Boarding the flight and waiting for takeoff, I take advantage of this brief offline moment to reconnect with my memories of Shanghai. My connection with Shanghai began in 1997 during a summer internship abroad while in university. I never imagined that after visiting there on vacation in 2003, I would return again for a company training program. Though I’ve been to Beijing many times, I still prefer Shanghai with its unique international and free-spirited atmosphere.

During this trip, I stayed at the Hyatt Hotel in Wujiaochang, Shanghai’s bustling district. The week was incredibly fulfilling: jogging around nearby Fudan University early in the morning, and enjoying leisure time at the hotel’s pool and gym. What impressed me most was the digital systems deeply integrated into daily life, far ahead of Korea. Ordering menus via QR codes placed on every restaurant table and instantly splitting mobile payments with colleagues using 1/N looked incredibly convenient. When I offered cash to buy lens solution at an optician, my colleague burst out laughing, exclaiming, “It’s so strange to actually see physical bills!” That moment revealed a glimpse of China’s already ‘cashless society’.

Through conversations with local colleagues, I gained a deeper glimpse into their lives. Battling a two-hour round-trip commute, preferring cats as pets, and lining up for a delicious latte after lunch – these scenes weren’t vastly different from young office workers in Korea. Yet, amidst the streets brimming with convenience and glamour, I sensed a peculiar oppression and alienation. Things like the overly neat and controlled streets, the loneliness of individuals hidden within the efficiency of contactless systems. Hearing that late marriage and low birth rates are serious problems, just like in Korea, followed by a friend mentioning that the wealthy are now turning their eyes to investment immigration to Singapore, suggested a lot. Ultimately, I realized that for humans, the value of ‘freedom’ stands above any material wealth.

It brought to mind the recent incident where Shanghai, a metropolis of 25 million, was completely locked down for three months under the pretext of disease control. The sheer emptiness of shopping centers, once teeming with electric vehicles and crowds, while everyone was confined indoors, is suffocating even to imagine. The fact that the lockdown was lifted just before large-scale unrest erupted proves that humans are beings who can never be tamed by control. The words “The truth shall set you free” echo in my heart. As the plane takes off, I hope that true freedom—the soul’s thirst that no technological convenience can ever quench—will be granted to the citizens of Shanghai.