Would Koreans be shocked if they saw the U.S Capitol building? I think the answer is yes. There are significant differences between the U.S Capitol building and Korea’s National Assembly building, which I realized during a field trip to the Michigan State Capitol. Here are three major differences: the branches of government within the building, public accessibility, and interior design.
First, Korea’s National Assembly building is used exclusively by the legislative branch. In contrast, the U.S Capitol building houses both the legislative branch and parts of the executive branch, such as the governor’s office. From my point of view, since the U.S has fifty states and different federal systems, which means it can be more efficient to deal with state-specific bills when some parts of the executive branch are gathered together with legislative branch.
Second, public access is heavily restricted in Korea. However, in the U.S., citizens can freely enter the Capitol building, even without prior appointments. Korea's National Assembly building is only accessible to people who are permitted before entrance, which means it is not easy to visit because the number of visitors are limited per day. On the other hand, the U.S capital is open every day to citizens, regardless of their own citizens as well as tourists.
Lastly, the U.S Capitol building is more historically rich and artistically designed than its Korean counterpart. U.S Capitol building has a dorm, and the inside building is decorated with fancy lights and Renaissance-style art. Furthermore, there are many historical paintings and flags. Although Korea’s National Assembly building also has a dorm style, it is more strict and flat in design, and it is not very colorful like the U.S. one.
These are three differences that I found during the field trip. I guess most Koreans would be shocked if they saw the U.S Capitol building like me. Among them, they would be jealous of the fact that is more open and friendly to citizens. -Alex
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