Day 1: Off to Korea

Our 13-hour flight took off at 1:10 a.m. Saturday out of Los Angeles, and we flew the whole way to Korea in darkness, landing at 6 a.m. local time in Incheon just as the sun began to peek over the Yellow Sea.

Ten years ago, Incheon was better known for its place in Korean War history. But it's now the site of an international airport, and major development is creeping like kudzu along the specially built highway that links the airport and Seoul, about an hour to the east.

There's much going on here, from a presidential election next month to a special delegation of Americans who've just landed in North Korea in hopes of looking over the nuclear reactor that's caused so much international turmoil.

So I thought that I'd give you a quick update on several subjects, based on personal observation and a seminar that I attended just before takeoff on Saturday.

First impressions

I make it a habit of finding a cheap cell phone when I visit abroad. When I was signing up in Korea, I was asked whether I wanted to see television on my cell phone. And, if so, how many channels? In essence, that gives you a sense of this place. They're way ahead in many areas. There's a washer-dryer in my hotel room, which is something that I never seen in a standard room. On the plane ride, I could choose between five dozen movies to watch instantly at my kiosk in coach. The internet is available everywhere and often free. The streets, highways and bridges are relatively new. This is a culture of politeness and respect: A Korean Air stewardess and pilot bowed as I disembarked the plane, and so did the bell man at the hotel. And I've driven through Downtown, on both sides of the river, and am amazed at the cleanliness. And one more thing: Tipping is considered a no-no.

Economy

I've seen few American or Japanese cars. That symbolizes the determination of this country, which grew at roughly 9 percent from the early 1960s to the mid 1990s. They have taken advantage of the massive post Korean War aid, upgraded their education systems and infrastructure and put in place protectionist policies. They've grown companies like Samsung and Hyundai, and are now the world's 11th largest economy. But the economy has slowed to a growth of 4-5 percent annually, and that's got folks wanting change.

Presidential politics

There is consensus that the conservative former mayor of Seoul, Lee Myung-bak, will win the presidential elections on December 19. He is running a campaign that has “7-4-7” as its symbol. He wants 7 percent economic growth. He wants a per capita income of $40,000. And he wants to move the country to the world's 7th largest economy.

But there's a banking scandal that could trip him up, and even cause him to withdraw from the race.

A potential witness is in the U.S. and the speculation here is whether he will be extradited. If he is returned to Korea, it must be before December 3.

That's the last date when the national parties can legally change candidates.

If Lee is forced to withdraw in the next month, two scenarios are possible: the conservatives will unite behind a last-minute substitute. Or they'll be split and another liberal will win the presidency.

US relations

When anything goes wrong here, the United States is often blamed…at least in part. I passed by the embassy today and police were assembling in preparation for what has become a regular protest. But there's also a strong desire on the part of the public and government to keep our troops in position at the DMZ to protect against a possible invasion from the North.

Housing

Mortgages and rental payments are growing concepts here. A nice two-bedroom apartment runs about $1.5 million, and buyers pay in full. If you're renting, you give several hundred thousand dollars to the landlord, and the landlord gets to invest it as long as you live in the apartment. When you leave, you get the money back. But rising prices, and the number of young still living with parents, is causing the government to push the concept of mortgages into the culture.

The food

Yes, there seems to be a Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts on every corner. But I'm finding that it's easier to eat healthy. This morning, I had rice porridge mixed with green tea leaves and fresh fruit. I washed it down with red ginseng tea. Quite by accident, I've found it's great medicine for jet lag. And when you're moving to a time zone that's 15 hours ahead of Kansas City, you need all of the help that you can get.

Editor's Note: For the next two weeks, Star editor Randy Smith will be traveling with a dozen U.S. journalists in both North and South Korea. The trip, set up through the Gatekeeper Editor's program with the International Reporting Project, provides journalists with a glimpse of countries often in the news but not well covered. Look for regular updates at KansasCity.com. Send questions or comments to him at rsmith@kcstar.com.