Lost & Found

The story you're about to hear could only happen in Korea. I've heard many stories similar to mine - I'm not the only foreigner to get lucky...

The story begins when I was on my way back to Pohang from a trip to Daegu. I take a taxi from my hotel to the bus terminal, a bus to the Pohang terminal then a city bus to my neighborhood. When I got on the city bus I realized that I don't have my cell phone. I search my bag and jacket pockets but there's no sign of it. At that time I didn't even know where I had lost it.

Ten months ago I would likely be frantic that I'd lost my phone (although I probably would have been on my phone therefore wouldn't have lost it) but I wasn't very concerned. Finding it would save me some money but if I never found it it wouldn't be the end of the world. It didn't help that the battery was close to dying.

I am lucky and have a wonderful Korean friend who called my phone over and over. After the eighth call, the bus driver called her back! He would be returning to Pohang later that evening and would leave it at the bus terminal!

My friend graciously drove me there later that night (a very kind thing to do, as gas is just as expensive here as it is in America right now). My phone was rescued! She told me that if a Korean lost their cell phone or wallet, the person who finds it usually demands a cash money reward in lieu of the lost items.

Only in Korea does your cell phone get returned to you - the same day it was lost!

Note: My Korean cell phone didn't cost much more than $40. 

Pretty sure I wouldn't pay that much to have it returned..