Time is of the essence in Korea. That is reflected in their transportation systems, and everyday lifestyles. Usually, their weekdays will be jam-packed with work from morning to evening, while their weekends are jam-packed with vacation plans. If you take a look at the transportation system in Korea, their railroad system is one of the most technologically advanced systems in the world, rarely not being on time, and fast and convenient. Mostly everyone travels by subway, but for those that drive, their driving reflects the importance of time to them as well. From personal experience, driving in Korea is pretty hectic as driving regulations are often broken, e.g. running red lights, barely waiting for pedestrians to cross by. I remember riding in a taxi cab one time where the stationed driver didn't want to wait for the light to turn green thus took a left turn on a three way intersection on a red light.
Even their restaurants are very focused around the importance of time. There are many street restaurants in Korea, as they revolve around providing either portable food or very quick service food. Most Koreans are in-and-out of the restaurant in less than 20 minutes unless going out after work, or meeting with friends. But during the workday, food needs to be portable and it needs to be quick.
In short, Koreans are not looking to waste much time outside their work during the weekdays and are extremely focused on making the most out of their day.
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