alongside Tokyo. In Germany they have Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Koln, Hamburg, Augsburg, Bremen as the engines for economic growth alongside Munich and Berlin. In India they have Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata as economic engines for India alongside New Delhi. Why Korean government and planners did not spread out the economic development evenly throughout the country for years, instead just focusing on Seoul alone?
@@intreoostill not too late. Korean government can and should move out developments to other regions of the country. Chaebols HQ shouldn't be at Seoul, instead force or make them relocate somewhere else.
Japanese here - this is very similar to the situation we are facing. Of course, our second tier cities (e.g. Osaka, Nagoya) are bigger than Busan for example, but the black hole effect that Tokyo has seems very similar to Seoul. I hope we can learn from each other, and share wisdom to overcome this very similar problem we share.
Im not from any of these countries but if I had to guess its the eastern lifestyle I guess. There is too much pressure by society and no time to live a life when you work and study so hard for minimal reward. But this is just what I’ve heard from Koreans and Japanese I know here in the states.
This is a problem to a lesser extent in the UK too, London is the hub for everything- competitive salaries, best hospital care where most are PCI centres, great public transport- the wealth and healthcare outcome in London and surrounding south east is very different to the north of England, and there’s a knock on effect on average life expectancy in these areas compared to London and surrounding. They’re trying to invest in other areas like Birmingham and Manchester, and the new high speed trains were supposed to help but the whole project was poorly planned and faced a lot of backlash. There is also a cabinet minister role dedicated to “levelling up” different areas of the country but most are focused on England rather than NI, Wales and Scotland - which is no wonder why they have ideas about independence
I live in North Yorkshire and I don't recognise the North you describe. We have many outstanding schools and hospitals. Direct trains to London are efficient and local transport is excellent. I understand it is much easier to get a dr and a dentist here, than it is in London. Our housing stock is architecturally varied and well priced. We have beautiful countryside, cathedrals, historic buildings and culture in abundance. Many people now live here and work remotely without suffering the overcrowding in London. I used to love London and make regular visits. Now the crowds, dirty streets and being jostled as you navigate the city is utterly dehumanising. I only endure it if I have to. Come up North, you might just love it! 😊
Scotland, Wales and NI all have their own devolved legislatures, governments and First Ministers - not mere cabinet minister roles - and receive higher public spending per capita than their compatriots in England. Talk of independence and other constitutional wrangling is nothing more than a distraction from the failures of local politicians and bureaucracies to deliver real results.
I'm just shocked and surprised on how reliant they are to Seoul. From what I thought of Korea and their organized system, I just didn't think of this at all. This is so eye-opening. I have never been but in all due respect, why can't the government and businesses expand in other towns. This is the second documentary that I'm watching and you can tell some young professionals wanted to stay in their town but felt compelled to move to Seoul for better opportunities. I feel like the government has the means to. I'd love to hear some government officials or urban developers thoughts on this. I wish those students strength and those people seeking greater care all the best! I hope to visit one day. Thank you K-Doc for this wonderful insight!
My country has the same problem so i assume it has the same underling reasons. Seoul is the capital, so it was developed a bit more. That, in turn, brought more people there and that's where the problem begun. Because it got more people, the politicians paid more attention to the infrastructure there, because that's where their votes come from. In turns that's where it was easier for companies to make a profit since they had necessary infrastracture. Since that's where the jobs were, even more people arrived, which made the government even more impartial to the place. As you said, the government has the ability to give the right incentives for people and companies to return to other regions, but success with that will take years and no one wants to wait for years until he can reap the political benefits of that.
Organization can be a one-way ticket. South Korea is small country with very distinct geographic and resources challenges. For some time after the Korean War it may have been better to be very Seoul-centric. South Korea has gone from literally pre-industrial to highly industrial in about 70 years. Their smaller size and cultural unity were easier to organize and educate. Having one city as the hub was likely an advantage. Now that we're on the other side of that process the disadvantages of it are becoming clear. I'm not an expert in SK geopolitics but I'm familiar with the history and economics. Political-Economic inertia are very difficult things to change. Economic Inertia is often easier to change than political. In this case both are on the same page. Some changes will become inevitable, one way or another.
Seoul's development came at breakneck speeds. Everyone trying to get ahead, fight, survive living at super speed pace. Lot of corruption everywhere too. I think they are doing their best. Many other countries have the luxury to go about business in a leisurely pace. In contrast Seoul is in Formula One race. Adapting as they go 200 mph with short pitstops here and there
Documentaries like this are so fascinating to me. How much longer can we go on like this as a society? It's not sustainable...I hope good change is coming for us all to thrive.
The country’s population is projected to decline by half to around 25 million people from the current 50 million by the end of the century. This problem has been going on for decades and I don’t think that things will be changing anytime soon since there’s no political incentive to do anything.
I'm an English guy living in South Korea, married to a Korean. My daughter was born in a maternity hospital in Ulsan 2 years ago. The hospital has now closed down because they couldn't get enough staff to run it.
@@SSM12457that what was happened. From most of the news and other informations, it seems that S. Korea only promotes other regions for cultural or tourism, but not much of modern developments.
I love this video as I live in Seosan. A small town of 175,000 people 1.5 hour bus ride south of Seoul. I love the interview style and random thoughts. Outside of Seoul, it feels like the world revolves around Seoul and it's opportunities that people fight for professionally. I never see kids or babies when I visit on weekends. I see them in my town, all ages walking around the park - pond in center of town. There are many national parks worth visiting but one may need a car to get there. There is no train to where I live, but everyone thinks there's a train. Most folks don't know where Seosan is located - laughing. They think for a minute and then seem to realize it's not in Seoul. Life is good, as I don't take a train an hour to get somewhere in Seoul. This is my usual feeling when I visit (another hour to get somewhere).
Same here in Germany. Hospitals, kindergardens shut down because nobody wants to work. Reasons are bad treatment at work, long working hours, low payment, 1 person doing the work of several people (modern slavery). You can imagine the result of people that still work under these conditions... But yes lobbyists/politicians say people are lazy and should work anyway.
If we continue in this way then we will end really badly. Who will care for us when no one want to work? Especially hospital. Of course is bad to be treated that way but is not the reason to fuck up.
Ask Turkish, Kurds and Afghans to re-develop your country and be replaced by them. East Asian countries including South Korea wouldn’t do that. They would rather choose the decline in population than multiculturalism.
Everyone wants success, the struggle of parents and students is unbearable. Herd mentality has always led to a disaster. It's up to the younger generation to start thinking outside the bubble. Trust me when I say, I have seen the smartest people who have no education, they just use their common sense.
I spent 6 months in Yonsei University as an exchange student. Absolutely stunning campus, especially in Autumn. The students there were extremely hardworking and bright but it's difficult to stretch your employability outside of South Korea when 99% of the country speaks only the native language. There's an abundance of young talent in South Korea hungry to enter the workforce, but everyone's competing for a limited amount of jobs in the one country where the only language you is speak is used. The harsh truth is that learning English opens you up to so many more opportunities, even within South Korea itself, but it's an intimidating challenge to most students.
Shit take. It is hard to even find doctors in many states other than Seoul in Korea. Don't even get started on jobs. So, of course, people flock to Seoul.
@@db10cruz31 A lot of the same issues in the UK. Leeds in the North has seen some investment and is a city very popular with young professionals who move up there to get into the housing market because its more affordable. I do think that you just have the same risk of a Primate City developing there in time though. It's kicking the can down the road.
Because for many, seoul IS the only available goal in life. To have good education you need to go to seoul. To have good job opportunities you have to go to seoul. To have good medical treatment you have to go to seoul. That was the whole message of this document.
I can feel the interviewer/cameraman’s warmth and encouragement when he interviewed the public. Thank you for cheering them on. I’m rooting for all the students studying hard, families fighting to make ends meet and sick people going through treatment.
I keep seeing comments about the ridiculous housing costs…but each politician promises to change it, then as soon as they’re voted in they go back to being bought and paid for by special interest groups. It seems like whoever can pay the highest price , the leadership actually looks the other way or ignores the working man’s priorities no matter how they strive for a better life. You’ll have to research and track who is actually benefiting from the Financial Elitist. I would never want to live in a city. Sending you blessings and encouragement. Great job and interviews…. K-Doc.
Atleast in my country government provided 20 million free/partially paid homes for poor . It did bring some problems down don't know how long will it last though.
Again, I'm so glad I have swapped kdramas for this channel on real life Korea. However on the topic of capital cities, Living in South London, UK, I get why there is a concern that capital cities can 'lopside' the economy. Many people in the UK (living in, near or far outside of London) will say how most of the focus is on London - even after Brexit! Yes, it's not fair on other cities, and the UK government even has a 'levelling-up' scheme where civil servants can apply and work for jobs across the country - depending on where they live and their preferences. Even in recent years, a significant part of the BBC has moved up north to Salford in Manchester, again to balance the shift of social and economic growth across the country. Not only that, but Cardiff and Edinburgh are also capital cities (of Wales and Scotland) and need their good, fair share of economic weight too - yes devolved power has meant that the governments in both cities can take and make better, more informed decisions about how they should run their affairs versus being dictated to by Westminster - don't get me wrong, there is an overarching law and legislation that all countries of the UK must abide by, even with devolved power on certain affairs that may only impact/be relevant to Wales and/or Scotland. My waffling aside, and as other commentators have mentioned, the fact that many South Koreans find themselves going mainly to Seoul is not unique to South Korea, but reflects how people move to where they see most opportunities are (job/career, education, set up a business or even.....to meet a potential partner.....) I'm aware that Busan is campaigning/bidding for the Expo 2030, so it would be interesting to see and compare how people in Busan live and their views of both cities. Please do a documentary on Busan 😊🙏
Busan lost its Expo host status for various reasons, lackluster presentation possibly one of them. Though obviously not the most compelling reason. I live in Busan and I like it just the way it is. If decentralization is required, then its focus should be elsewhere more in the peripherals. Making Busan 2nd Seoul would not solve the issue. I don't know what else to say.
The same thing happens all over the world. In Mexico, everyone wants to come to Mexico City. In the morning the subway lines into the city are crowded. In the evening the lines going out of the city are overflowing with people. Different areas same phenomenon. The reason for this are the same reasons presented here. Mexico City has better infrastructure and jobs, attracting those outside the city.
When a country only has 1 or 2 cities with good facilities and very attractive conditions then they will become insanely crowded it’s why governments need to fund 5-10 cities and make them major ones so there are more options for people
Mexican here, I left Mexico city for a city in the north, where I was making more money than mostly anyone in Mexico city. My commute time was 15 minutes, no traffic, plenty of parking space, less pollution. I retired recently with a much better quality of life and resources than my friends that did not leave Mexico City. Granted, we do not have the transportation system the capital city has, but our employees receive good salaries, free transportation and many have the opportunity to buy a car, housing is more affordable, we have the best of two countries living in the border.
Concentrating everything within one city is the biggest weakness from a national security point of view and your enemies also know that. In case of war, if Seoul is gone, whole country is gone which is alarming tbh.
Government needs to give incentives to set up businesses elsewhere. Businesses taking advantage of lower staff costs due to lower cost of living indices in rural/satellite areas will give the citizens the incentive to go and work/live I quieter places
I will tell thy fuck up even that. Just take a look at all these inane taxes, regulations, and fiscal policies. Governments are the main problem here period.
This is why Korea is expected to disappear the fastest in the world, and unless there are major variables such as unification, it will inevitably fail first. They live in an infinite competitive society within a narrow territory that has nothing but human resources, and the surrounding situation is so chaotic and if the current situation is prolonged, the future is much darker than any other country. Finally, in terms of population change, which is the biggest problem in Korea, their population in 1960 was just over 20 million and peaked at nearly 52 million at the end of 2019, but the natural population decline began in earnest 3 years ago and will reach that figure 1960 level again in 2100
It's just capitalism + extremely corrupt government and megacorps that transformed South korea into a dystopian hell hole Which is why their population is getting decimated so badly,
@janlolwitz951 lol? Look up their TFR it's .7 Which means every woman is having .7 babies For a population to be stable every woman needs to have 2.1 kids, It's the lowest in the world, they are absolutely fucked, far harder than Japan and China
Sadly this is a global phenomenon here in indonesia a country of 250 mil+ people that consists of 17.000 islands spread across 1 mil sq km the economic activities only centered around jakarta the capital
There is a famous saying in Korea where they compare job = food, house = nest for birds. Seoul = can get food, but no nest; Outside Seoul = can get nests, but no food. So Koreans are in problems both sides. This will be a hard problem to solve
For retirement, it is best to live in a suburb or a small town for low rent and earn money like pensions from the house in Seoul if you are the onwner!
In my own country, I lived in the biggest city in my own country in a three bedroom house on a 500 square metre section with a 120,000 dollar mortgage and spent over an hour get to work, and then I moved to a small town and bought a four bedroom house on a 1,400 square metre section with a stream running through it mortgage free. I am 10 minutes from work. I have just done the same in Korea moving from Susaek to Yongpyeong.
Im in Canada, and had the same experience. Used to be stuck in toronto where housing prices are crazy and daily commute was 1 hour one way. I then moved to a small town in another province, working fully remote, best decision ever. But i have to say that remote work opportunities which promote such decentralization are still way fewer than should have been. And my current employer only switched to fully remote because of covid.
This is the case for every state in Australia. Each state has one big city and nothing else that comes close. This creates the crazy situation where we have so much available land but there is a housing crisis.
and it's too late to make a change. because the seoul city resisdents who own houses or land or business wouldn't like to see any other places take interest from them. and they have most power and capital in this nation. this even exacerbate the situation.
While everyone from other part of area moving in to Seoul. More people from Seoul especially the Young one moving out of the country. Where I'm from, Kota Kinabalu. It is very common to see Young Family from South Korea open a cafe, restaurants right now. I am not sure this is a good trend forward or not for the country.
They basically taking advantage of Korean fever around the world to set up their life and business overseas, hoping that it will make them accepted by the society and their business profitable. What will happen when the wave fades and/or not as beautiful as it seems? They apparently have reputation of migrating to escape things that makes them stressful in their home country, yet to the new country they carry the very same thing that makes them depart at the first place.
Because it is cheaper to maintain a business and survive in SE Asia than Seoul. Many Koreans open shops and restaurants in Thailand, the Philipines and Vietnam as well!!
I don’t think those people are to be blamed. If I am there, probably will do the same to survive 😢. In this matter, government should seek for solutions collectively.
Because most doctors don't wanna go and live out of Seoul - even the doctors who were not born/educated in Seoul. As a Korean who has NEVER lived in Seoul this makes me sick. Not only doctors but almost every sort of professionals are same. The people here are always looking for ones to blame but themselves. The government is not investing on another regions because even people living in there don't want to live in their local hometown. They are the one who created this mess and somehow always blame government or politicians. Can't stand the arrogance of people living in Seoul - They think as if they're going in the middle of fucking Saharan desert when they're moving out of Seoul. Truly disgusting.
@@KHHVKimchicel The doctors there have the right to choose where they should work? This is something new that I just learned. in my country malaysia, the government will decide those doctors will be sent to this state or that state for work services and they have no right to refuse. and if they refuse the offer job they will not have a job. it has become a habit here, doctors from a certain place come from different cities.
@@Iza580 Yes usually most of doctors can choose the place where they want to work. The government is now trying to "force" some of doctors to work in some certain area for.. like 10 years after they graduate. But it usually might be about specialists like Orthopaedists or Headshrinkers, have never heard of letting GPs work in those "unwanted" areas for obligatorily
Im a Greek and our mentality is different from Korean people. Yet I m amazed how well they cope with such a competitive lifestyle in terms of educational systemsand working environment. I admire their politeness and extraordinary resilience. I think that il long run health problems like cancer or mental problems as depression and anxiety is the price who pay for being successful. I hope Korean government gives soon opportunities for people leave in the provinces. Its never good thing one town holding all your capacities and youth. I like your channel and your excellent documentaries. Greetings from Athens
To read about the migration patterns not just in Korea and in similar, developed countries around the world is one thing--but to see it on a personal level gives us a whole different perspective .
Since there is no competition in smaller areas, wouldn't it make sense economically for corporations/institutions to set up shop there as well and capture all the people who require their services?
Is an eye opening to watch some of these documentaries on the issues of South Korean are having; is happening all around the world, SK seems to be worse especially being such a successful economic country after the war. The deep rooted culture of rich and successful and the lower class citizens must have some influence to the current situation as well.
I lived there for three years and I can tell you categorically that it's all about vanity. There are jobs in rural areas but the younger generation are so superficial, they rather live in a hut and go hungry in Seoul than to live in rural areas and be reasonably prosperous. I've never seen anything like it, people buying things they can't afford in order to appease others. China is now slowly metamorphosing to exactly this.
What do you expect? For them the glitz and glam of living in big cities like Seoul is far more important than having a comfortable life in the rural area. To them only low class people lives in the rural area, otherwise they would be happy to relocate. Buying things they can't afford to impress others? Sounds more like their society have serious insecurities and inferiority complex issues. Living on the approval of others certainly the more screwed way to live.
I think you are making statements about the country without taking into consideration the details of thousands of years old culture they were influenced to be like this. The young there is not superficial and have a disdain for small cities like an American teen would have, it is because they know VERY WELL how living and working in such place will literally be perceived by everyone around them. They do come from a Confucianist conformist and groupist culture that influenced how people lived for centuries. In that sense actually, they are just being "conservatives". With that being said...I lived there as well and literally saw everything you wrote here. I know someone who got a loan to buy a new chanel bag so she can show off to other coworkers. So vanity here is HUGE I agree but it is hardly because young people are spoiled. That seems a bit of a Western pov response to me personally. In Korea "what will other think of me" question can a lot of the times even turn deadly.
@@Ceylin_Kurtbogansounds like people's perceptions, approval of others, and judgement are everything to them. Coming or living in rural area? Low class. Living modestly instead of having the latest trend? Low class. Having no-name brands and fakes instead of luxury names? Low class. Not looking good? Low class. Doing blue collar, hard labour, or trade jobs? Low class. That kind of attitude will never fly elsewhere.
That last couple was cute, still holding onto each other even tho they married 😊... SK, nation of extremely smart ppl just barely making it. But i think this hospital situation is most ridiculous, i guess plenty of ppl in rural areas have to travel to best hospitals... however it seems a lil extreme in such a small yet advanced nation like SK to have just 1 city with the best hospital... Mr Samsung could surely afford to build em another 1 elsewhere
Because they have to get the best and be where the best is to compete for a once in a lifetime chance of a good stable life. That's why they are doing and buying the best because they're forced to. They can't just sit around and go online to study
Poppycock. They are going to another part of the country to sit in a study room and watch online videos. The video is the same in that Seoul neighborhood as it is in Busan or Daegu or Jeju. They are just handing over money for a designer name study room. It’s asinine. 2+2=4 in Daegu or Seoul. You can’t tell me the entire Korea but a portion of the people in Seoul are miserable and living an unstable life. If people spent half what they spend on education and invested it cautiously in stocks from the time their child is born they would have plenty of money for an apartment and be able to live off any income. @@fantasticalhistory4285
this is kinda crazy and unimaginable that a whole country depends on one city for most of it's opportunities. eye opening and much food for thought, thanks for this
Yeah the government basically dump almost all of the budget into one city that pump profits and higher rate of corruption took place in that city as well. If the minister states pulled the fund and planned to develop the other city, the fund will need to pass around for "check and approval" from there each department swallow some of the funds and finally left a remaining bit for them which is useless.
@@joesama3282 It's the other way around actually. The government is pouring tonnes of money because most people are DESPERATE TO live in Seoul, or at least near cities. More than half of entire South Korean citizens are living in / near Seoul so it demands enormous investment to build / maintenance infrastructures or social systems. The government and politicians have never forced the people to move to Seoul; They spontaneously chose to move to Seoul. We already tried to make some "other cities" far from Seoul and moved the HQs of some state-governed companies and some ministries. The result? The buses / trains heading to Seoul from those "rural" cities are always full in Friday night. I really don't understand why South Koreans are always blaming others instead of blaming themselves. I can say this as a South Korean (but non-Seoul citizen at the same time) who's been living in this country for whole of my life.
Change is only possible if the people them selves want it. I would like to see a documentary where the new way of thinking becomes visible and spreads. I'm sure it's already started somewhere. How much more are they willing to endure before they develop a new spirit out of sheer necessity?
The answer to that is simply a government which does not bend to the people's will. Sees longer term prosperity than selfish benefits that is to get voted in the next term. Much like how China does it. But well that's not possible for SK, they will not shed their democratic system for this. And they would be correct in such too as its nearly impossible to attain what the Chinese have achieved. They took thousands of years to instil that mentality in their people. Thus, their leaders delivered the prosperity which did not get marred by opinions of small groups. Rather got the evolution in the correct direction through expert advice. The catering of opinions of groups of people that simply have the access, the time to holler and the muscle (votes/money) is the bane of all democratic systems. Its such a scourge that all mature democracies suffer from it, all over the world.
I watched this from the USA and was shocked that so much opportunity was being bypassed. Seoul should not be the goal and people should be making the other towns the place to be. Development and some innovative investments buy the private sector could make these other areas of South Korea a destination not a place to flee. Here’s hoping for some of that for Korea.
From what I know, Seoul metropolitan area has 25million population whereas the whole south Korea has 50 million people, hence half of korean people live in Seoul and its suburban. Thats really not good.
It's exhausting just to watch this. Will all this frenetic activity result in fullfilling lives for those young people? How many will even be able to have a good standard of living in this Darwinian treadmill?
Besides feeling bad for the students not getting to enjoy even a little bit of their youth, I feel mostly for the sick people and especially the parents with sick children. I think I am fortunate to live in a 'rich'. but small country so you can basically get anywhere in 2 hours by car but even then the hospitals are pretty equally divided across the country so everyone can get the care they need. I wish Seoul offered housing to parents with sick children like in my country. We have organizations that offer housing to parents with children in the hospital for the time their child is being treated. This allows parents to be close and visit the whole day, every day. It breaks my heart that this is such a rampant problem and that nothing can be done to fix it, obviously it is a vicious cycle beyond repair now.
It's sad to see how everyone put their focus on Seoul believing everything is better there. From the documentary, obviously the rush to Seoul makes the infrastructure and young people disappear from the countryside. What I don't get is why the government but even bigger firms like Samsung don't try to establish factories amd what not in more rural areas to help develop these places? Land is cheaper, and with their political influence I'm sure they could attract a lot of workers to move back to more rural areas where jobs actually exist? In Switzerland, we have our "small cities" as well such as Zurich, Bern Basel or Geneva that mainly hild firms HQs and more of the financial industries. However, all the production and manufacturing sights are usually gathered outside of the cities or in the surroundings. Obviously, our population isn't as concentrated and large as in Korea, so that probably helps as well. However, I have never felt like young people here feel the urge to move to Zurich or Geneva just because the opportunities are better there? In fact, there are many jobs pretty much anywhere in Switzerland that offer good conditions and prospects for the future. Competition is also by far not as fierce as in Korea. All the rankings in school, or being in that or that top firm, doesn't really exist here. It's great if you work in a big firm, but people won't see you as a "loser" if you're working in the country side in a small firm. That mindset like in Korea, just doesn't exist here.
Actually, a lot of big firms are located outside of Seoul exactly for the reason you mentioned and by the shear number of people they employ, the nearby area essentially becomes a city formed by those working for companies like samsung, hyundai, posco, etc. However, interestingly the big companies are now trying to seek their way into seoul, simply because it’s difficult for them to hire talented workforce that would agree to live outside of seoul. LG recently built their R&D unit in Seoul in order to attract more talented people, who are and want to stay in Seoul. And that all relates back to the infrastructure being centred in Seoul. It offers more for you and your family in every aspect: food, entertainment, education, healthcare, etc. So it turns out that people want to have good jobs, but they equally want to be in Seoul to access everything easily
The school ranking and “big firm” vanity doesnt only exist in Korea, but in North America too, to a less extent. European countries (minus UK) are more fair and equal in that sense, which is a good example to the rest of the world.
this is so crazy how they're ok with continuing to concentrate everything in Seoul. I saw than more than half of the entire population lives in the greater Seoul area!
Seems like an easy first step would be to build a tertiary hospital "satellite" with state of the art imaging and labs, in one of the next biggest cities. Use the brand reputation and rotate physicians to and from the mothership hospital to encourage people to come there instead of Seoul. There is no reason for a routine CT scan or MRI to be done in Seoul rather than another city, even if the results are sent to the original physician in Seoul.
We've visited Seoul and Busan recently and yes; Seoul is a massive city. We ended up enjoying both but if we were to live in Korea we'd live in Busan near the beaches. Koreans have done a wonderful job in creating a picturesque city by the sea. Since Korea is such a small country you can take a high-speed train to Busan in 2 hours. I used to commute 2 hrs to work every day in the USA. Meaning, hypothetically, I could've bought a condo on the beach and commuted to Busan and it would've been no big deal. However, to Korean people they are going to the other end of their country, which I can imagine seems like an impractical commute. I'd still choose Busan and visit Seoul frequently. The transportation system is efficient and inexpensive.
Am I the only one who wants to go other way... work remotely and live in some small town... Cost of living is insane, to the point where you work just to be able to have roof over your head, it's a nightmare.
Is a hospital or doctor or nurse in Ulsan can’t put an IV in a child’s arm the country should disappear. I hope that was translation error. In dramas I see people working when gravely ill yet rushing for an IV at the first sign of fever to the hospital or the pharmacy when they scrape knee as if they will die in hours or their leg will fall off.
It seems like it will be very financially difficult for people outside Seoul to finance medical treatment, arrange transportation, and for students to pay for all the extra tuition and self-study institutions. Are most people able to afford such a lifestyle? Do they receive government support for their medical fees?
This is the consequence of adopting neoliberalism as your economic model. Not only does this extreme capitalism concentrate wealth and income in the hands of a few, within countries, it also concentrates wealth and income in only tiny pockets of countries. You find the same thing in UK (London with disproportionate amount of the country's wealth and income), Russia (some 25% of a huge country's GDP concentrated in the Moscow region). Worse, extreme concentration of people and the attendant high cost of housing discourages procreation. South Korea has the worst fertility rate in the world. It may shock people: but since 2018, North Korea has had more births each year than South Korea despite having only half the population (and the North itself is still slightly below replacement). Without drastic economic reform, and a cultural revolution that pivots away from the current course towards one that balances work with family life, South Korea has no future. It may be rich, but there will be no one to inherit it. Funnily enough, if Korean civilisation was to survive, it will be because the North kept its fertility and culture intact. How ironic is that?
I recently had eye surgery for 5 retinal tears, one retinal detachment and a lens replacement (cataract). I was told if you have anything medically serious then go to SMC (Samsung Medical Center). As a foreigner I was a little worried at first but I received wonderful care (better than what I had seen in the US). Medical expenses in Korea are less expensive than in the US. However the problem is what we see in this documentary. The country and its youth are depending on Seoul for everything. What they should be doing to expanding the high standards and infrastructure to other cities in Korea. Trying to get tickets from Seoul to Pyeongtaek is not something you do last minute. You must make reservations in advance. There simply are not enough trains for everyone. When I had appointments at SMC we pretty much knew it would be an all day affair with travel, doctor's appointments the going back home. Very tiring at times.
Not true. There are good hospitals in all major cities in Korea. It has on of the best health care systems in the world. But yes, the best ones are in Seoul.
This phenomenon is happening all over the world, that's why Indonesia and the Philippines are currently moving their capital farther from Jakarta and Manila.
I understand people want the best options for their careers and i guess salary would be the best in the Capital but I don't think Seoul should be their only choice. Aren't Busan, Incheon and Daegu also big and full of opportunity? I mean.. All of those cities are more populated than my whole country. Maybe I'm just thinking differently here. I never really had any interest in Seoul, maybe because every1 elese is so hyped about it.
30:00 Trauma brains... There are bruises inside of our bodies (Drs) that cannot be seen, measured, or understood. Trauma Brain starting at 3-years into adult-years old: 9 hours, summers 12
I'm surprised that the institutions don't have a regional branch/campus in Busan. Example, a hospital in Seoul can open a regional campus in Busan, so that you're getting the exact same treatment.
Korea uni, yonsei uni does. It’s just that those branches aren’t treated like the same thing, and you get looked down upon.. if you’re American it’s (kinda) like someone saying they’re majoring tech in the university of massachusetts and it turns out they’re attending Amherst, not MIT. -which isn’t terrible in any way, but still it’s kind of.. a shame?
Me thinking that if N korea nuke Seoul out of nowhere, basically they are wiped out. I mean even if Seoul has this umbrella protection thing, Seoul is very close to DMZ. ngl.
I've been to Seoul last year, and it struck me as a place where people seemed to be in a hurry for something and the place seems... I don't know how to word it except it's wide, yet full. Something didn't feel right in a place that looks right compared to some other countries I've been to. That's just me, I'm not a "city boy" by heart.
After watching this I have the inpresion that it is kind of a Worldwide phenomenon, for exemple I grew up in France in a small town and everything for a job oportunity was in Paris but housing is too expensive, now I live in Athens Greece and it feels the same. I have friends that used to Live in Lisbon in Portugal, same story.
Because opportunity is in the city, but lifestyle is now changing, people will eventually move out other city as they a ant a healthier life style, the main cities will just become ravel destinations for tourist,vacations and work but not for longterm
The difference in culture with my country is striking... We have La Defense and Paris in general but it's far, far from being the whole point of going there. People prefer small towns or other "big cities" (it's all relative haha). Much more peaceful, less expensive, less difficulty with transport and so on!
Japan and Korea are in the same situation. Life for the normal person is horrible, why would normal people want to have kids in such an environment. The population needs to decrease by 90% before employers wake up and start treating people like humans.
I don't think local extinction will ever occur. Worst case scenario, I think the population collapse will plateau at around 15~20 million people. From then onwards, it might stabilize.
2018 My Korea friend brought me to an Island in Gangwha to see the fences to block North Koreans who actually try to swim 2km to cross, the place was like a agricultural and military island, the only people You will see are soldiers or really old Korean folks, my friend told me its one of those places where the youth has left for Seoul. it was eerie as hell as You know its populated, theres alot of houses but You cant seem to feel life in it.
Why people only in Seoul? You can be farmer in other areas, right? Aren't koreans interested to be villager and doing farming? So, where do you get your food from?
What is the problem with starting some type of business or industry somewhere other than Seoul. During the pandemic, people could work from home, why can’t they continue that letting people work in a city other than Seoul with a decent wage and a job with benefits
same problem with medical sector in Pakistan. but yes educational services are good in Pakistan in almost all major cities. students dont have to move to big cities to clear entrance test for universities. Its also because best instructors arent heading towards big cities, they stay in their small towns and provide services and it depends on personal satisfaction.
24:10 "You only get one chance in life." What an unhealthy, terrible mindset. I feel bad for the daughter growing up with a demanding parent like that. There are always more chances in life. When one path or option closes, a whole new branch becomes available.
With many people go to Seoul, especially for medical purposes, is Seoul overcrowded? like really bad traffic jam, hard to find place to stay, packed public transportation, such as many people can't get into the train etc. or it's still livable?
The older generation made a disaster of Korea, just look at how dysfunctional the older areas and older cities are, buildings on top of buildings, (not referring to the beautiful historic areas) more the residential and commercial stuff built from the 50’s-90’s, everything winding around with no grid or design sense, you can see it was all me me me mentality, now the newer generation has to fix everything and the more modern areas now make sense with green space and more mindfulness of quality of life…that’s why square kms of old city blocks have to be taken down as a whole to fix the mess..
High-Speed rail with the right policy should prevent this in most cases but I would say the biggest problem Korea has is it being divided. If Korea was one nation it would be connected to the high-speed Chinese network as well as the Russian railway network wich is soon to be attached to the Chinese high-speed network. And I also think if it wasn't built already a Japanese Korean railway tunnel would have been/would soon be built. A connected Korea would have totally changed history because Russia would have placed more importance on it as a Pacific loop of road and rail thru the Sakhalin would have possibly been built by now allowing for Russia to have a stronger foothold in a all season port.... all of these would have the effect of making many ports (especially on the Pacific side) far more appealing for business, and population centers would have been spread out further north with the jobs provided for them also spreading wealth and power. The SE portion of the nation would also be an economic hot spot because its connections to Japan...
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
After traveling to Korea many times, it's crazy finding out how vastly different Busan is from Seoul in terms of population and urban-ness, considering Busan is the second biggest city in Korea.
Busan is about a third of the size of Seoul in population. A city of 3.3 million people or so. That's still a huge city. But it is much poorer. It's a shame because Busan surely has a lot of potential
I live in Busan and I just like it the way it is. Granted I do live in a more urban area, but it's populated just quite enough. Even then we have tourists and venturers all over the place when it's in its holidays seasons. People, why do you forget that Korea is already one of the most populated countries already? It's the highest among the OECD, we're a small country as it is with 70% mountains, give us a break. It seems like you conveniently gloss over this fact whenever you talk about the "fertility problem" of S. Korea.
I do agree with the centralization problem but Busan is the least of the problems. You thought Busan was bad, wait till you hear about the other districts. The population is dense as it is and we're focusing all that people power on Seoul alone. We don't need more people, if anything we need more freedom to move in and out of districts, just a tad bit more openness to foreigners, and most of all a way to mitigate the age imbalance. Other than that, it's bad sure, but it's a natural curve people more or less need to accept and prepare for.
Busan public transport network is not great
@@Manas-co8wl
"We don't need more people"
"[we need] more openness to foreigners"
Lol do you not see your contradiction?
can non seoul people stop freakin coming to seoul?@@djedd23
10 years ago in geography class we learned about the pros and cons of having a population of a country spread more evenly or be all concentrated in one place and back then South Korea was used to show all the problems that arise when the citizens concentrate in one general area that is just not equipped to handle the amount of people. It’s really a circle to get stuck in, the companies move there because of the people and the people move there because of the opportunities from the companies.
A real vicious cycle
The disastrous end result of the nation's urban planning, which has actually gone very wrong since the ceasefire of the 1950s
They wanted everyone in cities. Easier to get labor and control people.
@@hazelnut3794 iam a korean
korean wage same uk france
Rent is cheap than London paris
world no paradise
Primate cities! Another good example is Bangkok and Thailand. Essentially a megacity with an uberdiverse economy and the most tourism capital on earth. Not really any other cities in the country that can hold a candle to it's development, despite the name recognition of places like Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
Their focus and over reliance on Seoul is shocking. In Japan, they have Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and numerous other smaller cities as their engines for economic growth alongside Tokyo. In Germany they have Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Koln, Hamburg, Augsburg, Bremen as the engines for economic growth alongside Munich and Berlin. In India they have Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata as economic engines for India alongside New Delhi.
Why Korean government and planners did not spread out the economic development evenly throughout the country for years, instead just focusing on Seoul alone?
Sorry but we got the same problem in the UK wiht a whole wage and wealth disparity in this country.
@@justlim622why? Because can't accept that someone or some place doing it better?
Exactly. Seoul's metro area literally houses half of Korea's population. Such a problem is almost irreversible today.
@@intreoostill not too late. Korean government can and should move out developments to other regions of the country. Chaebols HQ shouldn't be at Seoul, instead force or make them relocate somewhere else.
How about busan and Incheon?!...Haven't these places also already been developed by the government?!
No wonder the fertility rate is plummet. Study like crazy, work like crazy, and endup having cancer. Is it worth it?
@@justlim622so what's your point to his argument?
No wonder it is blown out of proportion
@@justlim622 every country has a bad history not only korea dude
Korea is not suitable for survival.
No it’s because the men are pathetic
Japanese here - this is very similar to the situation we are facing.
Of course, our second tier cities (e.g. Osaka, Nagoya) are bigger than Busan for example, but the black hole effect that Tokyo has seems very similar to Seoul. I hope we can learn from each other, and share wisdom to overcome this very similar problem we share.
Even Indonesia is has similar problem as Jakarta is about 4 times as big as Surabaya
Im not from any of these countries but if I had to guess its the eastern lifestyle I guess. There is too much pressure by society and no time to live a life when you work and study so hard for minimal reward. But this is just what I’ve heard from Koreans and Japanese I know here in the states.
"japanese here" 🤡
This is a problem to a lesser extent in the UK too, London is the hub for everything- competitive salaries, best hospital care where most are PCI centres, great public transport- the wealth and healthcare outcome in London and surrounding south east is very different to the north of England, and there’s a knock on effect on average life expectancy in these areas compared to London and surrounding. They’re trying to invest in other areas like Birmingham and Manchester, and the new high speed trains were supposed to help but the whole project was poorly planned and faced a lot of backlash. There is also a cabinet minister role dedicated to “levelling up” different areas of the country but most are focused on England rather than NI, Wales and Scotland - which is no wonder why they have ideas about independence
I live in North Yorkshire and I don't recognise the North you describe. We have many outstanding schools and hospitals. Direct trains to London are efficient and local transport is excellent. I understand it is much easier to get a dr and a dentist here, than it is in London. Our housing stock is architecturally varied and well priced. We have beautiful countryside, cathedrals, historic buildings and culture in abundance. Many people now live here and work remotely without suffering the overcrowding in London. I used to love London and make regular visits. Now the crowds, dirty streets and being jostled as you navigate the city is utterly dehumanising. I only endure it if I have to.
Come up North, you might just love it! 😊
Scotland, Wales and NI all have their own devolved legislatures, governments and First Ministers - not mere cabinet minister roles - and receive higher public spending per capita than their compatriots in England. Talk of independence and other constitutional wrangling is nothing more than a distraction from the failures of local politicians and bureaucracies to deliver real results.
One thing is a lot of government departments are located in placed outside London e.g. DVLA in Walesand they are trying to move a lot of jobs North
@@dianefleming9765Efficient trains to London - really?
@@nathanielbrookes6473 Really . Trust me. Infact the train journey is the highlight of any London trips I make. 😃
I'm just shocked and surprised on how reliant they are to Seoul. From what I thought of Korea and their organized system, I just didn't think of this at all. This is so eye-opening. I have never been but in all due respect, why can't the government and businesses expand in other towns. This is the second documentary that I'm watching and you can tell some young professionals wanted to stay in their town but felt compelled to move to Seoul for better opportunities. I feel like the government has the means to. I'd love to hear some government officials or urban developers thoughts on this. I wish those students strength and those people seeking greater care all the best! I hope to visit one day. Thank you K-Doc for this wonderful insight!
My country has the same problem so i assume it has the same underling reasons.
Seoul is the capital, so it was developed a bit more. That, in turn, brought more people there and that's where the problem begun. Because it got more people, the politicians paid more attention to the infrastructure there, because that's where their votes come from. In turns that's where it was easier for companies to make a profit since they had necessary infrastracture. Since that's where the jobs were, even more people arrived, which made the government even more impartial to the place.
As you said, the government has the ability to give the right incentives for people and companies to return to other regions, but success with that will take years and no one wants to wait for years until he can reap the political benefits of that.
Organization can be a one-way ticket. South Korea is small country with very distinct geographic and resources challenges. For some time after the Korean War it may have been better to be very Seoul-centric. South Korea has gone from literally pre-industrial to highly industrial in about 70 years. Their smaller size and cultural unity were easier to organize and educate. Having one city as the hub was likely an advantage. Now that we're on the other side of that process the disadvantages of it are becoming clear.
I'm not an expert in SK geopolitics but I'm familiar with the history and economics. Political-Economic inertia are very difficult things to change. Economic Inertia is often easier to change than political. In this case both are on the same page. Some changes will become inevitable, one way or another.
Seoul's development came at breakneck speeds. Everyone trying to get ahead, fight, survive living at super speed pace. Lot of corruption everywhere too. I think they are doing their best. Many other countries have the luxury to go about business in a leisurely pace. In contrast Seoul is in Formula One race. Adapting as they go 200 mph with short pitstops here and there
thank you for your response, what's your country?@@thodoriss3068
interesting perspective I just wonder how it will look like 20 years from now how will they cope with space issue and housing needs in Seoul@@jungness
Documentaries like this are so fascinating to me. How much longer can we go on like this as a society? It's not sustainable...I hope good change is coming for us all to thrive.
The country’s population is projected to decline by half to around 25 million people from the current 50 million by the end of the century. This problem has been going on for decades and I don’t think that things will be changing anytime soon since there’s no political incentive to do anything.
I'm an English guy living in South Korea, married to a Korean. My daughter was born in a maternity hospital in Ulsan 2 years ago. The hospital has now closed down because they couldn't get enough staff to run it.
Is the government not investing much in other cities besides Seoul?
Whoa.
go back to your country then
NWO is coming 😊
@@SSM12457that what was happened. From most of the news and other informations, it seems that S. Korea only promotes other regions for cultural or tourism, but not much of modern developments.
I love this video as I live in Seosan. A small town of 175,000 people 1.5 hour bus ride south of Seoul. I love the interview style and random thoughts. Outside of Seoul, it feels like the world revolves around Seoul and it's opportunities that people fight for professionally. I never see kids or babies when I visit on weekends. I see them in my town, all ages walking around the park - pond in center of town. There are many national parks worth visiting but one may need a car to get there. There is no train to where I live, but everyone thinks there's a train. Most folks don't know where Seosan is located - laughing. They think for a minute and then seem to realize it's not in Seoul. Life is good, as I don't take a train an hour to get somewhere in Seoul. This is my usual feeling when I visit (another hour to get somewhere).
Would you recommend visiting Seosan? I am coming to Korea next year and it appears to be a very peaceful place to visit.
Same here in Germany. Hospitals, kindergardens shut down because nobody wants to work. Reasons are bad treatment at work, long working hours, low payment, 1 person doing the work of several people (modern slavery). You can imagine the result of people that still work under these conditions... But yes lobbyists/politicians say people are lazy and should work anyway.
If we continue in this way then we will end really badly. Who will care for us when no one want to work? Especially hospital. Of course is bad to be treated that way but is not the reason to fuck up.
Ask Turkish, Kurds and Afghans to re-develop your country and be replaced by them. East Asian countries including South Korea wouldn’t do that. They would rather choose the decline in population than multiculturalism.
So many amazing documentaries. Thank you KBS for translating and putting it on RUclips.
The dad Kim Hong-su at 42:50 seems laid-back and so awesome for his kids. Those kids must love him very much!🥰
Everyone wants success, the struggle of parents and students is unbearable. Herd mentality has always led to a disaster. It's up to the younger generation to start thinking outside the bubble. Trust me when I say, I have seen the smartest people who have no education, they just use their common sense.
it's sad that everyone cannot see beyond seoul as their goal in life.
Same issue here in the UK with London.
I spent 6 months in Yonsei University as an exchange student. Absolutely stunning campus, especially in Autumn. The students there were extremely hardworking and bright but it's difficult to stretch your employability outside of South Korea when 99% of the country speaks only the native language.
There's an abundance of young talent in South Korea hungry to enter the workforce, but everyone's competing for a limited amount of jobs in the one country where the only language you is speak is used.
The harsh truth is that learning English opens you up to so many more opportunities, even within South Korea itself, but it's an intimidating challenge to most students.
Shit take. It is hard to even find doctors in many states other than Seoul in Korea. Don't even get started on jobs. So, of course, people flock to Seoul.
@@db10cruz31 A lot of the same issues in the UK. Leeds in the North has seen some investment and is a city very popular with young professionals who move up there to get into the housing market because its more affordable. I do think that you just have the same risk of a Primate City developing there in time though. It's kicking the can down the road.
Because for many, seoul IS the only available goal in life. To have good education you need to go to seoul. To have good job opportunities you have to go to seoul. To have good medical treatment you have to go to seoul. That was the whole message of this document.
I can feel the interviewer/cameraman’s warmth and encouragement when he interviewed the public. Thank you for cheering them on.
I’m rooting for all the students studying hard, families fighting to make ends meet and sick people going through treatment.
I keep seeing comments about the ridiculous housing costs…but each politician promises to change it, then as soon as they’re voted in they go back to being bought and paid for by special interest groups. It seems like whoever can pay the highest price , the leadership actually looks the other way or ignores the working man’s priorities no matter how they strive for a better life. You’ll have to research and track who is actually benefiting from the Financial Elitist. I would never want to live in a city. Sending you blessings and encouragement. Great job and interviews…. K-Doc.
politician are living in Seoul too they don't want to house price down .
Atleast in my country government provided 20 million free/partially paid homes for poor . It did bring some problems down don't know how long will it last though.
That's what happens when you have a monopoly that generates 22.4% of an entire country's GDP.
No children, no future, no hope to get things fixed - very sad to see.
Again, I'm so glad I have swapped kdramas for this channel on real life Korea.
However on the topic of capital cities, Living in South London, UK, I get why there is a concern that capital cities can 'lopside' the economy. Many people in the UK (living in, near or far outside of London) will say how most of the focus is on London - even after Brexit! Yes, it's not fair on other cities, and the UK government even has a 'levelling-up' scheme where civil servants can apply and work for jobs across the country - depending on where they live and their preferences. Even in recent years, a significant part of the BBC has moved up north to Salford in Manchester, again to balance the shift of social and economic growth across the country.
Not only that, but Cardiff and Edinburgh are also capital cities (of Wales and Scotland) and need their good, fair share of economic weight too - yes devolved power has meant that the governments in both cities can take and make better, more informed decisions about how they should run their affairs versus being dictated to by Westminster - don't get me wrong, there is an overarching law and legislation that all countries of the UK must abide by, even with devolved power on certain affairs that may only impact/be relevant to Wales and/or Scotland.
My waffling aside, and as other commentators have mentioned, the fact that many South Koreans find themselves going mainly to Seoul is not unique to South Korea, but reflects how people move to where they see most opportunities are (job/career, education, set up a business or even.....to meet a potential partner.....)
I'm aware that Busan is campaigning/bidding for the Expo 2030, so it would be interesting to see and compare how people in Busan live and their views of both cities.
Please do a documentary on Busan 😊🙏
Busan lost its Expo host status for various reasons, lackluster presentation possibly one of them. Though obviously not the most compelling reason.
I live in Busan and I like it just the way it is. If decentralization is required, then its focus should be elsewhere more in the peripherals.
Making Busan 2nd Seoul would not solve the issue. I don't know what else to say.
The same thing happens all over the world. In Mexico, everyone wants to come to Mexico City. In the morning the subway lines into the city are crowded. In the evening the lines going out of the city are overflowing with people. Different areas same phenomenon. The reason for this are the same reasons presented here. Mexico City has better infrastructure and jobs, attracting those outside the city.
Ag-en da twenty thirty.
lookitup.
global plan to pak ppl into the cities.
Actually, South Korea and Mexico have it by far the worst of any places. Both are what we call countries with "primate cities".
When a country only has 1 or 2 cities with good facilities and very attractive conditions then they will become insanely crowded it’s why governments need to fund 5-10 cities and make them major ones so there are more options for people
Mexican here, I left Mexico city for a city in the north, where I was making more money than mostly anyone in Mexico city. My commute time was 15 minutes, no traffic, plenty of parking space, less pollution. I retired recently with a much better quality of life and resources than my friends that did not leave Mexico City. Granted, we do not have the transportation system the capital city has, but our employees receive good salaries, free transportation and many have the opportunity to buy a car, housing is more affordable, we have the best of two countries living in the border.
I remember being shocked at how much Seoul and Busan are different considering Busan is the second most populated city.
Concentrating everything within one city is the biggest weakness from a national security point of view and your enemies also know that. In case of war, if Seoul is gone, whole country is gone which is alarming tbh.
Government needs to give incentives to set up businesses elsewhere. Businesses taking advantage of lower staff costs due to lower cost of living indices in rural/satellite areas will give the citizens the incentive to go and work/live I quieter places
Ag-en da twenty thirty.
lookitup.
global plan to pak ppl into the cities.
I will tell thy fuck up even that. Just take a look at all these inane taxes, regulations, and fiscal policies. Governments are the main problem here period.
This is why Korea is expected to disappear the fastest in the world, and unless there are major variables such as unification, it will inevitably fail first. They live in an infinite competitive society within a narrow territory that has nothing but human resources, and the surrounding situation is so chaotic and if the current situation is prolonged, the future is much darker than any other country. Finally, in terms of population change, which is the biggest problem in Korea, their population in 1960 was just over 20 million and peaked at nearly 52 million at the end of 2019, but the natural population decline began in earnest 3 years ago and will reach that figure 1960 level again in 2100
Ag-en da twenty thirty.
lookitup.
global plan to pak ppl into the cities.
America is BANKRUPT and you say that Korea will disappear first? Interesting.
It's just capitalism + extremely corrupt government and megacorps that transformed South korea into a dystopian hell hole
Which is why their population is getting decimated so badly,
Ohhh noooooooo I wonder how they made it through millenia. Stop being dramatic.
@janlolwitz951 lol? Look up their TFR it's .7
Which means every woman is having .7 babies
For a population to be stable every woman needs to have 2.1 kids,
It's the lowest in the world, they are absolutely fucked, far harder than Japan and China
Thank you for the quality content from RoK
Sadly this is a global phenomenon here in indonesia a country of 250 mil+ people that consists of 17.000 islands spread across 1 mil sq km the economic activities only centered around jakarta the capital
There is a famous saying in Korea where they compare job = food, house = nest for birds. Seoul = can get food, but no nest; Outside Seoul = can get nests, but no food. So Koreans are in problems both sides. This will be a hard problem to solve
The suburbs outside seoul are the best compromise.
Gimpo, Paju, Guri...
For retirement, it is best to live in a suburb or a small town for low rent and earn money like pensions from the house in Seoul if you are the onwner!
In my own country, I lived in the biggest city in my own country in a three bedroom house on a 500 square metre section with a 120,000 dollar mortgage and spent over an hour get to work, and then I moved to a small town and bought a four bedroom house on a 1,400 square metre section with a stream running through it mortgage free. I am 10 minutes from work. I have just done the same in Korea moving from Susaek to Yongpyeong.
Im in Canada, and had the same experience. Used to be stuck in toronto where housing prices are crazy and daily commute was 1 hour one way. I then moved to a small town in another province, working fully remote, best decision ever. But i have to say that remote work opportunities which promote such decentralization are still way fewer than should have been. And my current employer only switched to fully remote because of covid.
This is the case for every state in Australia. Each state has one big city and nothing else that comes close. This creates the crazy situation where we have so much available land but there is a housing crisis.
and it's too late to make a change. because the seoul city resisdents who own houses or land or business wouldn't like to see any other places take interest from them. and they have most power and capital in this nation. this even exacerbate the situation.
While everyone from other part of area moving in to Seoul. More people from Seoul especially the Young one moving out of the country. Where I'm from, Kota Kinabalu. It is very common to see Young Family from South Korea open a cafe, restaurants right now. I am not sure this is a good trend forward or not for the country.
They basically taking advantage of Korean fever around the world to set up their life and business overseas, hoping that it will make them accepted by the society and their business profitable. What will happen when the wave fades and/or not as beautiful as it seems? They apparently have reputation of migrating to escape things that makes them stressful in their home country, yet to the new country they carry the very same thing that makes them depart at the first place.
Well in that sense there are many Malaysians working illegally in Korea and can I get the indication of life in Malaysia?😊
@@권영경-f6d the goal is to send money back to malaysia because of the weak ringgit, for koreans where else can they go?
Because it is cheaper to maintain a business and survive in SE Asia than Seoul. Many Koreans open shops and restaurants in Thailand, the Philipines and Vietnam as well!!
I don’t think those people are to be blamed. If I am there, probably will do the same to survive 😢. In this matter, government should seek for solutions collectively.
Ag-en da twenty thirty.
lookitup.
global plan to pak ppl into the cities.
government unfortunately has lost defacto control and currently korea is ran by republic of samsung
This is one of few countries that their Government is just a puppet Government
I dont understand why Seoul has the best hospitals only. There should be a regional hospital system throughout S Korea.
All large cities in Korea have some good hospitals. But the best ones are certainly in Seoul. Not unlike other countries though.
Because most doctors don't wanna go and live out of Seoul - even the doctors who were not born/educated in Seoul. As a Korean who has NEVER lived in Seoul this makes me sick. Not only doctors but almost every sort of professionals are same. The people here are always looking for ones to blame but themselves. The government is not investing on another regions because even people living in there don't want to live in their local hometown. They are the one who created this mess and somehow always blame government or politicians. Can't stand the arrogance of people living in Seoul - They think as if they're going in the middle of fucking Saharan desert when they're moving out of Seoul. Truly disgusting.
@@KHHVKimchicel The doctors there have the right to choose where they should work? This is something new that I just learned. in my country malaysia, the government will decide those doctors will be sent to this state or that state for work services and they have no right to refuse. and if they refuse the offer job they will not have a job. it has become a habit here, doctors from a certain place come from different cities.
@@Iza580 Yes usually most of doctors can choose the place where they want to work. The government is now trying to "force" some of doctors to work in some certain area for.. like 10 years after they graduate. But it usually might be about specialists like Orthopaedists or Headshrinkers, have never heard of letting GPs work in those "unwanted" areas for obligatorily
@@KHHVKimchicel Sorry for your situation 😓😓
I live in Busan now, and after living in Seoul you get a real sense of Korea's demographic problem.
Im a Greek and our mentality is different from Korean people. Yet I m amazed how well they cope with such a competitive lifestyle in terms of educational systemsand working environment. I admire their politeness and extraordinary resilience. I think that il long run health problems like cancer or mental problems as depression and anxiety is the price who pay for being successful.
I hope Korean government gives soon opportunities for people leave in the provinces. Its never good thing one town holding all your capacities and youth.
I like your channel and your excellent documentaries.
Greetings from Athens
To read about the migration patterns not just in Korea and in similar, developed countries around the world is one thing--but to see it on a personal level gives us a whole different perspective .
It's weird watching this having been born there but then adopted out... Seoul looks so alien
Since there is no competition in smaller areas, wouldn't it make sense economically for corporations/institutions to set up shop there as well and capture all the people who require their services?
Is an eye opening to watch some of these documentaries on the issues of South Korean are having; is happening all around the world, SK seems to be worse especially being such a successful economic country after the war. The deep rooted culture of rich and successful and the lower class citizens must have some influence to the current situation as well.
I lived there for three years and I can tell you categorically that it's all about vanity. There are jobs in rural areas but the younger generation are so superficial, they rather live in a hut and go hungry in Seoul than to live in rural areas and be reasonably prosperous. I've never seen anything like it, people buying things they can't afford in order to appease others. China is now slowly metamorphosing to exactly this.
What do you expect? For them the glitz and glam of living in big cities like Seoul is far more important than having a comfortable life in the rural area. To them only low class people lives in the rural area, otherwise they would be happy to relocate.
Buying things they can't afford to impress others? Sounds more like their society have serious insecurities and inferiority complex issues. Living on the approval of others certainly the more screwed way to live.
I think you are making statements about the country without taking into consideration the details of thousands of years old culture they were influenced to be like this. The young there is not superficial and have a disdain for small cities like an American teen would have, it is because they know VERY WELL how living and working in such place will literally be perceived by everyone around them. They do come from a Confucianist conformist and groupist culture that influenced how people lived for centuries. In that sense actually, they are just being "conservatives".
With that being said...I lived there as well and literally saw everything you wrote here. I know someone who got a loan to buy a new chanel bag so she can show off to other coworkers. So vanity here is HUGE I agree but it is hardly because young people are spoiled. That seems a bit of a Western pov response to me personally. In Korea "what will other think of me" question can a lot of the times even turn deadly.
@@Ceylin_Kurtbogansounds like people's perceptions, approval of others, and judgement are everything to them.
Coming or living in rural area? Low class.
Living modestly instead of having the latest trend? Low class.
Having no-name brands and fakes instead of luxury names? Low class.
Not looking good? Low class.
Doing blue collar, hard labour, or trade jobs? Low class.
That kind of attitude will never fly elsewhere.
aren't you listening? Many of them come to Seoul because rural areas lack adequate infrastructure
@@rezaardiansyah434 Really? how are all the elderlies and foreign workers surviving than? That's just an excuse.
That last couple was cute, still holding onto each other even tho they married 😊... SK, nation of extremely smart ppl just barely making it. But i think this hospital situation is most ridiculous, i guess plenty of ppl in rural areas have to travel to best hospitals... however it seems a lil extreme in such a small yet advanced nation like SK to have just 1 city with the best hospital... Mr Samsung could surely afford to build em another 1 elsewhere
If students self study and watch lectures on their device why can’t they do that outside Seoul in their own house?
Because they have to get the best and be where the best is to compete for a once in a lifetime chance of a good stable life. That's why they are doing and buying the best because they're forced to. They can't just sit around and go online to study
Poppycock. They are going to another part of the country to sit in a study room and watch online videos. The video is the same in that Seoul neighborhood as it is in Busan or Daegu or Jeju. They are just handing over money for a designer name study room. It’s asinine. 2+2=4 in Daegu or Seoul. You can’t tell me the entire Korea but a portion of the people in Seoul are miserable and living an unstable life. If people spent half what they spend on education and invested it cautiously in stocks from the time their child is born they would have plenty of money for an apartment and be able to live off any income. @@fantasticalhistory4285
This! Self study cafe?? Surely you can self study at home?
this is kinda crazy and unimaginable that a whole country depends on one city for most of it's opportunities. eye opening and much food for thought, thanks for this
Yeah the government basically dump almost all of the budget into one city that pump profits and higher rate of corruption took place in that city as well. If the minister states pulled the fund and planned to develop the other city, the fund will need to pass around for "check and approval" from there each department swallow some of the funds and finally left a remaining bit for them which is useless.
@@joesama3282 It's the other way around actually. The government is pouring tonnes of money because most people are DESPERATE TO live in Seoul, or at least near cities. More than half of entire South Korean citizens are living in / near Seoul so it demands enormous investment to build / maintenance infrastructures or social systems. The government and politicians have never forced the people to move to Seoul; They spontaneously chose to move to Seoul. We already tried to make some "other cities" far from Seoul and moved the HQs of some state-governed companies and some ministries. The result? The buses / trains heading to Seoul from those "rural" cities are always full in Friday night. I really don't understand why South Koreans are always blaming others instead of blaming themselves. I can say this as a South Korean (but non-Seoul citizen at the same time) who's been living in this country for whole of my life.
Change is only possible if the people them selves want it. I would like to see a documentary where the new way of thinking becomes visible and spreads. I'm sure it's already started somewhere.
How much more are they willing to endure before they develop a new spirit out of sheer necessity?
The answer to that is simply a government which does not bend to the people's will. Sees longer term prosperity than selfish benefits that is to get voted in the next term. Much like how China does it. But well that's not possible for SK, they will not shed their democratic system for this.
And they would be correct in such too as its nearly impossible to attain what the Chinese have achieved. They took thousands of years to instil that mentality in their people. Thus, their leaders delivered the prosperity which did not get marred by opinions of small groups. Rather got the evolution in the correct direction through expert advice.
The catering of opinions of groups of people that simply have the access, the time to holler and the muscle (votes/money) is the bane of all democratic systems. Its such a scourge that all mature democracies suffer from it, all over the world.
I watched this from the USA and was shocked that so much opportunity was being bypassed. Seoul should not be the goal and people should be making the other towns the place to be.
Development and some innovative investments buy the private sector could make these other areas of South Korea a destination not a place to flee.
Here’s hoping for some of that for Korea.
From what I know, Seoul metropolitan area has 25million population whereas the whole south Korea has 50 million people, hence half of korean people live in Seoul and its suburban. Thats really not good.
It's exhausting just to watch this.
Will all this frenetic activity result in fullfilling lives for those young people? How many will even be able to have a good standard of living in this Darwinian treadmill?
Besides feeling bad for the students not getting to enjoy even a little bit of their youth, I feel mostly for the sick people and especially the parents with sick children. I think I am fortunate to live in a 'rich'. but small country so you can basically get anywhere in 2 hours by car but even then the hospitals are pretty equally divided across the country so everyone can get the care they need. I wish Seoul offered housing to parents with sick children like in my country. We have organizations that offer housing to parents with children in the hospital for the time their child is being treated. This allows parents to be close and visit the whole day, every day. It breaks my heart that this is such a rampant problem and that nothing can be done to fix it, obviously it is a vicious cycle beyond repair now.
Singapore, i guess?
Hahaha, nothing even close actually. It is the Netherlands :) @@pv1149
Where do you live?
@@alexha2884Singapore i guess
It's sad to see how everyone put their focus on Seoul believing everything is better there. From the documentary, obviously the rush to Seoul makes the infrastructure and young people disappear from the countryside.
What I don't get is why the government but even bigger firms like Samsung don't try to establish factories amd what not in more rural areas to help develop these places? Land is cheaper, and with their political influence I'm sure they could attract a lot of workers to move back to more rural areas where jobs actually exist?
In Switzerland, we have our "small cities" as well such as Zurich, Bern Basel or Geneva that mainly hild firms HQs and more of the financial industries. However, all the production and manufacturing sights are usually gathered outside of the cities or in the surroundings. Obviously, our population isn't as concentrated and large as in Korea, so that probably helps as well. However, I have never felt like young people here feel the urge to move to Zurich or Geneva just because the opportunities are better there? In fact, there are many jobs pretty much anywhere in Switzerland that offer good conditions and prospects for the future. Competition is also by far not as fierce as in Korea. All the rankings in school, or being in that or that top firm, doesn't really exist here. It's great if you work in a big firm, but people won't see you as a "loser" if you're working in the country side in a small firm. That mindset like in Korea, just doesn't exist here.
Actually, a lot of big firms are located outside of Seoul exactly for the reason you mentioned and by the shear number of people they employ, the nearby area essentially becomes a city formed by those working for companies like samsung, hyundai, posco, etc. However, interestingly the big companies are now trying to seek their way into seoul, simply because it’s difficult for them to hire talented workforce that would agree to live outside of seoul. LG recently built their R&D unit in Seoul in order to attract more talented people, who are and want to stay in Seoul. And that all relates back to the infrastructure being centred in Seoul. It offers more for you and your family in every aspect: food, entertainment, education, healthcare, etc. So it turns out that people want to have good jobs, but they equally want to be in Seoul to access everything easily
The school ranking and “big firm” vanity doesnt only exist in Korea, but in North America too, to a less extent. European countries (minus UK) are more fair and equal in that sense, which is a good example to the rest of the world.
samsung has factories not just outside the seoul but outside the south korea
this is so crazy how they're ok with continuing to concentrate everything in Seoul. I saw than more than half of the entire population lives in the greater Seoul area!
There are several million plus populated cities in Korea. This does not make sense. It’s like everyone wanting to live in Manhattan.
Seems like an easy first step would be to build a tertiary hospital "satellite" with state of the art imaging and labs, in one of the next biggest cities. Use the brand reputation and rotate physicians to and from the mothership hospital to encourage people to come there instead of Seoul. There is no reason for a routine CT scan or MRI to be done in Seoul rather than another city, even if the results are sent to the original physician in Seoul.
Interesting video 👍🇬🇧
We've visited Seoul and Busan recently and yes; Seoul is a massive city. We ended up enjoying both but if we were to live in Korea we'd live in Busan near the beaches. Koreans have done a wonderful job in creating a picturesque city by the sea. Since Korea is such a small country you can take a high-speed train to Busan in 2 hours. I used to commute 2 hrs to work every day in the USA. Meaning, hypothetically, I could've bought a condo on the beach and commuted to Busan and it would've been no big deal. However, to Korean people they are going to the other end of their country, which I can imagine seems like an impractical commute. I'd still choose Busan and visit Seoul frequently. The transportation system is efficient and inexpensive.
Am I the only one who wants to go other way... work remotely and live in some small town... Cost of living is insane, to the point where you work just to be able to have roof over your head, it's a nightmare.
Is a hospital or doctor or nurse in Ulsan can’t put an IV in a child’s arm the country should disappear. I hope that was translation error. In dramas I see people working when gravely ill yet rushing for an IV at the first sign of fever to the hospital or the pharmacy when they scrape knee as if they will die in hours or their leg will fall off.
Very interesting, thanks. I guess you could say about many other countires with capitals being main centers of opportunities and resources.
Seoul must be busting at the seams... how is there any room left?
I heard many are living in 고시원 (goshiwon). One small building's floor is often divided into 5-10 smaller rooms and share the same bathroom/kitchen.
Theres quite a few suburbs. Very spead out.
It seems like it will be very financially difficult for people outside Seoul to finance medical treatment, arrange transportation, and for students to pay for all the extra tuition and self-study institutions. Are most people able to afford such a lifestyle? Do they receive government support for their medical fees?
This is the consequence of adopting neoliberalism as your economic model. Not only does this extreme capitalism concentrate wealth and income in the hands of a few, within countries, it also concentrates wealth and income in only tiny pockets of countries. You find the same thing in UK (London with disproportionate amount of the country's wealth and income), Russia (some 25% of a huge country's GDP concentrated in the Moscow region). Worse, extreme concentration of people and the attendant high cost of housing discourages procreation. South Korea has the worst fertility rate in the world. It may shock people: but since 2018, North Korea has had more births each year than South Korea despite having only half the population (and the North itself is still slightly below replacement). Without drastic economic reform, and a cultural revolution that pivots away from the current course towards one that balances work with family life, South Korea has no future. It may be rich, but there will be no one to inherit it. Funnily enough, if Korean civilisation was to survive, it will be because the North kept its fertility and culture intact. How ironic is that?
Great work....❤
I hope all students did well on the college exam on Nov 16th!!
I also hope the government's efforts to revitalize cities other than Seoul bears fruit.
I recently had eye surgery for 5 retinal tears, one retinal detachment and a lens replacement (cataract). I was told if you have anything medically serious then go to SMC (Samsung Medical Center). As a foreigner I was a little worried at first but I received wonderful care (better than what I had seen in the US). Medical expenses in Korea are less expensive than in the US.
However the problem is what we see in this documentary. The country and its youth are depending on Seoul for everything. What they should be doing to expanding the high standards and infrastructure to other cities in Korea.
Trying to get tickets from Seoul to Pyeongtaek is not something you do last minute. You must make reservations in advance. There simply are not enough trains for everyone. When I had appointments at SMC we pretty much knew it would be an all day affair with travel, doctor's appointments the going back home. Very tiring at times.
My goodness,only in soul they have good hospitals..that is awful
Not true. There are good hospitals in all major cities in Korea. It has on of the best health care systems in the world. But yes, the best ones are in Seoul.
It's the other way around if you look at the birth rate by region. Seoul is great for now but it will be a city for elderly.
This phenomenon is happening all over the world, that's why Indonesia and the Philippines are currently moving their capital farther from Jakarta and Manila.
As American, we moved our capital too. It actually used to be Philadelphia before we moved it to Washington DC.
I understand people want the best options for their careers and i guess salary would be the best in the Capital but I don't think Seoul should be their only choice. Aren't Busan, Incheon and Daegu also big and full of opportunity? I mean.. All of those cities are more populated than my whole country. Maybe I'm just thinking differently here. I never really had any interest in Seoul, maybe because every1 elese is so hyped about it.
Korea is Japan's younger sister, amazing how they are following the same mistakes
30:00 Trauma brains... There are bruises inside of our bodies (Drs) that cannot be seen, measured, or understood. Trauma Brain starting at 3-years into adult-years old: 9 hours, summers 12
This looks like one of my worst nightmares
Thanks!!
I don't know if they are cutting out the ones that say no but it seems like people in Korea are so nice and open to interviews.
After Seoul, Busan is the city I've heard talked of most. I'm shocked that residents don't have access to proper cancer treatment there.
In case anyone watching this is curious, the song playing at 17:55 is Star by Colde.
Really astonishing how you can make an entire documentary about the decline of the countryside without going to the countryside once. 😂
I'm surprised that the institutions don't have a regional branch/campus in Busan. Example, a hospital in Seoul can open a regional campus in Busan, so that you're getting the exact same treatment.
Korea uni, yonsei uni does. It’s just that those branches aren’t treated like the same thing, and you get looked down upon.. if you’re American it’s (kinda) like someone saying they’re majoring tech in the university of massachusetts and it turns out they’re attending Amherst, not MIT. -which isn’t terrible in any way, but still it’s kind of.. a shame?
Me thinking that if N korea nuke Seoul out of nowhere, basically they are wiped out. I mean even if Seoul has this umbrella protection thing, Seoul is very close to DMZ. ngl.
Yea they know that
I've been to Seoul last year, and it struck me as a place where people seemed to be in a hurry for something and the place seems... I don't know how to word it except it's wide, yet full. Something didn't feel right in a place that looks right compared to some other countries I've been to. That's just me, I'm not a "city boy" by heart.
A different mentality; more to do with inborn than economic opportunity!
After watching this I have the inpresion that it is kind of a Worldwide phenomenon, for exemple I grew up in France in a small town and everything for a job oportunity was in Paris but housing is too expensive, now I live in Athens Greece and it feels the same. I have friends that used to Live in Lisbon in Portugal, same story.
its incredible to see how wrong their priorities are
Because opportunity is in the city, but lifestyle is now changing, people will eventually move out other city as they a ant a healthier life style, the main cities will just become ravel destinations for tourist,vacations and work but not for longterm
The difference in culture with my country is striking... We have La Defense and Paris in general but it's far, far from being the whole point of going there. People prefer small towns or other "big cities" (it's all relative haha). Much more peaceful, less expensive, less difficulty with transport and so on!
For the Americans that don’t get it, imagine if every American was trying to live and work in New York and LA ONLY
Japan and Korea are in the same situation. Life for the normal person is horrible, why would normal people want to have kids in such an environment. The population needs to decrease by 90% before employers wake up and start treating people like humans.
Well japan did rule korea for a hundred years so they have similar lifestyles
@@supa3ekIt is 35 years, not 100 years.
Perfect strategy if the surrounding countries are not hyenas.
Some things change. Others don't I suppose.
If i ever get chance to live in Korea i prefer to spend my whole life in small village
I don't think local extinction will ever occur. Worst case scenario, I think the population collapse will plateau at around 15~20 million people. From then onwards, it might stabilize.
2018 My Korea friend brought me to an Island in Gangwha to see the fences to block North Koreans who actually try to swim 2km to cross, the place was like a agricultural and military island, the only people You will see are soldiers or really old Korean folks, my friend told me its one of those places where the youth has left for Seoul. it was eerie as hell as You know its populated, theres alot of houses but You cant seem to feel life in it.
Why people only in Seoul? You can be farmer in other areas, right? Aren't koreans interested to be villager and doing farming? So, where do you get your food from?
Farming = you can make money if all the stars are aligned, but risky, backbreaking, sweaty and dirty.
What is the problem with starting some type of business or industry somewhere other than Seoul. During the pandemic, people could work from home, why can’t they continue that letting people work in a city other than Seoul with a decent wage and a job with benefits
greed
I love it when you visit the places and the people once again
same problem with medical sector in Pakistan. but yes educational services are good in Pakistan in almost all major cities. students dont have to move to big cities to clear entrance test for universities. Its also because best instructors arent heading towards big cities, they stay in their small towns and provide services and it depends on personal satisfaction.
24:10 "You only get one chance in life." What an unhealthy, terrible mindset. I feel bad for the daughter growing up with a demanding parent like that. There are always more chances in life. When one path or option closes, a whole new branch becomes available.
Good luck to the youths venturing off to college, i can't study for hours so cheers to them🥂
With many people go to Seoul, especially for medical purposes, is Seoul overcrowded? like really bad traffic jam, hard to find place to stay, packed public transportation, such as many people can't get into the train etc. or it's still livable?
The older generation made a disaster of Korea, just look at how dysfunctional the older areas and older cities are, buildings on top of buildings, (not referring to the beautiful historic areas) more the residential and commercial stuff built from the 50’s-90’s, everything winding around with no grid or design sense, you can see it was all me me me mentality, now the newer generation has to fix everything and the more modern areas now make sense with green space and more mindfulness of quality of life…that’s why square kms of old city blocks have to be taken down as a whole to fix the mess..
People staying in seoul because of their illness breaks my heart.
Fuck cancer 😢
Why government don't focus on giving these facilities in other cities also? They should fight for this
This is similar to the UK, a country that is also collapsing because London has sucked up most of the resources.
Wow all the young people look more younger then there age
High-Speed rail with the right policy should prevent this in most cases but I would say the biggest problem Korea has is it being divided. If Korea was one nation it would be connected to the high-speed Chinese network as well as the Russian railway network wich is soon to be attached to the Chinese high-speed network. And I also think if it wasn't built already a Japanese Korean railway tunnel would have been/would soon be built. A connected Korea would have totally changed history because Russia would have placed more importance on it as a Pacific loop of road and rail thru the Sakhalin would have possibly been built by now allowing for Russia to have a stronger foothold in a all season port.... all of these would have the effect of making many ports (especially on the Pacific side) far more appealing for business, and population centers would have been spread out further north with the jobs provided for them also spreading wealth and power. The SE portion of the nation would also be an economic hot spot because its connections to Japan...