Warning : I’m French. Married to a Korean woman. We live in France in a small town near Paris. We only spend vacations in Busan, Korea, not real living. Don’t know about Seoul thought.
You might want to look a this Price comparison between Busan and Paris.
This is a way to engage in a discussion with my French and Korean readers.
Here is my theoretical/biased/undocumented/partial point of view of why Korea is a better place to live for a Frenchman.
Security
Better :
- You have a much much higher chance to be attacked in the French subway than taking a bomb from North Korea
- Streets feel safer
- More respect between people
Worst :
- I you watch too much TV you might get influenced about Pyongyang’s actions
Transports
Better :
- Taxi is much cheaper and frequent
- Oil price is lower
- More alcohol controls at night
- Better roads and lights are on !
- Better subway, cleaner, no strikes
- More bus, better time estimation
Worst :
- Same traffic jams
- Don’t drive : you’ll die.
- Few people really wear seatbelt
City
Better :
- More larger streets
- Clearer indications
- No dog sh..
Worst :
- Too much billboards
- Some small streets smell really bad
- No historical places or old interesting places in Busan
- Less parks, but many mountains
Technology
Better :
- One of the fastest Internet infrastructure on earth
- 4G-3G everywhere. Phone always able to catch network.
- Edge-2G ? What’s that ?
- Phone plan cheaper and less blocking
Worst :
- Too much technology ?
Services
Better :
- Your are a king.
- Employees smiles. For real. Impressive. Never saw that before.
- Anything can be delivered anywhere, cheaply, real fast
- Postman does everything in his power to give you your parcel. Don’t have to go to post office 48h after he came.
Worst :
- Hard life for people working in services
- It makes you impatient and demanding sometimes
Shops
Better :
- Always find some place open
- Supermarket still open at 11pm !
- Incredible service
- Everywhere
Worst :
- Loud music and advertising in some streets
- Some article are much more expensive
Restaurants
Better :
- 50% cheaper
- Healthier
- Faster
- Better service (see my previous article on the subject)
Worst :
- More and more junk food. But, hey, you have the choice not to go !
- Wine is so expensive !
Accommodation
Better :
- More shops and commodities around
- No bedbugs (personal note after a year of suffering)
- Cheaper
- Larger
Worst :
- More appartement than house
- Less protection when renting
- 2 years in advance to rent sometimes
Health
Better :
- Appointment in the day (in France 3 months some times for a dentist)
- Cleaner, calmer
- Very efficient and dedicated employees
- More employees
- Choice between traditional and modern healthcare, no prejudice between the two
Worst :
- More expensive
Education
Better :
- Real culture of personal development
- Aim for the best
- First school is not a babysitting place, it’s where learning starts
- Less or no babysitting required
- Many baby/child friendly places
Worst :
- Very expensive !
- Big burden for kids, starting early
Administration
Better :
- So quick, no comparison possible (10 minutes for obtaining national number for our daughter)
- Lot of employees that smiles and are nice (yes it could be)
Worst :
- You should speak Korean, it helps 😀
Ambiance/Population
Better :
- Apparently less social status division
- More respect
- Less touching between people
Worst :
- More division between generations/age
Work
Better :
- Risk friendly / fast environment
- More innovation, less tax
Worst :
- Less protection
- Too much hierarchy
- Less less vacations
I’ll edit and correct this article from time to time.
Please give me your opinion on the real fact.
Did I forget a category ?