Due to my job, I frequently travel and often use LAX. Some call LAX the "gateway to the western United States," while others shake their heads and refer to it as "the most chaotic airport in the world."

Where do all these people come from? Are they Americans or foreigners? How many come from Korea?

The airport is bustling every day. People taking selfies in front of the departure area, those looking for family in the arrival area, speaking English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, French... LAX truly feels like a 'global language expo.'

On average, over 200,000 people come and go through LAX each day. Before the pandemic, more than 80 million people used it annually. According to 2024 statistics, that number is nearly approaching again. Of those, about 30% are international passengers, while the remaining 70% are domestic travelers. So, simply put, roughly over 60,000 people enter LAX from abroad each day.

On average, over 1.5 million foreign arrivals come through LAX each month. Annually, about 18 million people enter from abroad. Notably, the highest number of visitors comes from Mexico, Canada, the UK, Japan, Korea, and China. Interestingly, the proportion of visitors from Korea to LAX is quite high.

There are about 5 to 7 direct flights from Korea to LAX daily, specifically from Incheon (LAX–ICN). Various airlines cover this route, including Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, American Airlines (codeshare), Delta, and United, with occupancy rates often exceeding 90% during summer or winter breaks.

Especially, Korean Air serves as a major hub at LAX, with flights departing more than twice a day. There are days when flights arrive in the early morning and around noon... I often arrive in the early morning and have gotten used to seeing the sunrise after clearing customs.

Flights from Incheon typically take about 10 to 11 hours, but upon arrival at LAX, the customs process feels slow enough to make you think, 'Ah, I'm in America.'
Of course, these days, the introduction of automated passport control kiosks has sped things up a bit, but it still takes about 40 minutes to stand in line, 20 minutes for luggage to come out, and an hour and a half to exit the airport... it's a tradition that hasn't changed much.

Honestly, LAX can be overwhelming the first time you go. There are signs, but it's complicated, the connections between terminals can be confusing, and after retrieving your luggage, you have to walk quite a distance to catch an Uber...
However, I find this airport fascinating because it's a place where so many different stories converge.

Traveling back and forth to Korea for business, I sometimes feel that an airport is not just a 'means of transportation' but a living community. Tens of thousands of people from around the world gather in the same space, each with their own purposes and stories, only to disperse again.

And somehow, having LAX in the midst of all this makes me feel proud and a bit emotional.

The planes flying to LA LA land and the many flights departing to other regions... and the countless stories of the people on board are like a place where a chapter begins and closes.