Travel Guide

Places To See

Gyeongbokgung

The grandest palace in Seoul, Gyeongbokgung lay in ruins for nearly 300 years until Heungseon Daewongun, regent and father of King Gojong, began to rebuild it in 1865. King Gojong moved in during 1868. Despite damage during Japanese colonial rule, the majesty of surviving buildings like the 48-columned Gyeonghoeru pavilion easily warrants a visit.

This was the country's principal royal residence until the palace was destroyed in 1592 during the Imjaewaran war with Japan. But it was not the Japanese that razed the palace. The citizens of Seoul did that dirty deed. As the Japanese marched across the country, the King and yangban (aristocrats) abandoned Seoul to save their own skins. Angered by the desertion, a mob burned down the palace.

Free English-language tours are conducted daily (except Tuesday) and the ceremonial changing of the guard takes place six times daily (also except Tuesday). Paid admission to the palace includes entry into the National Palace Museum.

On the other side of the compound, the National Folk Museum recreates everyday Joseon life. Farming implements, clothing and the requisite kimchi display are here along with an exhibition of scholarly thought.

Seongnamsa

This must-see temple is a visual masterpiece. The 800m (.5mi) walk along an interlocking stone path from the park entrance to the temple is sublime. At the temple's main gate, pause half way up the stairs and take in the image of a multi-storeyed pagoda and bamboo trees juxtaposed against the mountain.

Seongnamsa is an easy day-trip from Busan. The bus climbs a steep road carved into the mountainside with stunning views of peaks and valleys smothered in a green forest. Be savvy and sit on the right hand side of the bus for the best views.

Dodong Mineral Spring Park

Get a birds-eye view of Ulleungdo by taking the cable car from the park to Manghyangbong peak. If watching the beautiful sunset has made you all emotional, let it out at the karaoke lounge. The park's namesake mineral-water spring is near the top and some claim drinking it has all sorts of medicinal benefits.

There are also two free museums in the park - the elaborate Dokdo Museum and Ulleungdo's simple historical museum. Both islands have fascinating history, but given that the exhibits are only in Korean, non-Korean-speakers may find them a little impenetrable.

Korean Folk Village

Set around a quiet river, the folk village houses a temple, a Confucian school and shrine, a market, a magistrate's, storehouses, a bullock and cart, and household furnishings and tools. They represent traditional housing styles from all over the country.

This is a real village, not just a tourist show - the people you see working here live here all the time, although there are regular dance performances and parades held every day, which may be a nod to sightseers.

The village takes at least half a day to look around and has a true rural village atmosphere: hanbok-clad artisans create pots, make paper and weave bamboo while other workers tend vegetable plots, pigs, and chickens.

Next door is an amusement park for children, an art gallery and a world folk museum. A combo ticket to all three gives you a discount off the separate admission fees.

Dadohae Haesang National Park

This marine national park, situated off the southwest corner of the peninsula, is made up of over 1700 islands. Hongdo (Red Island) and Heuksando are the most popular. Hongdo is worth visiting for its sheer cliffs, bizarre rock formations, spectacular sunsets and wooded hillsides cut by steep ravines. Heuksando is flatter and more populous.

Dadohae Haesang National Park occupies much of the coast and coastal waters of Jeollanam-do. Some of the isles support small communities with income from fishing and tourism; others are little more than tree-covered rocks.

Mokpo, Hongdo and Heuksando make up the gateway to the western sector. They are popular spots in July and Auguest, when people are looking to beat the heat. Because of this, booking ferries and accommodation in advance is advised.

Events

The first day of the first moon is Seollal (lunar new year; January/February), when South Korea grinds to a halt. The Cherry Blossom Festival in Jinhae in the province of Gyeongsangnam-do usually falls in early April (if the weather and trees cooperate). Lantern parades are held for Buddha's Birthday, celebrated in late April or early May. In Seoul, there is an evening parade from Tapgol Park to Jogyesa on the Sunday prior to the actual holiday. June sees processions of shamans and mask dances at the Dano Festival, and in September the National Folk Arts Festival showcases Korean culture. South Korea's biggest holiday is Chuseok (Harvest Moon Festival/Korean Thanksgiving). At this time (September/October), cities throughout the country empty as people return to their family homes to pay homage to their ancestors.

Pre-Departure Information

When to go?

Korea has four distinct seasons, with a wet monsoon/summer in the middle of the year, and a very cold winter from November to March. Jeju-do off the south coast is the warmest and wettest place in the country.

If you possibly can, time your visit to South Korea for autumn (September to November). It's sunny, the skies are blue, and Korea's spectacular autumn foliage is a real draw. Winter is cold but dry, and a good time to visit if you like skiing, snow-draped temples, a dearth of tourists and crisp (ie below freezing) weather. Spring (April to May) can be beautiful, but it's also the most popular time with Japanese tourists and you'll have trouble getting mid to top-end accommodation. Summer is hot, muggy, crowded, wet, typhoon-prone and expensive.

Travel Visa Overview

With an onward ticket visitors from almost anywhere - except countries not recognised by South Korea (Cuba, Laos and Cambodia) - can stay in the country for 30 days without a visa. If you're from western Europe, Australia or New Zealand, you can get up to 90 days visa-free. Canadians receive a six-month permit and citizens of Italy and Portugal receive 60-day permits. Everyone else has to extend after their first 30 days. Extensions last for around 90 days, and if you know you're going to need one it's worth getting it before you leave home.

Electricity

220V

60Hz

Electrical Plugs

European plug with two circular metal pins

Health Information

Typhoid

Also known as enteric fever, Typhoid is transmitted via food and water, and symptomless carriers, especially when they're working as food handlers, are an important source of infection. Typhoid is caused by a type of salmonella bacteria, Salmonella typhi. Paratyphoid is a similar but milder disease. The symptoms are variable, but you almost always get a fever and headache to start with, which initially feels very similar to flu, with aches and pains, loss of appetite and general malaise. Typhoid may be confused with malaria. The fever gradually rises during a week. Characteristically your pulse is relatively slow for someone with a fever. Other symptoms you may have are constipation or diarrhoea and stomach pains. You may feel worse in the second week, with a constant fever and sometimes a red skin rash. Other symptoms you may have are severe headache, sore throat and jaundice. Serious complications occur in about one in 10 cases, including, most commonly, damage to the gut wall with subsequent leakage of the gut contents into the abdominal cavity. Seek medical help for any fever (38C and higher) that does not improve after 48 hours. Typhoid is a serious disease and is not something you should consider self-treating. Re-hydration therapy is important if diarrhoea has been a feature of the illness, but antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment.

Vaccination is recommended for travellers spending longer than a week in Korea adn travelling outside of Seoul.

Filariasis

This parasitic disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. There's no vaccine available against lymphatic filariasis. Filariasis is caused by blockage of the lymph channels by long thread-like worms (filaria) which are transmitted by the bite of several varieties of mosquito. There may be no symptoms at all with light infections, or you may get fever, painful swellings of the lymph glands (eg in your armpits, groin or elbows) and, for male travellers, swelling of the testes with scrotal pain and tenderness. Note that symptoms usually develop about six months after infection. If the infection is not treated, you can get permanent damage to the lymph system, leading to swelling of the arms, legs, breasts or scrotum, with associated thickening and wrinkling of the skin that's supposed to resemble elephant skin, hence the name 'elephantiasis'. If you think you may have filariasis, seek medical advice as soon as possible for appropriate treatment. Infection can be diagnosed with a blood test.

Hepatitis

Several different viruses cause hepatitis; they differ in the way that they are transmitted. The symptoms in all forms of the illness include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, feelings of weakness and aches and pains, followed by loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-coloured faeces, jaundiced (yellow) skin and yellowing of the whites of the eyes.

There are 6 known types of viral hepatitis:A, B, C, D, E and G. G is not dangerous. A and E are passed on by the fecal-oral route of transmission; there is a vaccine. Seek medical advice, but there is not much you can do apart from resting, drinking lots of fluids, eating lightly and avoiding fatty foods. A and E cause an acute illness, but you will recover fully from it.

B and D are passed on via blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluids. They can be passed on by close contact, sexual contact, and blood-to-blood contact. The symptoms of hepatitis B may be more severe than type A and the disease can lead to long-term problems such as chronic liver damage, liver cancer or a long-term carrier state. There is a vaccine.

Hepatitis C is only passed on from blood-to-blood contact. There is no vaccine.

Malaria

If you are travelling in endemic areas it is extremely important to avoid mosquito bites and to take tablets to prevent this disease. Symptoms range from fever, chills and sweating, headache, diarrhoea and abdominal pains to a vague feeling of ill-health. Seek medical help immediately if malaria is suspected. Without treatment malaria can rapidly become more serious and can be fatal. If medical care is not available, malaria tablets can be used for treatment. You should seek medical advice, before you travel, on the right medication and dosage for you. If you do contract malaria, be sure to be re-tested for malaria once you return home as you can harbour malaria parasites in your body even if you are symptom free. Travellers are advised to prevent mosquito bites at all times. The main messages are: wear light-coloured clothing; wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts; use mosquito repellents containing the compound DEET on exposed areas (prolonged overuse of DEET may be harmful, especially to children, but its use is considered preferable to being bitten by disease-transmitting mosquitoes); avoid perfumes and aftershave; use a mosquito net impregnated with mosquito repellent (permethrin) - it may be worth taking your own, and impregnating clothes with permethrin effectively deters mosquitoes and other insects.

Diarrhoea

To prevent diarrhoea, avoid tap water unless it has been boiled, filtered, or chemically disinfected (e.g. with iodine tablets); only eat fresh fruits and vegetables if cooked or peeled; be wary of dairy products that might contain unpasteurised milk, and be highly selective when eating food from street vendors. If you develop diarrhoea, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, preferably an oral re-hydration solution containing lots of salt and sugar. A few loose stools don't require treatment but, if you start experiencing more than four or five stools a day, you should start taking an antibiotic (usually a quinolone drug) and an antidiarrhoeal agent (such as loperamide). If diarrhoea is bloody, or persists for more than 72 hours, or is accompanied by fever, shaking chills or severe abdominal pain you should seek medical attention.

Weather Information

South Korea has the dubious distinction of having the coldest temperatures at its latitude so unless you enjoy multi-layer clothing, stick to the months from May to September. On the up side, Korean winters tend to have an abundance of blue skies. Rain is moderate to quite heavy in July and when mixed with high 20°C (78-85°F) days can make things a bit sticky. Whether you enjoy the steamy summer or the crisp winter will depend on your temperament.

History and Culture

Culture

The South Koreans have turned their hand to just about any art form you can name. Traditional music is similar to that of Japan and China, with an emphasis on strings. The two main forms are the stately chongak and the folksier minsogak. Seoul is not just a city but also a showpiece of modern and traditional architecture; don't miss the city gates and the Chosun-era Gyeongbok Palace.

Pre-20th Centure History

According to the Koreans, the first of their kin was born in 2333 BC. Scientists with slightly less respect for Korean mythology believe Korea was first inhabited around 30,000 BC, when tribes from central and northern Asia stumbled on the peninsula. Under constant pressure from China, these tribes banded together to found Korea's first kingdom - Goguryeo - in the 1st century AD.

The next four centuries were known as the Three Kingdoms Period; Goguryeo (north), Baekje (southwest) and Silla (southeast). The period was marked by a remarkable flowering of the arts, architecture, literature and statecraft. It was also during this period that the formative influence of Buddhism took hold, established in Goguryeo and Baekje in the late 4th century and in Silla in the early 6th century. By 700 AD the Silla Kingdom of Korea was hitting its cultural stride, littering the country with palaces, pagodas and pleasure gardens and influencing the development of Japan's culture. But in the early 13th century the Mongols reached Korea and gave it their customary scorched-earth treatment. When the Mongol Empire collapsed, the Choson Dynasty took over and a Korean script was developed.

In 1592 Japan invaded, followed by China - the Koreans were routed and the Chinese Manchu Dynasty moved in. Turning its back on the mean and nasty world, Korea closed its doors to outside influence until the early 20th century.

Modern History

Japan invaded the peninsula in 1904, and officially annexed it in 1910. The Japanese, who hung on until the end of WWII, were harsh masters, and anti-Japanese sentiment was strong. After the war, the USA occupied the south of the peninsula, while the USSR took over the north. Elections to decide the fate of the country were held only in the south, and when the south declared its independence, the north invaded. The ensuing war lasted until 1953 (or is still continuing, if you count MASH re-runs).

By the time the war ended, two million people had died and the country had been officially divided. After a few years of semi-democracy in the South, martial law was declared in 1972. The next 15 years rollercoastered between democracy and repressive martial law, hitting a stomach-heaving low in 1980 when 200 student protesters were killed in the Gwangju massacre. By the late 1980s the country was at flashpoint - student protests were convulsing the country and workers all over Korea were walking off the job to join them. Among the demands were democratic elections, freedom of the press and the release of political prisoners. The government wasn't budging and civil war looked imminent until, to everyone's jaw-dropping surprise, President Chun suddenly decided that everything the protesters were asking for was alright by him.

In 1988 - the year Seoul hosted the Olympic Games - elections were held and Roh Tae-woo, another military figure, was elected president. Student protests continued apace, but, contrary to expectations, Roh significantly freed up the political system. Relations were re-established with China and the Soviet Union. In a 1992 election, Roh was replaced by Kim Young-sam and his Democratic Liberal Party. Kim's hobby horse was corruption, and during his term of office several politicians were prosecuted for abusing the system. Most notably, ex-presidents Chun and Roh were brought to book for their role in the Gwangju massacre. Roh was sentenced to 22 years, Chun to death, but in December 1997, Kim granted them a presidential pardon and the two were released from prison. 1997 was a very bad year for South Korea's economy, with the won taking a tumble and tourism dropping dramatically. In February 1998, former dissident Kim Dae-jung became president, the first time a non-conservative had headed the country in its 50 years of independence. Kim promised to introduce economic and democratic reforms and improve relations with North Korea.

By mid-1998 the South Korean economy was actually shrinking - something that hadn't occurred for nearly two decades. Rising bankruptcies and soaring unemployment led to large-scale labour unrest, but the economy is now on the move again.

Making good on promises of more neighbourly relations with North Korea, Kim made an historic visit to shake the hand of reclusive North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il, in June 2000. As a sign of good faith he allowed the North Korean government to arrange for his security. In October 2000 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and as part of a partnership with Japan and the USA continues to pursue a policy of cooperation with North Korea. In December 2001 he became the first Asian leader to speak before the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The luster of Kim's peace prize seems to have worn off with evidence of a cash for summit scandal. Apparently, the South Korean government had a hand in a secretly pumping a vast sum of money - in the order of $100 million or more - into the North in order to ensure that then President Kim Dae-jung could get a visa to North Korea and shake hands with the Dear Leader.

Recent History

A naval battle early the following year against North Korea that left four dead (and claimed an estimated 30 North Korean victims) highlighted the fragility of the rapprochement. In December 2002, Roh Moo-hyun won the presidency, but by early 2004 he was hanging on to power by a thread. Parliament voted to impeach him, but its decision was reversed by the Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, a site for the country's new capital city was chosen in the Yeongi-Kongju area and the US announced plans to reduce its troop numbers by a third. After successfully completing a free trade agreement with Singapore and Chile (which, if nothing else has brought some reasonably priced wine into the country), South Korea initiated FTA talks with a number of other countries including the USA (very contentious due to the potentially negative impacts on South Korea's agricultural industries) and Canada.