Foulks' Tales From Korea: Initial Thoughts and Observations

After a 35 hour journey from Chicago, passing through Hong Kong and Incheon, I arrived in my new hometown of Changwon, South Korea. Changwon is a small city (by Korean standards) near the southern coast of South Korea with a population slightly over 1 million people. In the unlikely event that Seoul is captured during a North Korean invasion, Changwon is designated as the backup capitol of South Korea.

It has now been a month since I arrived in Changwon. Being an industrial city, Changwon does not have much in the way of appealing architecture. All around the city, one can see enormous apartment complexes with many identical buildings, some as high as 20-25 stories, where a majority of the population resides. Many of the buildings in Changwon, apartment or otherwise, are grey, rectangular, concrete blocks that were presumably build with function in mind and no thought to aesthetic value. While there are some buildings where creativity was a factor in the designs (the local mall, The City 7, comes to mind), most of the visual appeal of the city comes from the mountains that surround it. No matter which way one faces in Changwon, mountains provide a pleasing backdrop for the uninspiring buildings littered around the city. I have not yet tried it, but I am told that hiking up the mountain trails offers spectacular views of Changwon and the surrounding areas and I look forward to doing just that very soon.

Apartment Complex in Changwon

Mountain View

Mountain View with Apartment Complex

Speaking of weather, I have noticed that there has been VERY little precipitation during my first month here. Even though the past few weeks have seen temperatures below the posted averages, I have only seen snow once. It was a light dusting and only lasted about 10 minutes. There was no evidence of the snow anywhere even minutes after it stopped. Most days have been clear and sunny with highs in the mid to upper single digits (celcius). Despite the colder than average weather here, I still think it is an improvement over the typical Chicago weather during the months of December and January. I can't wait for spring to arrive, however, because it seems like Changwon has much to offer for people willing to spend time outdoors.

Despite the industrial feel of much of the city, Changwon contains many parks scattered throughout its borders. This, I've read, is not common in Korean cities. During my free time this past month, I have enjoyed exploring different areas of the city and have come across a few of these parks. Whether it is a large park to be used for festivals and performances, a small pond with paths crisscrossing it, or a wooded area with Korean War monuments to be discovered here and there, these parks seem like relaxing, scenic, areas which also add to the visual appeal of Changwon. When the temperatures warm up a little, I may bring my Kindle to some of these areas to relax and enjoy a little fresh air from time to time.