Korea is like 1950's America.

Everything in Korea is made in Korea.

Cars, electronics, appliances, furniture, windows, doors, ships, tools, toys, toilets, faucets, heavy construction equipment...pretty much anything you can find in Korea, is made in Korea.

The economy is booming.

Korean electronics are in high demand. Its car industry is growing. In 2011, Korea built more ships than any other country in the world, including China. Bridges, roads and highways are being built on a massive scale, and they're being built fast. People enjoy a vastly improved standard of living from just 30 years ago.

Customer service is great.

Have you ever seen one of those videos from a 1950's gas station, where every car that pulls in gets the full treatment (windows wiped down, oil & tires checked, etc.) by a couple of smiling, clean-cut workers in uniform? Well, Korea isn't quite that good, but it's not far off. Seriously, it's weird.

The ever-present (but not really real) threat of a nuclear war with a non-democratic country that spends way too much on its military, and is obsessed with building rockets.

One key difference being that 1950's Russia was able to build rockets that actually worked.

Wallpaper is in.

Everyone is clean shaven.

Ancient Koreans often grew beards, goatees, and mustaches, but modern day Korean men shave daily. Facial hair is rare; stubble unheard of.

Men wear suits, ties, hats, and slacks--even when they don't have to.

Everybody smokes, and they smoke everywhere.

Not only do people light up everywhere, but it is actually less socially acceptable for women to smoke than men. I've never witnessed it personally, but others who've lived in Korea longer than I swear they've seen grown women publicly scolded for smoking while walking down the street.

All drugs are believed to be equal / evil.

Except for the kind prescribed by a doctor, administered at a hospital, or bought at a pharmacy. Or the ones for sale at the corner store, or at the coffee shop. Or at a restaurant, or a bar. Those ones are OK. Forget what all these so-called “scientists” say with their “studies.” The drugs that have been arbitrarily chosen to be illegal are bad because they say they're bad. Now go get fall-down, throw-up, piss-yourself drunk. That's fine.

Smoky pesticides are sprayed from trucks in public, and children play in the plumes. Everyone is assured they are safe.

Boys are free to play with toy guns wherever they like.

Television is a big deal.

It seems that television is still a pretty novel thing here in Korea. TV's are everywhere, and it's virtually impossible to go anywhere without having several screens there. Every restaurant in Korea has at least 2 TV's on at all times. Soap operas (called “dramas” here) are wildly popular. Some even air during primetime on Saturday night. Another big genre are comedy / variety shows, which are terrible. There's also a disturbing number of shows about people (some vaguely famous) sitting around eating meals together. I'm not saying that American TV was (or is) any better, but it seems that just about anything will pass for entertainment on Korean television.

It's not okay to be openly gay.

That's right, if someone comes out in Korea they will be ruined socially, professionally, and probably disowned by their family. No joke.

SPAM is popular.
 

People have milk delivered to their homes; there's even a special little door for it.

Coca-Cola is served in glass bottles in restaurants.  

Ever see one of those fitness machines that's just a belt that wraps around a person's waist and vibrates? Gyms in Korea have those, & people actually use them.