Before and After...

Last weekend we went out on the town with our friend to see the downtown area during the light and snow sculpture festival. It was nice to get out and see another part of the city and enjoy the winter fever. There were lights, ice skating, ice sculptures, and tons of people. The highlight of the night was this creepy pink creature who takes pictures with kids attacking me. Yun Hi wanted a picture with it and I agreed, and then it started attacking me in not so child-appropriate way...
Next we walked down the street to a river trail. It was really beautiful, a nicely lit river below the buildings of downtown. There were lots of families out despite the freezing weather. We came across these old pictures hanging under one of the bridges (only in Korea could a city leave pictures hanging under a bridge without being harmed). The pictures were fascinating because they were of this area over the past 100 years. This one I posted in from about 50 years ago.... Korea has come a long way. It is amazing to think that Seoul (and all of South Korea) was completely destroyed during the Korean War, and now it feels like a normal metropolitan area. The Korean government really worked some economic wonders, considering how far they have come. They used the aid money to start a number of companies that produce almost everything that Korea needs, providing jobs and supporting their own needs and economy. Most things in Korea that you buy are local because they are cheaper and of good quality. As I watch the economy in my own country go to shit I can't help but respect the economic policy that was put in place here after the war, and the ways they try to protect it. For example, by Korean law, movie theaters can only show a certain amount of foreign films and are required to show Korean films in order to protect the thriving movie industry. Foreign goods are very expensive while local products remain affordable, making the Korean people the winners, rather than the corporations. I wish I could say the same for my country. Maybe next November I will be able to :)