I am convinced that some small details can be much more indicative of a country’s development than GDP. Think of number of working hours per week, length of paid rest during pregnancy, or even public toilet’s cleanliness (think about it next time you travel).

Visa forms are one of these informal indicator I like to check, usually indicating a country’s worries and capacity to adapt to actual threats. Here is a small comparison between the US and Korean form:

Korean questions
Are you bringing:
5. Fake goods or other item that infringes Intellectual Property Right
7. Pornographic material (book, CDs, photos, etc…)
12. Any goods or fact that you are to declare to Customs

American questions

• are you a drug abuser or addict?
• are you […] seeking entry to engage in criminal or immoral activities?
• Have you ever been or are you now involved in espionage or sabotage; or in terrorist activities: or genocide; or between 1933 and 1945 were you involved , in any way, in persecutions associated with NAZI Germany or its allies?

The differences in approach are quite obvious. The Koreans are asking 21st century questions, the US are still thinking about World War II.

Ping me if you are around!

Pretty funny demonstration outside a train station in Seoul.

These guys were screaming something like “say no to XP, yes to Vista”.