Smile; You're On Camera! (6/2/19)

Green space on a tiny patio in the Bukcheon district. 6/2/2019, taken by me

I have mixed feelings on how South Korea prevents crime. I was planning on being able to tie the abundance of green space to the low crime rate. Unfortunately, I don’t think that correlation works like it does in the United States. 

CCTV is everywhere. CCTV has thousands of cameras that watch for inappropriate behavior via live stream. They are on the front and back of vehicles; they monitor public spaces and are running 24 hours a day. The people of South Korea like having the cameras and would like to have more. It brings a feeling of safety to them having the cameras watching. They do not want to be monitored without knowing, so hidden cameras were protested.

I feel that the cameras, not the green spaces are the biggest deterrent to crime. Korea has a zero-tolerance policy on drug use, and the cameras seem to be doing an excellent job in keeping illegal drugs out of the country. 

The United States does not have the same tolerance in their culture for this invasion in privacy, regardless if it benefits the society as a whole. Another logistical problem in the Unites States is that it is so much bigger than South Korea. 

While this solution seems to work well for South Korea, it would likely be impossible to implement in the United States.