Reading my recent column , “ Seven enigmas of Korea to Westerners , ” Ogan Gurel , a medical doctor who had been affiliated with Harvard and Columbia until recently joining Samsung , sent me feedback in which he insightfully compared the Korean enigmas with American culture . As for the first enigma concerning candlelight vigils , Dr . Gurel writes : “ There were no candlelight vigils when Ronald Reagan died , or Richard Nixon . .. But vigils spark up , sometimes even on a national basis , when some five - year - old is raped and murdered by a pedophile , or in the wake of the latest school massacre . ” As his observation correctly indicates , candlelight vigils in America are primarily held to cherish the memory of those who met abrupt , tragic deaths . In contrast , Korean candlelight vigils are primarily staged for political purposes , rather than as a requiem for the deceased . Critics maintain that the political masterminds who pull the strings from behind conspire to kindle the wrath of the people against their government or to stir up anti - Americanism for political gain ; as for the dead , they could not care less . The second enigma is the antagonistic confrontation between left and right . Dr . Gurel points out that America is no exception , lamenting , “ The level of red / blue animosity is stupefying . ” Indeed , since the Bush administration and 9 / 11 , the United States has been sharply torn between Red States and Blue States . But the increasing political polarity in the U . S . is primarily due to the gridlock between liberals and conservatives . In Korea , however , polarization stems from the antagonism between pro - North Korean radical socialists and pro - American conservative capitalists . The third enigma is the irreducible chasm between the countless hours Korean students spend studying English , and their lack of English proficiency . “ I must say this is truly a mystery to me , ” confesses Dr . Gurel . “ Koreans are among the most studious , educated , hard - working and intelligent people I have ever met . But the majority seems incapable of even uttering a single word of English . ” He laments that in today ’ s world where English has become “ the staple of world culture ” and considering “ the prodigious Korean intellectual talents , ” this phenomenon is a “ deep mystery that demands some resolution . ” The fourth enigma is the generosity towards “ useless ” celebrities . Dr . Gurel says that such a phenomenon is endemic in America as well . He laments : “ Some of the smartest Americans I know , fellow Harvard grads included , have unwittingly succumbed to celebrity worship . ” According to Dr . Gurel , in the U . S . , “ dollars and dotage is doled out to a baseball player ( someone who knows how to connect a wooden stick to a white ball ) . ” Likewise in Korea , money is doled out to a soccer player ( someone who knows how to connect his foot to a ball ) . Meanwhile , much less attention and allocation are given to an eminent scholar or artist . Worse , professional athletes are exempt from their compulsory military duty , while making a fortune in a foreign baseball or soccer team . It is only natural that Americans complain : “ How can you relieve athletes from their military duty , while our American soldiers are risking their lives on behalf of you in your country ? ” The fifth enigma is the driving habits of the Korean people . Dr . Gurel writes generously : “ I have actually found Korean drivers to be better than the average American driver . ” As a former resident of Boston and New York City , where aggressive drivers are rampant , Dr . Gurel must have found Korean drivers much gentler . Referring to those who drive on dark , snowy nights with no headlights on , or to those who do not use turn signals , he says : “ It used to bother me until I realized that worrying over such a prevalent habit ― bad habit , that is ― would only hasten my chances of an early cardiac death . ” Dr . Gurel stops there , but I can add two more enigmas of America to make a full set of seven . The sixth enigma is the surprisingly small offices provided to professors in the United States . The average faculty office at an American university is incredibly small . Given expansive university campuses and the size of the country itself , such a trend is indeed a deep mystery . Of course , American professors , especially those who are in the humanities or social sciences , conduct research in their study at home , not in their office at school . Nevertheless , offices are so tiny that sometimes there is no room to even turn around comfortably . The seventh enigma of America is the garbage disposal system . In many states in America , separate garbage collection is not in practice yet . So you can put all sorts of garbage , recyclables and non - recyclables , in one plastic bag . In Korea , however , garbage separation has been strictly enforced for the past few decades . It is a mystery that in such an advanced country like the United States , separate garbage collection is only partially in practice . Every country has its own enigmatic phenomena that are either embarrassing or amusing . Sometimes , two countries may share similar enigmas and at other times , contrasting ones due to cultural differences . By Kim Seong - kon Kim Seong - kon , a professor of English at Seoul National University , is president of the Association of Korean University Presses . ― Ed .