South Korea

From Wikitravel

South Korea is a country in Eastern Asia. It occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula that lies between the Yellow Sea and the East Sea (Sea of Japan). It is bordered to the north by North Korea, and Japan lies across the Korea Strait to the south.

Table of contents

1 Understand 2 Regions 3 Cities 4 Get in 4.1 By plane 4.2 Overland 4.3 By boat 5 Get around 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By bus 6 Talk 7 Buy 8 Eat 9 Drink 10 Sleep 11 Learn 12 Work 13 Stay safe 14 Stay healthy 15 Respect 16 Contact 17 External links

Understand

After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north. The Korean War (1950-53) had US and other UN forces intervene to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953 splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 20 times the level of North Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. In June 2000, a historic first north-south summit took place between the south's President KIM Dae-jung and the north's leader KIM Chong-il.

Regions

The Korean peninsula extends southward from the eastern end of the Asian continent. The peninsula is roughly 1,030 km (612 miles) long and 175 km (105 miles) wide at its narrowest point. Mountains cover 70% of Korea’s land mass, making it one of the most mountainous regions in the world. The lifting and folding of Korea’s granite and limestone base has created breathtaking landscapes of scenic hills and valleys. The mountain range that stretches the length of the east coast plunges steeply into the East Sea, while along the southern and western coasts, the mountains descend gradually to the coastal plains that produce the bulk of Korea’s agricultural crops, especially rice. The Korean peninsula is divided just slightly north of the 38th parallel. The democratic Republic of Korea in the south and communist North Korea are separated by a demilitarized zone. South Korea’s 99,500sq.km is populated by 47.9 million people (2003). Administratively, the Republic of Korea consists of nine provinces ; the capital Seoul; and the six metropolitan cities of Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon and Ulsan. In total, there are 77 cities and 88 counties .

• Kyonggi-do
• Kangwon-do
• Kyongsanbuk-do
• Kyongju
• Kyongsangnam-do
• Chollanam-do
• Cheju-do
• Chollabuk-do
• Ch'ungch'ongnam-do
• Ch'ungch'ongbuk-do

Cities

• Seoul
• Busan
• Daegu

Get in

By plane

There are 5 international airports (Seoul/Incheon, Busan, Jeju, Daeju, Chongju) in Korea. The largest international airport in South Korea is Incheon International, located approximately 45 minutes west of Seoul.

Korean Air (http://www.koreanair.com/) and Asiana (http://www.flyasiana.com/) are the principal carriers to and from South Korea.

United Airlines and Northwest Airlines serve Seoul Incheon (ICN), principally through their connecting hub in Tokyo Narita (NRT).

Overland

Due both to its location at the end of the Korean peninsula and the political situation with North Korea, entering South Korea overland is not possible. Although some crossings have occurred at the truce village of Panmunjeom, it is highly advisable not to attempt this without the advance permission of both the North Korean and South Korean governments (which is almost never given). The border between North and South Korea is considered the most heavily fortified border in the world, so expect to spend a long time in a North Korean detention facility should you survive an unsanctioned crossing.

By boat

The Pukwan Ferry Company (http://www.pukwan.co.kr/) links Busan with Shimonoseki and Hakata in Japan. These cost from $US60 (one-way). A Seoul-Osaka combination ferry/train costs $US195. There are ferry links between Incheon and Welhai, Qingdao and Tianjin in China. There are weekly departures to Vladivostok from $US270.

Get around

By plane

Domestic flights are expensive and useful mostly for connections to the island of Cheju.

By train

National train operator Korail (http://www.korail.go.kr/ROOT/main-top.top?lang=eng) connects major cities in South Korea. Of particular note are the high-speed Korea Train eXpress (http://ktx.korail.go.kr/eng/index.html) (KTX) services between Seoul and Busan via Daegu and Daejeon. The full trip currently takes 160 minutes, a figure which is expected to improve to 116 minutes by 2010 when the second stretch of high-speed track is taken into use.

Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu and Incheon also have local subway services.

By bus

Buses remain the main mode of national transport, connecting all cities and towns.

Talk

Written Korean, called Hangeul, is a phonetic writing system, similar to the Latin and Cyrillic writing systems, as opposed to the Chinese ideographic writing system. Learning how to read Hangeul before you arrive in Korea will make travelling much easier as many signs and menus are only written in it.

All Koreans have taken English lessons as part of their education; however due to lack of practice (as well as a polite shyness towards mispronunciation), many Koreans have little more than a very basic grasp of English phrases. Nonetheless, travellers can get by with English only; however it goes without saying that learning basic Korean phrases will enrich your travel experience.

A common experience for western travellers in South Korea is to be approached by children interested in practicing their English skills.

Buy

The currency of South Korea is the Won. As of mid 2004, the exchange rate was approximately US$1:KRW1200. Thus the KRW, Korea's smallest denomination, is worth approximately 1/10th of one US cent. The simplest method of calculating exchange on the run is to divide by 1000 for US$, and figure that you're getting a discount.

Korea is the ginseng capital of the world.

Eat

Korean food is delicious and very healthy, a fact attested to by the observation that very few South Koreans are overweight. Popular dishes include bulgogi, the famed Korean barbeque exported worldwide, dolsot bibimbap, rice with a variety of toppings served in a piping hot stone bowl, and a wide variety of chigae stews.

The ubiquitous kimchi pickle, made from fermented cabbage and chili, accompanies nearly every meal and may be a bit of an acquired taste for visitors as it is on par with the powerful spice of hot chili. Many different dishes are made using kimchi for flavoring, and kimchi is served as a side dish as well. For example "kimchi chige" is a spicy tofu soup into which one mixes white rice.

If one is not interested in spice, another healthy and tasty option is "Kim Bap." Kim Bap contains rice, sesame seed, a Korean variety of spinach, a picked vegetable similar to the Japanese daikon, and an optional meat, such as minced pork or tuna. All of these are neatly wrapped in dried seaweed, topped with oil and sliced. A single roll makes a good snack or meal depending on one's appetite, and they travel well.

"Son beop sol" is a do-it-yourself barbeque. A brazier is placed in the middle of the table and patrons cook their choice of regular or variously marinated meats to their liking, adding kimchi to the brazier for spice. Pickled vegetables, kimchi, or lettuce are served as sides. It is a Korean custom to drink Soju (a type of sweet potato wine distilled in a manner similiar to Japanese sake-rice wine) with son beop sol.

Side dishes often served with meals include "kong na mul" (bean sprouts) and "Woi" (Picked cucumbers).

A common perception amongst Koreans is that foreigners simply don't like spicy food, so you might have to spend some time convincing people otherwise if you really want to eat something hot.

Drink

The national South Korean drink is soju, a vodka-like alcoholic beverage (usually around 20%). It's cheaper than any other drinks and also strong. Korean young girls like cocktail soju (like yogurt soju, peach soju, grape soju), although some older guys secretly like it, too.

Also, you can have "DongDongJu" and "Makkolli". That's Korean traditional alcohol. It's raw [unstrained, crude] rice wine. This is good with "Haemul Pajeon" which is pancake style food with seafood and green onion. It's yummy!

Sleep

Some of the cheapest accommodation in South Korea are in what are locally termed motels, but these are rather different from motels in the West and closer to Japan's "love hotels". Motels in South Korea are generally very cheap hotels targeted at young couples aiming to spend 'time' together away from their elders, complete with gaudy plastic beds with strategically placed mirrors on the ceiling, as well as a VCR and a variety of appropriate videos. However for the budget traveller, they can simply be inexpensive lodging.

In South Korea it is common to do a "minbak" or homestay, which meen that you live and have your meals with a family. This can cost round USD 30 per night.

For the budget traveller JJim Jil Bangs can offer a great way to sleep. These are public bath houses but with places to sleep. Entrance costs around USD 5 to get in, and includes a robe to wear. Inside there are public baths, a restaurant, computer lab, a room with movies, and places to sleep. These places are more often meant for families coming in for a day and as such are not perfectly catered to travelers. When you leave you have to take everything with you, and pay to get back in. There is no secure place to leave your things except a single locker. Aside from these drawbacks, JJim Jil Bangs offer a very relaxing place to sleep and bathe.

Learn

• Taekwondo — If you're interested in Martial Art, I would definitely recommend to learn this. The places you can learn will be all over the country, you can find easily. Taekwondo is originally from Korea. You can also learn self defense. Taekwondo is a very courtesy sport.

• Chang or Pansori — If you like music, it will be good for you. It's Korean traditional way to sing a song. It is very different and unique. If you want to learn what it is through movie, I will say " Seo Pyen Je". Korean movie with lots of Pansori.

• Korean — Yonsei University (Seoul) provides Korean language program. You can meet friends from all over the places to learn Korean.

• Korean Traditional Dance — You can go to dance studio and learn Korean traditional dance. You will wear "Han Bok" - Korean traditional cloths.

Work

Work as an English teacher is available through various companies, with the desired minimum level of education being a bachelor's degree. A Google search with terms Teach English South Korea will provide a plethora of hits.

Stay safe

Although South Korea is a relatively safe country, theft, assault and hotel burglary are more common in major cities such as Busan or Seoul. Rape has also been reported. Take care especially in known tourist areas. Use only legitimate taxis. Illegitimate taxis run even from the airport, and their safety and honesty cannot be guaranteed. The emergency number for police is 112 from a phone and 02-112 from a celluar phone, fire and ambulance services are 119 or 02-119 from a celluar, and emergency-service, English interpreters are avaiable 24 hours a day.

Stay healthy

Although health care in South Korea is not free, it is heavily subsidized by the government and is very cheap compared to the United States. For expat workers who have a medical insurance card (this is required), it is even less expensive (although still not free.)

Most doctors speak at least some English, typically peppered with medical terms that might be unfamiliar to most people. In general, the larger hospitals in big cities will be more able to accommodate people with little or no command of the Korean language.

In addition to Western medicine, Oriental medicine is quite popular in Korea. Herbal supplements can be bought in most pharmacies as well as from shoops which produce their own. The most popular herbal supplements (such as Ginseng) can even be bought in convenience stores in the form of energy drinks, tea, gum, and alcohol.

Pharmacies are usually located near hospitals, as hospitals in Korea are not allowed to dispense take-home perscriptions. Perscriptions are dispensed in small paper packages, one of which is typically consumed after each meal. Some medicines are dispensed in powder form, and are meant to be orally consumed rather than snorted. Of course, it is advisable to ask the doctor or pharmacist for instructions.

No special vaccinations are required to enter Korea from most countries -- check your local consolate for details.

Respect

When Koreans are saying "hello" ("An-yung-haseyo"), they bow each other to show their respect.

Korean language has different levels to show respect.

When picking something up or taking something from somebody older always use two hands. If you have to reach to get it and this is not possible, you can simply support your right arm with your left hand hand.

Likewise, when shaking hands with somebody older support your right arm with your left hand.

When drinking with an older person, turn your head away from the person when you are actually taking a drink. It is also proper to pour the other person's drink, and to try to keep it fresh and topped off.

Younger people often times have a difficult time refusing a drink from an older person, so be aware when asking someone younger than you if they want to drink more as they will often feel unable to say no to you. Of course, this works both ways. Often times, if an older person feels you are not keeping up with the party, he may offer you his glass, which he will then fill and expect you to drink. It is considered polite to return the glass and refill it after emptying it.

Contact

External links

• Tour2Korea (http://english.tour2korea.com/) (Korean National Tourism Organization]
• Consular Information Sheet, U.S. Dept. of State (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1018.html)