Matt Kim (@mattkim1)

I’ve been living immersed in South Korea for the last month with my wife and daughter. We just leave the stroller outside if we go in anywhere. Because no one’s going to steal it. I met a friend for lunch. He rode his bicycle. He just left it outside in an alley without a lock. It was still there 2 hours later. Another friend mistakenly left his phone on a park bench. When he finally retraced his steps and went back 4 hours later, his iPhone was still there. I walked by a KPop concert. The fans who traveled from outside of Seoul to attend just left their luggage outside the subway station. No locks. No security. Koreans take this for granted. They don’t realize this is not normal for most the world, especially America. When I ask about it, they just respond, “of course, why would someone take it?” Can you imagine any of these things happening or being possible in NYC or LA or *insert city*? And IF, something were to be stolen in Korea, the police would investigate. Because in a high trust society, rules and norms matter. There’s no “under $1000” law. Theft is theft. And trust is trust. Will this social norm ever be possible in America?