There are two South Koreas. One is characterized by glossy Seoul and its high-tech plans for the future, the other may be found beneath the canopy of infrastructure which is going up around the country and is still building on the rubble of the past.
Seoul was largely destroyed by the so-called "Forgotten" or Korean War which raged from 1950 to 1953, when it changed hands between the southern and northern forces four times. As a result, most of what you see now is just one generation old.
The only city in South Korea that was not taken by North Korea was Busan, in the south of the country, that is now aiming to be a hub of e-commerce for Asia but has a more traditional flavor. In Busan and elsewhere, there are little pagodas in the parks and along sidewalks that are for women to smoke under, since older residents disapprove of women smoking, especially in public.
In Seoul, where nearly 40 percent of South Koreans now live, such issues seldom intrude and women smoke and drink freely. The new image of South Korea -- projected by the World Cup and Asian Games -- is of gleaming stadiums, everything up to date, prosperous, a player.
South Korea's economy has grown remarkably. Forty years ago the country was a wreck after occupation and civil war, but is now comparable with the lesser economies of Europe in terms of individual prosperity (GDP per head is US$10,550). It builds boats, deals in steel and is proud of being the most Internet-literate country in the world.
At the World Cup and Asian Games there were many individuals and groups that were keen to spread the word about South Korea. They ranged from relentlessly optimistic youths in "We the Red" T-shirts, to more radical and older people who resented the presence of US soldiers, still hated Japan after its brutal occupation of 1910 to 1945, and feared China.
Others, such as Lee Woo-jung, the assistant development team manager of the Bright Smile Movement, said South Koreans had not, by custom, smiled for 500 years and their group had a teacher who was a "Master of 1,000 expressions" and was helping the country learn to smile.
"In the Chosun Dynasty (from 1392) it was not fashionable to smile as this could have meant that you were not serious about something, or it could have meant that you were laughing at a person in authority," Lee said, "Korea has not smiled since then. Our smiling faces disappeared and now we have to learn to do it all over again."
Having fun, however, does not seem to be a problem. Wherever you are in South Korea people stay up late, but Seoul rarely sleeps.
In the entertainment areas with their flashy bars and Internet cafes, a multitude of restaurants and amusement arcades compete for the attention of the younger crowds. Businessmen trawl the streets in search of hof or beer bars and often enough find a karaoke bar in which to throw around their money.
Koreans, South Koreans are fond of reminding you, work harder than anyone else and they are proud of their achievements.
Young housewives populate the sleek and hyper-air conditioned shopping malls during the day. Computer markets and warehouses are open 24-7 and attract a mixed crowd. Youths rule in the cybercafes and arcades. K-pop, K-TV, soaps and a thriving film business has given South Korea a cachet of cool in Asia.
But South Korean-born American businessman Moon Bae-kyoung -- who has returned from the US to his roots in order to do consultancy work for local government -- has another take on the South Korean success story.
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