I Am Ashamed of South Korea

South Korea is the only country in the world where black boxes are installed in cars this extensively. Here, getting into a traffic accident often follows a predictable course—grabbing the neck and checking into an oriental medicine clinic. And no one even feels guilty about it. It’s perfectly normal to hear someone ask, “Did you check into a clinic?” when a friend mentions a minor fender bender.

There is no trust left in Korean society. Remember when people argued you should use a Galaxy instead of an iPhone because it could record phone calls? That wasn’t just about convenience—it was a reflection of a society where you have to record your calls. A country where you must always keep your dashcam running. A place where you might need to carry a voice recorder, just in case you're falsely accused.

Trust no longer exists here. And this wasn’t built in a day—it’s the cumulative result of countless rotten souls among the members of society. The police, for instance, have long lost the trust of the people through decades of mishandled cases. Today, if a citizen interacts with a police officer, they will likely record the conversation. They’ll want to do it under a CCTV camera.

It’s not a recent phenomenon for police officers to edit statements however they please. Nor is it a recent trend for people to fake injuries after minor traffic accidents and head straight to an oriental clinic. This has been going on for years. It is utterly disgraceful.

We now live in a society where even elementary school children know they’ll go to a clinic if they get into a car accident. A world where adults proudly pass down this knowledge, where hospitals advertise these services like a badge of honor, and where police officers have forfeited their credibility.

All of this is normalized by our media and accepted by our society—as if it’s completely fine.

It’s heartbreaking. It’s shameful.

I am ashamed of this country.