The Korean Way (1): palli, palli!

Today I was amazed to watch the three young Korean guys from a furniture company, dressed in smart olive and grey uniforms, working in our apartment in Seoul. They arrived 10 a.m. with a new bookshelf in three cardboard boxes. Four and a half minutes later they rolled in place into my office. To see a group of people working when they are used to eachother is like watching an old married couple. Nobody had to say anything – well, they talked all the time, but not about what they were doing. That went on pure routine. The cordless screwdrivers buzzed, and the flat boxes miraculously transformed into the bookshelf. At times it reminded me of a circus perfomance, or showdancing. There was rythm and coordination. Work can be beautiful. And fast.

This is not always the case. In the afternoon our electrician dropped by to change the halogen bulbs in the master bathroom. He had picked up new ones in the market. The second he put one in it exploded. He had failed to notice that he got 12 volt bulbs, not 220 volt. Fast in, fast out. He'll be back tomorrow.

But the concept in both cases is very Korean: palli–palli! The word means "fast", and speed is indeed very important here. To me it often looks like speed is much more important than quality, or indeed the result. But in a way it is understandable. They have to catch up, at least that is the goal for most Koreans. And to a large extent they have succeded in catching up. While the Western world is lagging, Korea is the shining example of what can be achieved. If you work palli–palli!