Rate all twelve
Two questions each: how surprising it was, and how good you think it is. Skip anything you have not run into — “I did not come across this in Korea” is a real answer here, not a gap to fill in.
Rating 6 or more is what puts your session into the sample the ranking is built from. That threshold exists so that every item is judged by the same people rather than by whoever happened to land on its page.
Everyday safety
Walking alone late at night, and leaving a phone or laptop unattended in a café.
Public transport
Clean, punctual subways and buses — with free transfers between them on one card.
Convenience stores
Open around the clock, with hot meals and snacks people genuinely queue for.
Delivery speed
Food arriving in well under an hour — even to a picnic mat on the Han River.
Table call buttons
Press-to-order buttons at your table, and the utensil drawer built into it.
Free side dishes
Banchan you never ordered, refilled as often as you like, at no charge.
Public Wi-Fi and charging
Free Wi-Fi on buses and subways, and wireless charging pads at stops and benches.
Digital door locks
Keypad or fingerprint locks on almost every home and rental — no metal keys.
Public restrooms
Free, clean and easy to find — and most have a heated bidet seat.
The 24-hour city
Cafés, restaurants and PC bang gaming cafés still open at 4 a.m.
Jjimjilbang
A 24-hour bathhouse and sauna complex where you can also sleep overnight.
Scissors for meat
Kitchen scissors used at the table to cut grilled meat, kimchi and noodles.