지난 2년 동안 KTX를 이용할 기회가 참 많았습니다. 특히 지난해 연말부터 올 한해동안은 더욱 그러했습니다. 오죽하면 “하나님이 정 총회장을 편애한다”고까지 누군가가 언급했겠습니까? 총회장의 직무상 전국을 다녀야 하는 일들을 피할 수 없는데 항상 비행기를 이용할 수도 없고 고속버스는 시간이 너무 걸리던 시절에 비하면 울산역을 이용한 KTX는 정말 하나님이 주신 사랑의 선물이란 생각이 듭니다. 게다가 특별할인을 해주던 비지니스 카드도 폐지되자 총회장 직무도 끝났으니 말입니다. “하나님, 너무 편애하는 것을 나타내시면 부끄럽습니다.^^” 나처럼 표정관리를 못하시는 하나님으로 여겨지네요.
어떤 때는 서울만해도 한 주간에 세 번 찍기도 했습니다. 부산, 동대구, 대전, 천안아산역, 광명역 등을 포함하면 일주일에도 비지니스 카드를 평균 서너 차례 이상 이용하기도 했을 것입니다. 일반실, 순방향, 역방향 좌석을 이용하기도 하고 일반실 좌석이 없거나 많이 피곤한 날은 특실을 이용하기도 하고… 특실은 공간적인 여유 때문에 덜 피곤하게 보통 느껴졌지만 좌석과 간이 테이블 사이의 간격이 너무 넓어서 책을 읽거나 아이패드를 사용하는데 오히려 불편하기도 했습니다. 요즈음 그 흔하게 사용하는 ‘인체공학적인 공간설계’ 같은 것은 생각하지 않은 것 같습니다.^^
아시다시피 특실은 승차권이 비싸다보니 약간의 부가적 혜택도 있습니다. 신문이나 잡지, 생수나 스넥(요즈음은 사라진 것도 같지만)을 제공하기도 합니다. 하지만 오늘 같은 날은 일반실 순방향을 이용하는 것이 훨씬 경제적이고 쾌적합니다. 아이패드 쓰기도 쉽고요.^^ 흔들림 때문에 본의 아닌 오타가 나지만 그것은 특실이라고 다를 것은 없습니다. 승차권 요금이 2만원 가량 차이가 나니까 3, 4천원 정도만 투자하면 신문이나 생수뿐 아니라 특실에서도 제공하지 않는 요구르트도 구입하고 취향에 맞는 스넥도 즐길 수 있으니 얼마나 감사합니까? 아내와 함께 여행을 한다면 아예 피크닉 바구니를 준비하면 금상첨화겠지요.
아, 대한민국! 얼마나 좋아졌는지 모릅니다. 특히 20세기 전반기에 태어난 저 같은 사람에게는 모든 것이 다 변한 느낌입니다. 밤새워 12시간씩 서울행 야간열차를 타본 사람이라면 누구나 공감할 것입니다. 게다가 1986년에 8년간의 유학을 마치고 귀국을 하면서 들렸던 네델란드에서 전철 티켓을 고객 스스로 지불하는 것을 보고 감동했는데, KTX에서는 개찰구도 따로 없고 자기 자리에 앉기만 하면 표를 보여달라는 검표원도 사라졌습니다. 아쉬운 것이 있다면 아무도 쳐다보지도 받아주지도 않는, 객실을 출입하는 승무원들의 허리를 굽히고 인사하는 (일제시대적 잔재?) 비인격적 관행과, 그리고 “여기는 울산역, 통도사입니다”라고 하는 억지주장까지 사라졌으면 합니다.
Over the past two years, I have had many opportunities to ride the KTX. This was especially true from the end of last year throughout this entire year. It got to the point where someone even remarked, "God clearly shows favoritism toward Moderator Jung." In fulfilling my duties as Moderator, traveling across the country was inevitable. Yet taking flights constantly was not feasible, and compared to the days when express buses took so much time, the KTX departing from Ulsan Station truly felt like a gift of God's love. Moreover, just as the Business Card that offered special discounts was discontinued, my term as Moderator also came to an end. "Lord, if You show such obvious favoritism, I feel quite shy. ^^" It makes me smile, thinking that God, much like me, cannot quite hide His delight.
At times, I visited Seoul as many as three times in a single week. If I count stops like Busan, Dongdaegu, Daejeon, Cheonan-Asan, and Gwangmyeong, I must have swiped that Business Card an average of three to four times a week. I traveled in standard class—sometimes forward-facing, sometimes rear-facing—and on days when standard seats were sold out or when I felt utterly exhausted, I would book first class... While first class usually felt less tiring thanks to the extra room, the wide distance between the seat and the fold-down tray table made reading books or using an iPad somewhat awkward. It seems they didn't quite consider the 'ergonomic design' people speak of so frequently these days. ^^
As you know, because first-class tickets are pricier, they come with a few extra perks. Newspapers, magazines, bottled water, or light snacks (though some seem to have vanished recently) are provided. Yet on a day like today, sitting in a forward-facing standard seat feels far more economical and comfortable. It is also easier to type on the iPad. ^^ Due to the train’s gentle swaying, accidental typos happen, but that is no different in first class anyway. Since the fare difference is about 20,000 won, if I simply invest three or four thousand won, I can buy not only a newspaper and bottled water, but also a yogurt drink that even first class does not offer, along with a snack suited to my taste—so how thankful I am! If traveling with my wife, packing a small picnic basket would be the icing on the cake.
Ah, South Korea! What tremendous progress our country has made. Especially for someone like me, born in the first half of the twentieth century, everything feels completely transformed. Anyone who has ever endured an all-night, twelve-hour train journey to Seoul will readily empathize. Furthermore, when returning home in 1986 after eight years of studying abroad, I stopped in the Netherlands and was deeply moved to see passengers voluntarily validating their own transit tickets. On the KTX today, there are no turnstiles, and as long as you take your assigned seat, conductors no longer come around asking to check your ticket. If I have one wish, it would be to see an end to that impersonal practice—perhaps a lingering habit from the Japanese colonial era—where train attendants bow deeply at the door even when no one looks up or acknowledges them, as well as the forced claim that announces, "This station is Ulsan Station, Tongdosa."
Gedurende die afgelope twee jaar het ek baie geleenthede gehad om die KTX te gebruik. Dit was veral so van die einde van verlede jaar af dwarsdeur hierdie hele jaar. Dit het selfs daartoe gelei dat iemand opgemerk het: "God trek vir Moderator Jung beslis voor." Vanweë my pligte as moderator was dit onvermydelik om deur die hele land te reis. Tog kon ek nie altyd per vliegtuig vlieg nie, en vergeleke met die dae toe snelbusse soveel tyd in beslag geneem het, voel die KTX vanaf Ulsan-stasie werklik soos 'n liefdesgeskenk van God. Boonop het my ampstermyn as moderator ten einde geloop net toe die Besigheidskart, wat spesiale afslag gebied het, afgeskaf is. "Here, as U my so openlik voortrek, laat dit my nogal skaam voel. ^^" Dit laat my dink aan 'n God wat, net soos ek, nie Sy vreugde kan wegsteek nie.
Soms het ek Seoul tot drie keer in 'n enkele week besoek. As ek plekke soos Busan, Dongdaegu, Daejeon, Cheonan-Asan en Gwangmyeong byreken, moes ek daardie Besigheidskart gemiddeld drie tot vier keer per week gebruik het. Ek het in gewone waens gereis—soms vorentoe kykend, soms agtertoe—en op dae wanneer daar geen gewone sitplekke beskikbaar was nie of wanneer ek baie moeg was, het ek eersteklas geneem... Eersteklas het gewoonlik minder vermoeiend gevoel danksy die ruimheid, maar die afstand tussen die sitplek en die opvoutafeltjie was so wyd dat dit nogal ongemaklik was om 'n boek te lees of 'n iPad te gebruik. Dit blyk dat hulle glad nie gedink het aan die 'ergonomiese ontwerp' waarvan mense deesdae so baie praat nie. ^^
Soos u weet, aangesien eersteklaskaartjies duurder is, bied dit 'n paar ekstra voordele. Koerante, tydskrifte, gebottelde water of ligte versnaperings (hoewel sommige deesdae blykbaar verdwyn het) word voorsien. Maar op 'n dag soos vandag is dit baie meer ekonomies en gerieflik om in 'n vorentoe-kykende sitplek in die gewone wa te sit. Dit is ook makliker om die iPad te gebruik. ^^ As gevolg van die trein se wieging sluip daar soms onwillekeurige tikfoute in, maar dit is in eersteklas niks anders nie. Aangesien die kaartjieprys met sowat 20 000 won verskil, kan 'n mens met 'n belegging van net drie of vier duisend won nie net 'n koerant en gebottelde water koop nie, maar ook 'n jogurtdrankie wat selfs in eersteklas nie aangebied word nie, sowel as 'n lekker versnapering na jou smaak—hoe dankbaar is 'n mens dan nie! As ek saam met my vrou reis, sou dit die kersie op die koek wees om sommer 'n piekniekmandjie saam te neem.
Ag, Suid-Korea! 'n Mens kan jou beswaarlik indink hoeveel ons land vooruitgegaan het. Veral vir iemand soos ek, wat in die eerste helfte van die twintigste eeu gebore is, voel dit asof alles verander het. Enigiemand wat al ooit 'n twaalf uur lange nagtreinrit na Seoul deurgemaak het, sal dit volkome verstaan. Boonop, toe ek in 1986 na agt jaar se buitelandse studie teruggekeer het en in Nederland aangedoen het, was ek diep beïndruk om te sien hoe passasiers self hul eie treinkaartjies betaal en bekragtig. Op die KTX vandag is daar geen hekies nie, en solank jy op jou aangewese sitplek sit, het die kaartjiesondersoekers wat kaartjies kom kontroleer, ook verdwyn. As daar iets is waaroor ek spyt is en wat ek graag sou wou sien verdwyn, is dit daardie onpersoonlike gebruik—miskien 'n oorblyfsel uit die Japannese koloniale era—waar treinpersoneellede diep buig by die ingang van die waens selfs terwyl niemand opkyk of hulle groet nie, asook die kunsmatige aankondiging wat volhou: "Hierdie stasie is Ulsan-stasie, Tongdosa."