[Current & Culture] Thoughts on the Worst Commute Ever

It is said that the recent rain was the worst downpour ever recorded in weather observations. The metropolis of Seoul was paralyzed, and especially in the Gangnam area where even more rain poured, an unbelievable spectacle unfolded. There were numerous accounts of commutes that usually take less than an hour but took several hours. I, too, think I will not easily forget the morning commute on August 9.

Usually, I drive to work, but having heard from the previous day’s news that various parts of the city were flooding and major roads were being closed, I decided to take the subway. The notorious Line 9, which is always packed during rush hour, at least got me to work on time, for which I was grateful. However, this time even the subway couldn’t hold up. I found out on my way back to the station that the Line 9 route near Gangnam had been suspended. It was the first time in my memory that subway service was halted due to rain, so I was quite taken aback. Seeing the rain still pouring heavily, a fear crept in that I might be late for the broadcast. I ran to the bus stop, but many roads were flooded, and the bus routes to my workplace had been temporarily changed, with restricted areas increasing by the minute. I couldn’t trust the buses either. After debating between a taxi and driving myself, I finally ran home and started my car.

During the long commute, I had this thought: although this was an unusually long and arduous commute for me, there must be many workers who spend more than two hours commuting every day. It was a moment that made me realize the importance of living close to work. This issue is also the starting point of real estate policy. We need to seriously consider which is better and where to place more emphasis between horizontal expansion through large-scale supply of new housing and vertical expansion. Horizontal expansion refers to turning natural green spaces around the city into new towns, while vertical expansion means developing the city center or existing residential areas with high density. If neither is completely right, we must coldly compare the pros and cons of both, but so far, only political slogans have been rampant, and serious discussions have been insufficient.

I also had a different perspective on the effectiveness of remote work. In the past, I worried that the spread of remote work would reduce quality jobs?those that pay well and offer job security. But now my thinking has changed. Wouldn’t it be better to create more jobs even if the quality is lower? If seven people earning an average salary working remotely can do the work that five people with high salaries have to do by commuting to the office, which employment method is better? This, too, will be a heated debate and therefore a topic that requires thorough discussion.

That day, after running between the subway station and bus stop and then driving into the chaos, I ended up being late for the broadcast. Fortunately, it was a recorded schedule, not live. I thought I should select some rain songs and jotted down a few candidates. The likely choices were “Together in the Rain” originally by Geum and Eun and re-sung by Naul, Psy’s “Because It’s Raining,” and Beast’s “On Rainy Days,” but in the end, I didn’t play any rain songs. Instead, I chose “You Did Well Today” by Oksang Dalbit. For the long-distance commuters who silently endure the tough and tedious journey every day. Thank you for your hard work today!

Lee Jae-ik, Novelist

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.