‘Hurry, hurry’ culture helped build South Korea. But it’s deadly for bus commuters

The death of a 21-year-old after her arm was stuck between the doors of a bus has led to national scrutiny over drivers speeding and braking without considering passengers’ safety

Reforms have made some difference, but an expert says the ‘hurry, hurry’ mindset remains ingrained – with rushing commuters also likely to injure themselves, too

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A bus rushes past a pedestrian crossing in Seoul. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 2:00pm, 28 Mar 2021Updated: 2:14pm, 28 Mar 2021

South Korea’s “hurry, hurry” culture has propelled the country’s economic development and given rise to its renowned service culture, but the mindset is not without side effects. These include a corporate culture notorious for overworking employees, as well as stressed-out students racing to catch up academically – and it also takes a deadly toll on the country’s commuters, particularly those on buses.

In January, 21-year-old Kim Jung-eun was killed when her arm was stuck between the doors of a bus, which dragged her for more than 10 metres before she fell and was crushed by its back tyre. The 62-year-old driver was charged with professional negligence resulting in death or accidental homicide.

“If the driver made sure the passenger got off or merely waited for three seconds for the passenger to get off the bus, there wouldn’t have been such an unnecessary and futile death,” Kim’s older sibling wrote in a national petition asking for bus safety protocols to be strengthened, and harsher punishments for bus accidents. The petition garnered more than 35,500 signatures.

According to lawyer Jung Kyung-il who was interviewed on YTN Radio in January, the penalties for bus accidents resulting in death due to reckless driving were usually a prison sentence of less than two years, or settlement money. Under existing laws, the driver of the bus involved in Kim’s death faces a maximum of five years in jail, or a maximum penalty of 20 million won (US$17,500).

Commuters board a bus in the city of Paju, where 21-year-old Kim Jung-eun died earlier this year. Photo: David D. Lee

Translated in Korean as ppalli, ppalli, South Korea’s “hurry, hurry” mindset came about when the country was rushing to catch up with developed Western nations. The economic revitalisation programmes of the 1960s, its pioneering Covid-19 drive-through clinics and its world-class internet speeds that are accessible from virtually anywhere inside South Korea are some of its results.