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| automated immigration system in Inchoen International Airport
I found a new immigration process system in Incheon International Airport. After getting security screening, I did the process using the system. It is the automated immigration process system, which means it does not use human workforces. The automated one is confined to Korean passport holders and foreigners with specific residential status. It was the first time using the system, so it took a while to learn how to use it. But I guess it will be shorter and easier to do next time. Like the automated immigration system there have been more automated systems introduced in Korea.
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| High Pass Toll Gates |
One of the most representative automated systems introduced in Korea is High Pass(하이패스). It is an automated toll paying system for high ways. If you buy a gadget for paying tolls and a prepaid card(or a registered credit card), you can use High Pass System. Even though it takes a bit of money to buy the gadget(around 25,000 won), you can get discounts and go through tollgates without stopping for getting tickets. Simply speaking, it is very convenient. But the system is not good for everyone. After the introduction of the system, there have been seen fewer cashier in tollgates. The jobs usually used to go to middle-aged women, but due to the introduction and extention of High Pass System, there have been fewer positions available. According to Kyunghyangshinmun(경향신문), Korea Expressway Corporation(한국도로공사) which manages the overall highway systems in Korea announced its long term restructuring plan including cutting down the number of tollgate cashiers. KEC planned to upgrade the current tolling system getting tolls by High Pass and cashiers to so called 'Smart Tolling' which uses zero human cashiers until 2020 ("한국도로공사 톨게이트 수납원 7233명 '칼바람' 예고", 경향신문 인터넷판, 2015년9월11일).
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| Mega Don Quixote in Shibuya in Tokyo |
This kinds of trend of automation and removal of jobs are seen more easily in Japan. I visited Mega Don Quixote in Shibuya in Tokyo. Don Quixote stores have almost everything I need when I travel Japan with very reasonble prices. They are, as seen in the photo above, tax free shops for foreign tourist customers. But they are quite popular among Japanese youngsters because the goods are quite cheap. They are seen almost all the main landmarks in main cities in Japan such as Tokyo and Osaka. But, I found very interesting machines in Mega don Quixote in Shibuya.
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| self cashier machine |
The machine in the photo above is not for cashiers hired but for the customers. A clerk right next to it checks the bar-codes of the goods and put them in the plastic back. Then, the customer puts in cash or use a special membership card charged with cash (called Majika) for payment. As a matter of fact, even checking the bar-codes is customers' job. Of course, the machine can be used partly because there is relatively low frequencies of shoplifting in Japan. But another thing to be pointed out is that with the machines introduced in the shops, the demand for staff decreases. Many Japanese companies have complained of the difficulty in getting workforces because of aging and shrinking of working-age population, but it doesn't seem that the situation put the people in the labor market on a more advantageous position.
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