Living In Korea Hits Different
Shivani Thapa
Self-employed
Ms Shivani Thapa is an experienced business leader with over 15 years of expertise in travel, tourism, go-to-market strategy, product management, and customer experience, with high-impact experience at organizations including MakeMyTrip and the Saudi Tourism Authority. Currently pursuing a Doctorate in AI and Technology, her research explores how Generative AI can enhance customer experiences, improve operational efficiency, and shape the future of the travel and tourism industry
I’ve been living in Korea for nearly 2 years now, and every single day I’m amazed by how effortlessly well-designed life is here.
It’s not about skyscrapers or high-speed trains (though those are cool too). It’s the small stuff that blows my mind — parks with outdoor gyms, public toilets everywhere (even on mountain trails!), 24/7 convenience stores that sell everything from kimbap to Band-Aids. Even forest treks have emergency buttons. Korea’s like, “You wanna climb a mountain? Go for it. We got your back.”
And the real MVPs? The halmonis and harabojis (grandmas and grandpas). Back home in India, we tell our elders to rest. Here? They’re out walking 10,000 steps a day, dressed like fashion icons, doing squats at 89, sipping coffee post-hike. Legends.
It’s inspiring, humbling, and slightly guilt-inducing when an 85-year-old overtakes you on a trail.
Korea doesn’t just build cities — it builds lifestyles.
And I’m here for it.