17 Signs That You Might Be A Korean Environmentalist If…

1. You care about wellbeing, but you still smoke. Give yourself 1 point.

Over 40% of Korean men smoke. And this is the good news. Before the recent wellbeing trend, the number was almost 60%. Smoking seems less common among Korean women.

2. When you eat cow you call it cow. Give yourself 1 point.

Koreans love meat and the don’t mince words when talking about it. You’re not eating “steak” and “prosciutto;” you’re eating “cow” and “pig.” Especially popular are variations on galbi, which ranges from Korean BBQ to stir-fried meat and hot peppers. There are, however, a modicum of vegetarian and even vegan restaurants in Korea.

3. You ride the bus and the train, but you still love Hyundai. Give yourself 2 points.

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South Korea has an excellent public transportation infrastructure. (Read more here.) Still, many see car ownership as a sign of affluence.

Also, national pride in Hyundai is huge. In Korea, Hyundai is much more than a car-maker; it’s the backbone of the country’s economy. Hyundai owns many things in Korea, even apartment high-rises. They’re also intimately related with the government. Even Lee Myung-bak, who today becomes President of Korea, is the former President of Hyundai as well.

4. You may be a vegetarian, but you eat pig (not pork… see above). Give yourself 1 point.

Most dishes come with a very small amount of meat, generally pig. Vegetable kimbap, for example, comes with an obligatory slice of ham. Vegetarians in Korea can opt to eat abundant Pibimbap dishes as well as tofu-rich meals. Strict vegetarians and vegans can opt for Kimchi soup and a few other dishes like traditional porridge soups. Ova-pescetarians will do better with the plentiful seafood restaurants and the ubiquitous egg.

5. You’ve visited a Korean environmental web page other than this one. Give yourself 1 point.

There are several hard-working environmental organizations in South Korea. Among them are Green Korea United, The Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, and Birds Korea.

6. You recycle and compost, but you’re not sure why. Give yourself 1 point.

In fact, homes and businesses all over Korea recycle and compost as a general rule. More than 40% of solid waste is recycled and about 55% of food waste is composted as fertilizer and feed. Still, a good number of Koreans believe that recycling and compost is either burned, buried, or dumped at sea. In fact, this is a common and unfounded skepticism the world over that’s preventing better recycling. (Read more here.)

7. You can locate an organic grocery store in your city. Give yourself 1 point.

Yes, in Korea organic foods are starting to hit the market. Most Koreans who buy organic foods are motivated by health concerns, like the desire to avoid chemical pesticide residue, rather than for purely environmental reasons.

You can find organic grocery stores, even in smaller towns like Gangneung. In Seoul, you can also treat yourself to organic and fair trade coffees at Cafe Des Verts. Also, a handful of organic products, like shampoo, bread, and orange juice, are sold here and there in many other Korean stores.

8. You know at least one person with a solar water heater. Give yourself 1 point.

The energy crunch in the late ’90s doesn’t seem to be over. Since last year, natural gas prices have risen about 30%, based on calculations for teachers at the school where I teach. Look around Korea’s rooftops, and you’ll see many solar water heaters.

9. You conserve water at home, but love the community spa. Give yourself 2 points.

If you’ve never been to a Korean spa, it’s certainly an experience. Pools of water at different temperatures, steam rooms, hot rooms, showers, sleeping rooms, a restaurant, and a common room with reading and TV are all part of the allure. It’s a real family affair with bathers of all ages showering and relaxing. Oh yeah, and everyone’s naked.

10. You use almost all compact fluorescent light bulbs. Give yourself 1 point.

It took me almost two months of living in Korea before I saw my first incandescent light bulb. All of the others were energy efficient CFLs, like the one pictured here at this outdoor market.

CFL’s are so common here, in fact, that only in one store have I ever actually seen old-fashioned bulbs for sale, and that was in a dollar-store of sorts. Even the occasional fly-by-night vendors of knock-off clothes set up shop at night using CFL’s, albeit powered with a back-up generator. (Read more here.)

11. You love nature and you’re proud of your country’s natural beauty. Give yourself 1 point.

Despite its rapid industrialization, Korea still abounds with natural beauty. Much of the country is mountainous and also dotted with lakes and rivers. Just don’t get caught in the smog of the big cities for too long.

12. You believe that hiking should require hiking gear. Give yourself 2 points.

Going for a hike in Seoul generally means footing your way up to the top of a small hill. Going for a hike in Korea’s extensive mountain ranges is another matter. In either case, most Koreans wouldn’t be caught dead hiking in jeans. There’s a strong sense of having the proper clothing for the proper occasion. Perhaps it begins with the school uniforms that are obligatory throughout the country?

13. You disagree with keeping dogs in small, outdoor cages, but know dogs who are. Give yourself 2 points.

Pets are a new phenomenon in South Korea. It’s only in recent memory that the country’s been affluent enough to support a population of pet dogs. Cats still aren’t in fashion. But Koreans still aren’t sure whether to welcome their dogs into their homes or keep them as trophies in small cages outside. About half of the Koreans I’ve spoken with think that pets should be part of the family. The other half consider them too dirty for indoor living. As a result, many dogs are kept outside all year round in cages just big enough to hold them.

14. You don’t eat dog. Give yourself 1 point.

Actually, neither do many Koreans. Some men–the kind who, as a general rule of thumb worldwide, will do almost anything to beef up their virility–still eat dog meat for the adrenaline it contains. As I understand it, dogs killed for meat in Korea are slowly beaten to death for maximum adrenaline so that those who eat the meat can feel sexier. Did I miss something?

15. If you drive, you give pedestrians the right of way and respect road rules for bicyclists. Give yourself 0 points.

Of course, all drivers should do this as common practice. However, this is also a survey about how Korean you are and in Korea, cars almost always take the right of way. I’ve seen some extraordinary violations of traffic law and common sense in Korea. I’ve seen Korean drivers make a left hand turn from the wrong lane through lights so red they were almost green. I’ve also seen a number of car crashes.

16. Your local farmer is a 70 year-old woman. Give yourself 2 points.

Farming is dying out in Korea. Since much of the country is mountainous, it seems it’s never been easy to grow food here. Much of the food–even the famous Korean kimchi–is now imported. Most of the remaining farmers seem to be very elderly. Most are also women. All over Korea, you can see these dedicated farmers still selling their cabbage and radish on street corners and in open-air markets.

17. Speaking of which, you eat a lot of kimchi. Give yourself 1 point.

Not for any environmental motivation. You just do. This is, after all, a survey of how Korean you are. Korean astronauts have even recently delved into the secrets of space kimchi, edible across the universe. Give yourself two points if your grandmother still makes her own kimchi. Give yourself three points if you do, too.

Are you a Korean environmentalist? Tallying the points:

• 20 and above: you are without a doubt a green Korean. If you’re not, you should be. Ever consider coming to the land of morning calm?
• 15-19: you’re half-Hanguk. You’re an aspiring Korean, but you lack the hot sauce and pickled vegetable that would make you a true Korean.
• 10-14: You’re getting there. A little more kimchi and a dip in the community spa and you’ll be on your way.
• 9 and below: Chances are, you still probably do your bit for the Earth. However, you’ll need a lot more soju before you can call yourself Korean. Start with the hiking gear.

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