Phone numbers

This is just a quick post about a few interesting things I've noticed with phone numbers here. Korea, like Canada and the U.S., has mostly seven digit phone numbers. So what a surprise when I came to Daegu and found that the main prefix in my neighborhood here is 752-, the same prefix I always had growing up in Raymond! A small and random thing, but something that still got me a little excited in a weird sort of way.

What number do you call in an emergency? Well 9-1-1, of course. Unless you live in Korea. Then it would be 1-1-9. Now I know that some people find Korea a little backwards, which isn't necessarily fair (or true- they have the world's 12th largest economy), but 1-1-9? That's just too much!

While there seems to be slow but steady progress toward the warming of relations between North and South Korea (polls show that most citizens in both countries would prefer to be reunited), there is still military and political tension between the North and South. (This tension can be experienced firsthand with a visit to the DMZ: the "de-militarized zone", a two mile-wide strip of land separating the two countries). While things appear to be improving now, there have been a few incidents since the Korean War in which North Korea has dropped the proverbial cards-up-its-sleeve: like the time the South discovered a tunnel drilled from North to South which would have allowed the rapid deployment of tens of thousands of North Korean troops into Seoul in a very short time. The bottom line is that these two countries are still technically at war, and the South Korean government has measures in place so its citizens can do their part, including a national "report-a-spy" number: just dial 1-1-3.

Finally, while South Korea has been a fairly insular country and probably doesn't benefit from tourism the way other Asian countries do, they have made significant efforts to helping those Westerners who do venture here. At any time, from anywhere in the country, if you have a question, a very polite English-speaking Korean girl with a soft voice has the answer. Just dial 1-3-3-0. Need to know how to get downtown, and what bus you need to take? 1-3-3-0. Need to know how much bus tours of the city cost, and where they start? 1-3-3-0. Need to find an Indian restaurant in Daegu? You guessed it: 1-3-3-0. If you ever go on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and need to phone a friend, just dial 1-3-3-0. Chances are, they'll have the answer!