Want to know something interesting about Korean culture? They do not believe that men and women should live together until they are married. Because of this belief, the men and women’s rooms are on different floors. To make sure that no one goes where they are not supposed to, there are elevators that only stop on the men’s floors and elevators that stop on the women’s floors. If someone tries going where they do not belong, they will have to leave the dorms, and the school can press charges for trespassing! The elevator areas are monitored every day, and the men’s elevators are right in front of the security office. They even give us these electromagnetic keys similar to a hotel key to get into the elevator areas and our rooms.
This building is unique in that it is more than just a dormitory! There is a convenience store on the first floor along with a coffee shop by the front door! In the basement, there is a gym and parking for some professors and students. There is even a clinic on the fourth floor here for all students. Because of these different amenities, the first floor is always busy with students coming and going. For residents, we have laundry rooms. While I am used to seeing a small number of washers, I was shocked to see that there are only three dryers for 300 girls! Most people hang their laundry on racks in the hallways, but I can’t bring myself to do that. I don’t want my laundry in the hallways. Laundry here only costs ₩500 or 50 cents to wash, but ₩1,000 or $1 to dry. It’s a small price to pay for a little comfort.
