Pedal to metal in the morning

The following is a tip on traditional Korean language and customs in response to a query from Mr. Hughes, who wrote to us from Cheonan, South Chungcheong province:

Q. Mr. Hughes:
I drive to and from my job located 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) outside Cheonan. For the most part, I find Korean drivers pretty good, but I am shocked at the number of drivers who run red lights ― particularly in the early morning hours before 8:30. Quite often, they don’t even slow down for a red light. I can count on one hand the number of police cars, so I have come to the conclusion that the police do not consider this a problem, but it sure scares me. I can only assume this is an accepted practice. Is my assumption correct?

A. IHT-JAD:
It seems that Korean drivers ignoring traffic signals during less busy hours is not only common in Cheonan but in other major cities as well. Police do enforce Korean traffic regulations; when caught, drivers get ticketed. An ongoing national campaign urges drivers to abide by the rules, even when they don’t spot a police cruiser.