When I first visited the United States in the 1970s, I was deeply impressed by the extraordinary friendliness of the Americans. Indeed, they were so nice and friendly that I felt comfortable no matter where I went. When I called a company, for example, the customer service representative was amazingly helpful and friendly. At the time, even airport immigration officers, police officers and Department of Motor Vehicles officials were kind and friendly. So I came to love America wholeheartedly. 

After 9/11, however, America seems to have changed. In his famous graphic novel, “In the Shadow of No Towers,” Art Spiegelman laments: “After 9/11, everything has changed in America.” On arriving at an American airport, foreign visitors cannot help but feel that they are treated as potential terrorists. Of course, the tightened security is understandable after such a major catastrophe. Yet, foreign visitors are embarrassed at the atmosphere of hostility pervading American airports. It is regrettable that a visitor’s first impression of America is ruined at the port of entry.

When I was teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, soon after 9/11, I once saw a police officer aiming his gun at an unarmed pedestrian in the street. I did not know what the situation was, but I found it a bit excessive. When I visited a DMV office in Berkeley, I found the officials there outrageously unfriendly and even rude. Perhaps the West Coast was different from the East Coast where I used to live. Yet, what I found in Berkeley in 2006 was no longer the America I used to know.

When I visited Kyoto, Japan, in the mid-1980s, I was touched by the extremely courteous and friendly Japanese people. I still vividly remember the amazingly polite and kind cab driver who took me to Palace-side Hotel. Not only the taxi driver but also the hotel receptionist and the salesgirls at department stores were nice and friendly. Thanks to those people, my stay in Kyoto was so pleasant that I instantly fell in love with the friendly city. It was love at first sight.

Recently, I revisited Kyoto and this time, I felt that Japan had changed too. The taxi drivers were still kind, but not as nice and friendly as before. I could sense their pride instead of modesty. Some of the Japanese people seemed to have become hardhearted due to the recent tsunami, earthquakes and the nuclear plant disaster, all of which hurt their pride seriously. It was regrettable to see the charming merits of the Japanese people, such as thoughtfulness, politeness and friendliness, fade away slowly.

These days, I think that Korea has become a rather friendly nation, just like America and Japan were in the past. When you call a company, customer service representatives answer your questions with surprising friendliness. When you shop at a department store, you will find the saleswomen extremely friendly too. Wherever I go these days, I am frequently impressed by the friendliness of the Korean people. Of course, there are still those who are surly and rude in our society, and yet the Korea I used to know is gone now. In its place, we see an astonishingly friendly nation instead.

The other day, I went to the DMV in Gangnam, Seoul, to renew my driver’s license. The receptionist and the clerk were so friendly and helpful. To my surprise, I received my new license within 15 minutes. In other countries, you normally need to wait for a week or so before receiving a renewed license by mail. Besides, DMV officials in many countries are known to be notoriously unfriendly and authoritarian.

A recent visit to the Seoul National University Hospital left me shocked and awed. It was like a five-star hotel in every sense. When my car pulled over, a doorman opened the car for me with friendly greeting remarks. The staff members, including the receptionists, technicians, nurses and doctors, were also so nice and friendly that I felt I was in a luxury hotel where I was being waited on courteously. They kept smiling at me and painstakingly explained to me everything until I understood each minute detail. I was touched because the once notoriously authoritarian SNU Hospital had transformed into a patient’s paradise. This would be unimaginable 10 or 20 years ago.

A few days ago, I visited the Dong-A Socio Group. During my brief stay, I was impressed by the extraordinary friendliness of the people, from chairman Kang Shin-ho and the middle-aged executive directors to the younger staff members. I was particularly impressed by the vision of chairman Kang who had succeeded in globalizing his companies. To him, “globalization” meant a customer friendly attitude, open-mindedness, cultural understanding, and a global mindset.

Naturally, Korea has its share of rotten apples, like shady cab drivers who try to rip off foreign tourists. Nevertheless, the country is rapidly and radically changing into a nice and friendly nation. This change is surely one of the catalysts that can help make Korea’s future bright and shiny.

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and the president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. — Ed.