Life in the Fast Lane: Why South Korea Is the World’s Most Impatient (and Efficient) Country
If you visit Korea, you will learn one phrase before you even learn “Hello.”
That phrase is “Palli-Palli” (빨리빨리).
It literally translates to “Hurry, Hurry!” and it is not just a phrase; it is the national anthem of daily life.
If you are coming from a country where waiters take their time, where the internet buffers, or where getting a driver’s license takes three weeks, Korea is going to feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine set to 2x speed.
But why is this country so obsessed with speed? Is it just about caffeine, or is there something deeper? As a local, let me take you on a high-speed tour of why Korea is arguably the fastest country on Earth—and why you’ll never want to leave.
1. The Internet Speeds Will Ruin You for Anywhere Else
Let’s start with the obvious. Korea consistently ranks as having the fastest internet connection speeds in the world. In many countries, you click a link and take a sip of coffee while it loads. In Korea, if a webpage takes more than 3 seconds to load, we assume the computer is broken. Wi-Fi is everywhere—on the subway, deep underground in tunnels, and even on hiking trails on top of mountains. Once you experience downloading a full 4K movie in the time it takes to tie your shoes, going back to “normal” internet feels like torture.
2. The “Rocket” Delivery Culture (Coupang)
Amazon Prime is fast, but Korean delivery is basically teleportation. We have something called “Dawn Delivery”. You can order groceries, a new laptop, or fresh eggs at 11:00 PM tonight, and they will be waiting at your front door by 7:00 AM tomorrow morning. And it’s not just goods. You can order fried chicken to a specific tree in the middle of a park by the Han River, and the delivery driver will find you. The infrastructure is built so that you never have to wait for anything.
3. The Elevator “Close” Button
This is a quirky habit that perfectly sums up the Korean mindset. Watch a Korean get into an elevator. Their finger will instinctively hover over the “Close Door” button. The second they step in, they smash that button repeatedly. Waiting the standard 5 seconds for the door to close automatically? Ain’t nobody got time for that. We save those 5 seconds to get to our desks faster. It’s not rude; it’s just efficiency!
4. Bureaucracy That Actually Works
If you have ever been to the DMV in the US or a government office in Europe, you know the pain of waiting. In Korea, government services are shockingly fast. You can renew a passport, get a bank card issued, or register an address often in under 20 minutes. Many certificates can be printed instantly from automated kiosks at subway stations 24/7. We treat government paperwork like a pit stop in Formula 1 racing.
5. The Historical Reason: Survival Mode
So, why are we like this? It comes down to history. After the Korean War in the 1950s, South Korea was one of the poorest nations in the world. To survive and catch up with the global economy, the entire nation had to work harder and faster than everyone else. This period, known as the “Miracle on the Han River,” embedded a sense of urgency into our DNA. Speed became a symbol of competence and success. We run fast because, for a long time, we had to run to survive.
6. The Coffee Fuel
You cannot maintain this speed without fuel. Korea has the highest density of coffee shops per capita in the world. We drink Iced Americanos (“Ah-Ah”) even in freezing winter blizzards. Why? because hot coffee takes too long to cool down, and we need the caffeine now. It is the gasoline that keeps the Palli-Palli engine running.
Final Thoughts
Living in Korea can feel intense. You might feel like you are always rushing. But there is a beauty in the efficiency. It is a society that respects your time. It removes the friction from daily tasks so you can focus on what matters (like eating more K-BBQ).
So, if you visit Korea, tie your shoelaces tight and get ready to move. We don’t walk here; we power-walk!