Korea

    Seoul

    Gyong-ju & Pusan

    Je-ju Island & Mt.Soraksan

The Korean peninsula is southward from the northeastern edge of Asian continent.
The Land area of Republic of Korea is about 99,392㎢, and its population is about 45million. Over 70% of the peninsula is mountainous, endowing the country with beautiful scenery.

While Koreans are part of the Mongolian race, they have maintained their own distinctive language, culture and custom.
Korean society has always been family-oriented, and although modified to some extent nowadays, the basic patterns and manners of family life remain the same. The most endearing national characteristic is the sincere warm-heartedness of the Korean people.

Like other countries in the temperate zone, Korea has four seasons. In spring and autumn, the weather is clear, gentle and warm sunshine. Summer is relatively hot and humid, with the main rainfall occurring during this monsoon season.
Winter is cold and dry, with occasional snow. However, these cold spells alternate with periods of milder weather.

Most Visitors with confirmed outbound tickets may stay up to 15 days without visas, although this does not apply to certain nationalities.
Longer stay require a visa. However, as some countries have reciprocal visa exemption agreements with Korea, it is important to check with a Korean Embassy or consulate regarding visas well in advance of your trip.

The Korean language is a member of the Ural-Altaic family, which includes such tongues as Manchurian, Mongolian and Hungarian. It has 10 vowels and 14 consonants, and is written in a native phonetic alphabet, Han-Gul, which was invented in 1443. Although the alphabet appears to be complicated, it is actually very easy to learn.

Government office hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, although from November through February they close at 5 p.m. On weekends they open at 9 a.m. and close at 1 p.m. Most private companies, however, open from 8:30 a.m. and close late in the evening.
Banks are a major exception. Their business hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on saturdays.
Major department stores are open from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. including Sundays, but small shops tend to be open from early moring till late evening seven days a week.

The unit of currency in Korea is the 'Won', which is indicated by the symbol, ' ￦'. Coins are denominations of ￦1, ￦5, ￦10, ￦50, ￦100, and ￦500. Bank notes of ￦1,000, ￦5,000 and ￦10,000 are in circulation. The rate of exchange was approximately ￦1,150 to the U.S. dollars as of January, 1999.
Major credit card, such as VISA, American Express, Diners Club, Master and JCB, are widely used in hotels and large restaurants and shops. .

In tourist hotels, a 10% Value Added Tax(VAT), on the price of rooms, meals and other services is added to the bill.
Tipping is not a custom in Korea. But, it is desirable for you to tip a taxi driver if he assist you with large luggage or provide some extra services.

Korean holidays are occasions for family gatherings and outing. Some of them are centered on religious or folk festivals.
Others commemorate national events. Although the solar calendar is used for everyday events, the lunar calendar determines some holidays and relious events.

• Jan 1-2 : New Year's Day
• Feb 14-17(Lunar New Year) : Sollal
• Mar 1: Independence Movement Day
• Apr 1(Lunar Calendar) : Buddha's Birthday
• Apr 5 : Arbor Day
• May 5 : Chidren's Day
• May 22 : Buddha's Birthday
• Jun 6 : Memorial Day
• Jul 17 : Constitution Day
• Aug 15 : Liberation Day
• Sep 23-26 : Chusok Festival(Thanksgiving holidays)
• Oct 3 : National Foundation Day
• Dec 25 : Christmas

Dial 119 for the police and fire department. The hotel front desk or hotel manager can arrange for a doctor or ambulance. In the accident of a medical emergency on the street, ask a policeman or other pedestrian for assistance. Police stations can be found on every major street.