South Korea

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South Korea (한국, 韓國 Hanguk) [1], formally the Republic of Korea (대한민국, 大韓民國 Daehan Minguk) is a country in East Asia. It occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula that lies between the Yellow Sea and the East Sea. It is bordered to the north by North Korea, and Japan lies across the Korea straight to the southeast.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 History 4.2 People 4.3 Culture 4.4 Holidays 4.5 Climate 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By boat 5.4 By land 6 Get around 6.1 By plane 6.2 By train 6.2.1 KR Pass 6.3 By bus 6.4 By boat 6.5 By car 7 Talk 8 Buy 8.1 Costs 8.2 Tipping 8.3 What to buy 9 Eat 9.1 Etiquette 9.2 Barbeques 9.3 Rice dishes 9.4 Soups and stews 9.5 Noodles 9.6 Seafood 9.7 Other 9.8 Dietary restrictions 10 Drink 10.1 Soju 10.2 Rice wine 10.3 Ginseng wine 10.4 Beer 10.5 Tea and coffee 10.6 Other drinks 11 Sleep 11.1 Motels 11.2 Hotels 11.3 Minbak 11.4 Homestay 11.5 Jjimjilbang 11.6 Temples 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 17.1 By phone 17.2 By net 17.3 By mail

[edit] Regions

• North Chungcheong — landlocked province filled with mountains and national parks
• South Chungcheong
• Gangwon — "No.1 Tourist destination in Korea" designated by the Korea Government.
• Gyeonggi — surrounding Seoul and covered in its urban sprawl
• North Gyeongsang
• South Gyeongsang
• Jeju — Korea's honeymoon island, built by a volcano. Great scenery with wild flowers and horseback riding. One of the few places you may need a car.
• North Jeolla — Great Korean food.
• South Jeolla — Lots of beautiful small islands, good for fishing.

[edit] Cities

• Seoul(서울) — the 600 year old capital of South Korea, a fusion of the ancient and modern
• Busan(부산,釜山) — the second largest city and a major port city of Korea.
• Daegu(대구,大邱) — a cosmopolitan city, rich with ancient traditions and sights
• Daejeon(대전,大田) — a large and dynamic metropolis located in Chungnam province
• Jeju(제주,濟州) — an ancient port city, now a vacation hot spot
• Jeonju(전주,全州) — once the spiritual capital of the Joseon Dynasty, now a leading center of the arts filled with museums, ancient buddhist temples, and historical monuments
• Suwon(수원,水原) — a historic administrative and fortress city of the Joseon Dynasty
• Gwangju(광주,光州) — the largest city in South Jeolla province
• Gyeongju(경주,慶州) — an ancient capital of the kingdom of Silla

[edit] Other destinations

• Guinsa — spectacular mountain headquarters of the Buddhist Cheondae sect
• Seoraksan National Park
• Panmunjeom — the only tourist site in the world where the Cold War is still reality
• The National Folk Museum of Korea

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

Archeological finds of prehistoric toolmaking date back to 70,000 BC, and the first pottery is found around 8000 BC. Comb-pattern pottery culture peaked around 3500-2000 BC.

Korea's history begins with the founding of Gojoseon (also called Ancient Choson) by the legendary Dangun in 2333 BC. Archeological and contemporaneous written records of Gojoseon as a kingdom date back to around 7th-4th century BC. Gojoseon was eventually defeated by the Chinese Han Dynasty and Korea was governed as four commanderies of the Han. The political chaos following the fall of the Han Dynasty in China eventually allowed native tribes to regain control of Korea, eventually becoming the Three Kingdoms of Korea, namely Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, which vied for control of the peninsula. Despite repeated attempts by the Chinese Sui Dynasty and later, the Tang Dynasty to conquer the Korean peninsula, Goguryeo managed to repel them. Eventually, Goguryeo fell to a Silla-Tang alliance, which had earlier defeated Baekje, when it was attacked simultaneously from the north and south, thus unifying the peninsula under Silla. Even though the Tang later invaded, Silla forces managed to drive them out, thus maintaining Korea's independence, but at the same time serving as a tributary to the Tang. Unified Silla was replaced by the Goryeo (also Koryo) dynasty, from which the modern name "Korea" derives. Goryeo was then replaced by the Joseon (also Choson) dynasty after a coup by one of its generals, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910, one of the longest actively ruling dynasties in world history. Throughout most of its history from the Three Kingdoms period up till 1895, the various Korean states were tributary states to China, resulting in heavy Chinese influences in Korean culture, but at the same time preserving native Korean elements.

Korea's status as a Chinese protectorate ended in 1895 after China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese War and the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Under the terms of the treaty, Qing Dynasty China was to recognise the independence of Korea, which in practice became a puppet state of Japan.

In the early 20th century, Japan invaded Joseon Dynasty and started an illegal occupation, as a poor excuse for a protectorate in 1905 and by annexation in 1910. There were enormous movements for liberation, but 35 years of occupation followed, through suppression of resistance, economic exploitation, and a "cultural assimilation" policy.

After Japan's defeat in World War II, US-occupied southern half and Soviet-occupied northern half each declared separate states in 1948. The Korean War (1950-53) began with North Korea's attack, and when US and other UN forces intervened on South Korea's side, China supported the North. An armistice was signed in 1953 splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel, but a peace treaty has never been signed.

Thereafter, despite initially being economically outdone by North Korea, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth under the leadership of former dictator and president Park Chung Hee, with per capita income rising to roughly 20 times the level of North Korea, also earning it a place among the East Asian Tigers. South Korea is now a liberal democracy and the 10th largest economy in the world. In June 2000, a historic first summit took place between the South's President Kim Dae-jung and the North's leader Kim Jong-il (leading Kim Dae-jung to awarding first Nobel Peace Prize for South Korea), but the peace process has moved at a glacial pace.

[edit] People

South Korea is a very homogeneous country, with nearly all inhabitants identifying themselves as ethnically Korean and speaking the Korean language. However, there are a significant number of foreign workers from Mongolia, China and Southeast Asia, and about 30,000 American military personnel stationed throughout the country, especially near the DMZ. Government, businesses, and educational institutions tend to discriminate against foreigners and against Koreans of mixed descent.

Although it is the 12th most densely populated country, South Korea now has the world's lowest birthrate (1.16 children per woman nationwide and even less in Seoul), and dealing with this will be one of the major problems of the 21st century. The sex ratio is skewed strongly male, with about 112 men for every 100 women. About 85% of South Koreans live in urban areas.

[edit] Culture

During the Joseon dynasty Korea's dominant philosophy was a strict form of Confucianism. People were separated into a rigid hierarchy, with the king at the apex, an elite of officials and warriors below him, a small middle class of merchants below them, then a vast population of peasants and a hereditary class of slaves. Men were superior to women, educated were superior to the uneducated and everybody stuck to his defined role or faced the severe consequences. Buddhism and its supposedly dangerous notions of equality and individual spiritual pursuit were suppressed.

While the Joseon Dynasty ceased to exist in 1910, its legacy lives on in Korean culture: education and hard work are valued above all else, and women still struggle for equal treatment.

Koreans believe that the things that sets them the most apart from other Asian cultures is their cuisine, their language and their hangeul script. Outsiders will note their extreme modernity, tempered by a well-developed artistic and architectural joyfulness. Nothing goes undecorated if it can be helped, and they have a knack for stylish interior design. They have a vibrant film industry.

Korea has a significant number of Christians (26%) and Buddhists (26%). Some 46% of the country profess to follow no particular religion.

[edit] Holidays

Korea's traditional holidays follow the lunar calendar, so they fall on different days each year. The big ones are family holidays and entail everybody returning to their hometowns en masse, meaning that all forms of transport are absolutely packed.

• Shinjeong(신정),means New Years day : on the 1st day, January
• Seollal (설날), on the 1st day of the 1st month in the lunar calendar, is also known as "Korean New Year". Families gather together, eat traditional foods-especially Ddugguk (떡국) and perform an ancestral service. The public holiday lasts for 3 days, which includes the eve and second day.
• Sameeljjeol(삼일절,3.1절) : 1st, March
• Orininal (어린이날) : means children's day, 5th, May
• Buchonnim osinnal or sawolchopa-il : means Buddah's birthday, 8th, 4th month in the lunar calendar
• Hyeonchung-il(현충일) : means memorial day, 6th, June
• Gwangbokjjeol(광복절) : means independence day, 15th, August
• Chuseok (추석), often dubbed "Korean Thanksgiving", is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the year (usually August-September). Koreans celebrate by eating traditional foods, notably a rice cake called songpyeon (송편) and playing folk games. The public holiday lasts for 3 days
• Gaecheonjeol(개천절) : 3rd, October
• Christmas (성탄절) has become a major holiday in Korea due to the large number of Christian converts in recent times. As such, it is an ideal time to visit and soak up the festive mood, and maybe listen to a couple of Korean renditions of popular Christmas songs.

Note that, shikmogil(식목일), Arbor day, isn't holiday since 2006 and also is jeheonjeol, that is Constitution day, since 2008.

[edit] Climate

• Spring is a great time of year to be in Korea. The temperatures are warm but not hot and there's not too much rain either. Although, spring is the time when yellow dust blows over from China. Some days can be horrible because of this.

• Summer starts with a dreary rainy season in June and turns into a steambath in July-August, with extreme humidity and the temperature heading as high as 40°C. Best avoided.

• Fall, starting in September, is perhaps the best time to be in Korea. Temperatures and humidity become more tolerable, fair days are common and the justly renowned fall colors make their appearance.

• Winter is a good time to go skiing or hot-spring hopping, and the Korean invention of ondol (floor heating) helps defrost any parts that froze outside.

[edit] Get in

The nationals of 109 countries and territories, including all the usual suspects, will receive a visa on arrival valid for 30 to 90 days. Rules for visiting only Jeju are even more lenient, allowing in everybody except citizens of 11 countries. See the the Hi Korea web-site[2] for the latest details. Don't overstay, even by a single day — this incurs heavy fines and possible jail time, and you'll probably be banned from re-entering.

[edit] By plane

South Korea has 8 international airports: Cheongju, Daegu, Gimhae (Busan), Gimpo (Seoul), Gwangju, Incheon, Jeju and Yangyang. The largest is Incheon International Airport, located approximately 1 hour west of Seoul. This is arguably the best run and best designed airport in the world - a pleasure to use, although if you arrive late watch out for pushy taxi drivers lying about the hotel buses and trying to get you to pay 3x the normal fare. Among the others, only Gimhae (Busan) and Jeju field significant numbers of international flights, links from the rest being limited to nearby major Japanese and Chinese cities. The "city shuttle" services from Seoul-Gimpo to Tokyo-Haneda and Shanghai-Hongqiao are quite convenient though.

Korean Air and Asiana are the principal carriers to and from South Korea. United, Northwest and Delta all serve Seoul-Incheon from the United States, although many flights stop over in Tokyo-Narita. Singapore Airlines has nonstop flights from San Francisco and Vancouver.

[edit] By train

Travel from North Korea (and hence anywhere else in Asia) to South Korea by train remains impossible in practice. There have been a few test runs on the newly rebuilt railroad connecting the two, but it will likely remain more of a political statement than travel option for some time to come. However, for travelers coming from or continuing on to Japan, special through tickets are available, giving discounts of 30% on KTX services and 9-30% on Busan-Fukuoka ferries as well as Japanese trains.

[edit] By boat

There are fairly frequent ferry connections from Busan to Japan. JR's Beetle hydrofoil service from Busan to Fukuoka manages the trip in just under three hours with up to five connections a day, but all other links are overnight slow ferries, such as Pukwan Ferry Company's services to Shimonoseki from cost from $US60 (one-way). A Busan-Osaka ferry is operated by Panstar Line Co., Ltd. [3].

Towards China, there are ferry links between Incheon and Weihai, Qingdao and Tianjin in China. The largest operator is Jinchon [4], but Incheon Port has full listings on their website [5]. These ferries are similar to miniature cruise lines and are complete with karaoke rooms, Playstation games (for a fee), DVD rentals (private rooms only), and a nightly grill on the back deck. Inside, accommodations are a hit and miss. If you have an economy ticket, which will set you back approximately €180 (roundtrip), you can request a sleeper bunk where you have a considerable amount of privacy. If these are all taken however, the other option for an economy ticket is the sleeping deck where everyone who is crammed on the floor like sardines in a can. To avoid being relegated to the sardine room, get to the terminal early, 2 or 3 hours should be sufficient. This is definitely worth it as the ferry can take as much as 24 hours depending where you go. To make the most of this ferry ride, take a good book, work, and/or a laptop to pass the time.

There are also weekly departures from Sokcho (Gangwon-do) to Vladivostok from $US270 operated by Dong Chun Ferry Co. Ltd. [6].

[edit] By land

Due both to its location at the end of the Korean peninsula and the political situation with North Korea, entering South Korea overland is practically not possible. The border between North and South Korea is considered the most heavily fortified border in the world, and while some crossings have occurred at the truce village of Panmunjeom, one of the cases (a Soviet defector in 1984) was shot at by both sides and, although he survived, you might not be so lucky. In the 80's and the early 90's most of those who crossed the border either way would be arrested and prosecuted for reasons mostly referred to as 'threatening national security'. These days it is possible to do limited trips into North Korea from the South (see details under North Korea), but not vice versa.

[edit] Get around

South Korea is fairly compact and you can get anywhere very fast if you fly, and reasonably fast even if you don't. Subways are available in most of the cities in metropolitan area including Seoul and other big cities have serviced or been on the way to make its subways. And you can easily get on buses or taxis. But it would be much cheaper and better to ride a bus.

[edit] By plane

South Korea is small enough that flying is more of a luxury than a necessity, with the notable exception of connections to the island of Jeju. The long-standing domestic flight duopoly of Korean Air [7] and Asiana [8] was broken in 2005 by the arrival of low-cost competitors Hansung Airlines [9] and Jeju Air [10], which offers flights not only to Jeju, but also serves the Seoul-Busan sector with lower fares than the KTX express train.

[edit] By train

National train operator Korail [11] connects major cities in South Korea. Neglected for a long time, a large amount of money has been plowed into the network in recent years and trains are now quite competitive with buses on speed and price, and much safer and more comfortable to boot. The main problem is that the network is still a little limited and services in rural areas are limited, with trains only once every few hours.

Particularly useful are the high-speed Korea Train eXpress (KTX) [12] services between Seoul and Busan via Daegu and Daejeon, which use French TGV technology to zip along at up to 300 km/h. 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. The KTX trains have 18 cars with the first 3 being first class and the rest reserved economy seating except the very last car (number 18) which is open seating. There are drink vending machines on board and an attendant that comes by with a snack cart which includes reasonably priced beer, soda, cookies, candy, sausages, hardboiled eggs, and kimbap (rice rolls).

Non-KTX trains are poetically ranked as Saemaeul (새마을, "New Village"), Mugunghwa (무궁화, "Rose of Sharon") and Tonggeun (통근), corresponding roughly to express, semi-express and local services. Saemaeul trains are a little pricier than buses, while Mugunghwa are about 30% cheaper. However Saemaeul trains are extremely comfortable, having seats that are comparable to business class seats on airplanes. Though with the introduction of the KTX, there are much less Saemaeul and Mugunghwa services, they are worth trying them out. Tonggeun, formerly Tonggil, are cheapest of all, but now limited to short stopping commuter services.

Seoul also has an extensive commuter train network that smoothly interoperates with the massive subway system, and Busan, Daejeon, Daegu and Incheon also have subway services.

[edit] KR Pass

The KR Pass [13] is a special rail pass introduced in 2005 for non-resident foreigners only, allowing unlimited travel for a set period on any Korail train (including KTX) and including free seat reservation. The pass is not valid for first class or sleeping cars, but you can upgrade for half price if you wish. The regular pass costs US$76/114/144/168 for 3/5/7/10 days, with additional discounts of 10-20% for youths (age 13-25), students and groups of 2-5 traveling together. Note that the pass must be purchased before arrival in South Korea, either via a travel agent or online, and you'll need to do quite a lot of traveling to make it pay off.

[edit] By bus

Buses (버스 beoseu) remain the main mode of national transport, connecting all cities and towns. They're frequent, punctual and fast, sometimes dangerously so, so fasten the belts you'll often find in the seats.

There is a somewhat pointless division of long-distance buses into express buses (고속버스 gosok beoseu) and inter-city buses (시외버스 si-oe beoseu), which often use separate terminals to boot. Express buses are marginally faster on long runs, but inter-city buses go to more places. For additional comfort, look for Udeung buses (우등 버스) which have just three seats across instead of the usual four; these cost about 50% extra.

• Korean Express Bus Lines Association

Timetables and fares of the Express bus routes in South Korea

[edit] By boat

Boats shuttle out to Korea's many islands, including Jeju.

[edit] By car

An International Driving Permit(IDP) may be used to drive around South Korea. In general, road conditions are good in South Korea and directional signs are in both Korean and English. Car rental rates start from ₩54400 a day for the smallest car for about a week.

However, if traveling in the big cities, especially Seoul, driving is not recommended as the roads are plagued with traffic jams and many drivers tend to get reckless under such conditions, weaving in and out of traffic. Drivers would often try to speed past traffic lights when they are about to turn red, though they would still stop if the light turns red before they reach the junction. Driving habits in Korea, while not the best, are still significantly better than in China. Note that road courtesy is almost non-existent in Korean cities and it is best to read up on Korean road culture before attempting to drive.

[edit] Talk

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Koreans speak Korean, and knowing a few words of this will come in very handy. Unfortunately the language is rather drastically different from any Western language in its grammar, and pronunciation is rather difficult for the English speaker to get right (though not tonal). Depending on which part of the country you go to, various different dialects are spoken, though standard Korean, which is based on the Seoul dialect, is understood and spoken by almost everyone. Most notably among the dialects, the Gyeongsang dialect spoken around Busan and Daegu is considered to be rather rough and aggressive compared to standard Korean, and the Jeju dialect spoken on Jeju island is known for being almost unintelligible to speakers of standard Korean.

Written Korean uses a unique phonetic writing system called hangeul(한글) where sounds are stacked up into blocks that represent syllables. It was designed by a committee and looks like it, at first glance all right angles and little circles, but is remarkably consistent and logical and quite fast to pick up. Korean can also be written with much more complex Chinese characters, known as hanja (한자,漢字) in Korean, and these are still occasionally mixed into text, but are increasingly few and far between. Nowadays, hanja are mainly used for disambiguation if the meaning is ambiguous when written in hangeul. In such instances, the hanja is usually written in parentheses next to the hangeul. Other uses for hanja include the marking of pieces in Korean chess, known as janggi (장기,將棋) in Korean, as well as in personal names.

Learning to read Hangeul before you arrive in Korea will make traveling much easier, as many signs and menus are written in Hangeul only. Even basic pattern-matching tricks come in handy: for example, if you know that a circle at the bottom of a block is read -ng, you can already distinguish Pyongyang (평양) from Seoul (서울). Further, the Korean words for many common products -coffee, juice, computer- are often the same as the English words, but will be written in Hangeul. If you can read Hangeul, you'll find survival Korean surprisingly easy.

The spelling of Korean words in Roman letters can be quite inconsistent, so don't be too surprised to see adjacent signs for Gwangalli and Kwanganri — it's the same place. In 2000, the government officially standardized on the Revised Romanization system also used in Wikitravel, but you will frequently encounter older McCune-Reischauer spellings and just plain weird spellings. Notably, words beginning with g, d, b, j may be spelled with k, t, p, ch instead, and the vowels eo and eu may be spelled o and u. The letters l, r and n also get swapped often, and the vowels i and u are sometimes written as ee and oo respectively. In foreign words imported into Korean, f turns into p, so don't be too surprised by a cup of coppee or a round of golpu.

All Koreans who have attended elementary school have taken English lessons as part of their education, and the English level of the country is being improved by government policy and investments. However, due to lack of practice (as well as fear of mispronunciation), many Koreans have little more than a very basic grasp of English phrases in actual conversation. If you're in a pinch and need someone who speaks English, your best bet would generally be the high school students. Reading and writing comes much easier however, and often people will be able to read and understand a great deal of English even without any practice with real conversation. Nonetheless, travellers can get by in major cities 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. They will often take a picture of you, as proof they really talked to you.

Older folks may also still speak some Japanese. The city of Busan, being a short trip from Fukuoka in Japan has a larger number of Japanese speakers per capita, and the dialect itself is more similar to Japanese in the same way that the Japanese dialect in Fukuoka also has a large Korean influence. However, many Koreans (especially older ones) still resent the Japanese for the atrocities committed during the occupation, so try not to address a Korean in Japanese unless you have no other choice. Thanks to the "Korean wave" (hallyu) of Korean pop music and soap operas throughout East Asia, in addition to Japanese, many shopkeepers in touristy areas also speak some Mandarin or Cantonese.

[edit] Buy

The currency of South Korea is the won (￦), written 원 in hangul. As of November 2007, the exchange rate was approximately US$1:KRW910. Thus a single won is worth approximately 1/9th of one US cent. The simplest method of calculating exchange on the run is to divide by 1000 for US$ and then adding 10%. Coins come in denominations of ￦1, ￦5, ￦10, ￦50, ￦100 and ￦500, while banknotes come in denominations of ￦1000, ￦5000 and ￦10,000. The largest bill currently in circulation is only ￦10,000 (roughly US$10), which makes carrying around large sums of currency a bit of a chore. Fortunately, the Bank of Korea has decided that it will start printing ￦50,000 and ￦100,000 banknotes and hopefully put them into circulation by early 2009. ￦100,000 "checks" are frequently used, and some of the checks go up to ￦10,000,000 in value. These checks are privately produced (by banks, etc.) which can be used as "c-notes".

A new series of notes was released in 2006/2007, so expect to see several versions floating around, and be prepared for hassles with vending machines which may not accept the new or old versions.

ATM are ubiquitous, but most Korean ATMs don't accept foreign cards, only special Global ATMs do. These can be found at airports and some subway stations in major cities, as well as in many Family Mart convenience stores, so stock up before heading to the countryside. Credit card acceptance, on the other hand, is very good, and all but the very cheapest restaurants and motels will take Visa and Mastercard. (It is illegal to refuse credit cards unless it's a very small shop)

[edit] Costs

Korea is fairly expensive for an Asian country, if still notably cheaper than Japan (at least outside Seoul). A frugal backpacker willing to eat, live and travel Korean-style can squeeze by on under ￦60,000 per day, but if you want top-class hotels and Western food even ￦200,000/day will not suffice.

[edit] Tipping

Tipping is not necessary anywhere in Korea, except maybe bellhops in high-end hotels. Tipping is not the norm, and is a foreign concept.

[edit] What to buy

Korea is the ginseng capital of the world. Medicinal herbs are often sold in mountain resorts. Traditional clothing, dishes, gimcracks are readily available. Insadong in Seoul has Buddhist supplies. Postcards are sold in some locations, though not the variety one would find in the west. Try Insadong for souvenirs and crafts in general.

Some may also like to try ginseng based beauty products such as facial masks which are available in various shops. Such beauty products are unique to Korea and could make good souvenirs. Korea is also no slouch when it comes to fashion and one may find the latest fashion in shopping districts in Seoul, most notably Myeongdong and Apujeong.

Electronics are also widely available, especially in larger cities like Seoul and Busan. Korea has most of the latest gadgets available in most Western countries, and much more. In fact, when it comes to consumer technology, South Korea is probably second only to Japan. However, you would probably have to contend with having the instructions booklets and functions being written in Korean.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) are by far Korea's greatest contribution to the gaming world. While they may not have been invented in Korea, Korean MMORPG's were a key factor in making the genre popular worldwide. Unlike in Japan, where their comics or manga are often made into cartoon serials or anime, popular Korean comics, known as manhwa(만화) in Korean are often made into MMORPG's. However, all games sold will be in Korean and for console games, the regional coding for Korea is NTSC-J, which is used for Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and most of the rest of East Asia, so you might not be able to play them on your European/Australian(PAL), North American(NTSC-U/C) or mainland Chinese(NTSC-C) consoles.

South Korea is the origin of the Hallyu phenomenon that took East Asia by storm at the beginning of the 21st century so one might want to buy some of the latest Korean drama serials or movies when in Korea. Fans of K-pop may also like to buy the latest Korean music CDs by popular singers such as BoA. However, drama serials and movies sold in Korea are for the Korean market and usually do not have subtitles. In addition, South Korea is in DVD region 3 so the discs bought here would work well in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, but may not be playable by players bought in North America, Europe, mainland China, Japan or Australia. If you wish to buy, ensure that your DVD player can support it.

[edit] Eat

Few fall in love with Korean food at first bite, but like most acquired tastes, it's an addictive one once you get used to it. While there are obvious influences from both China and Japan, Korean food is definitely in a class of its own, mixing spicy chillies and copious amounts of garlic with delicate ingredients like raw fish. Although Korean food is quite low in fat, a fact attested to by the observation that very few South Koreans are overweight, those with sodium-limited diets should beware, as Korean cuisine has extremely high salt contents.

A Korean meal is centered around rice and soup, invariably served with a vast assortment of side dishes known as banchan (반찬). The humblest meal comes with three types while a royal banquet may well feature twelve. Typical banchan include bean sprouts (콩나물 kongnamul), sauteed fishcake (어묵조림 eomuk jorim) and pickled cucumbers (오이무침 oi-muchim).

The ubiquitous kimchi (김치 gimchi), made from fermented cabbage and chili, accompanies nearly every meal and may be a bit of an acquired taste for visitors as it can be quite spicy. In addition to the common cabbage type, kimchi can be made from white radish (깍두기 ggakdugi), cucumbers (오이 소박이 oi-sobagi), chives (부추 김치 buchu gimchi) or pretty much any vegetable that can be pickled. Many different dishes are made using kimchi for flavoring, and kimchi is served as a side dish as well.

Two more condiments found in almost every dish are doenjang (된장), a fermented soybean paste akin to Japanese miso, and gochujang (고추장), a hot (or not so hot) chilli paste.

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. Also, while Korean food undoubtedly has the neighboring bland-dieted Japanese and northern Chinese breathing fire, if you're accustomed to (say) Thai or Mexican food you may wonder what the fuss is about.

Most restaurants specialize in one or two dishes - so you need to agree with your friends what you'll be having for dinner. There are beef restaurants, pork restaurants, spicy chicken restaurants, and cow knee soup restaurants.

[edit] Etiquette

Koreans use chopsticks with a twist: alone among the peoples of Asia, they prefer chopsticks of stainless steel. Unfortunately for the chopstick learner, these thin and slippery sticks are not the best implements to practice with, but if you can eat with wooden or plastic chopsticks you'll manage with some fumbling. When eating as a group, communal dishes will be placed in the center and everybody can chopstick what they want, but you'll still get individual portions of rice and soup.

Some etiquette pointers:

• Don't leave your chopsticks sticking into a dish. A spoon sticking downright into the rice bowl is also not a good sign, since that's how Koreans set up the dishes for their passed ancestors.
• Eating rice with your spoon is polite. Actually Korea is one of the few countries where eating rice with your chopsticks is considered rather rude, mostly by the elder Koreans (nowadays, this is no longer the case). This is not the case in Japan or China, where they usually eat rice with their chopsticks. However, eating rice with chopsticks is more accepted among the younger generation.
• Don't lift dishes up from the table. (This rule, too, is widely ignored by Korean youth.)
• But most of all, Koreans are generally very interested in foreigners. Most of them will look at you out of interest, not because you're eating the wrong way. So don't be self-conscious of whether you're doing something right or wrong. Just use your common sense of politeness and good manners, and everything will be fine.

[edit] Barbeques

Hound by the pound Yes, it's true — Koreans eat dog. While theoretically illegal, in practice the law is not enforced and dog meat soup (보신탕 bosintang or 영양탕 yeongyangtang) remains a popular dish among those looking to improve male virility or just beat the summer heat. Another option is suyuk (수육), which is just meat boiled with spices to eliminate smell and make the meat tender. Aside from the cultural taboo, there are some issues regarding how the dogs are raised, butchered, and processed. No, dogs are not beaten to death to improve the taste —, but some are hung and beaten as an old tradition. Calling the conditions in which dogs are raised and butchered humane would also be an exaggeration. Even in Korea people get quite opinionated on this matter, so take anything you hear with a grain of salt. In any case, you're unlikely to end up chewing on Snoopy by accident, as dog is only served by speciality restaurants, and as they rarely advertise you will have to actively seek them out. If you do make the effort, a bowl can go for under W10,000 and you'll find that dog tastes broadly like beef or veal, if perhaps a tad gamier.

"Korean barbeque" is probably the best-known Korean dish, split in Korea itself into bulgogi (불고기), which uses cuts of marinated meat, and galbi (갈비), which uses unmarinated ribs. In both, a charcoal brazier is placed in the middle of the table and patrons cook their choice of meats, adding garlic to the brazier for spice. The cooked meat from both of these is placed on a lettuce or sesame leaf along with shredded green onion salad (파무침 pa-muchim), raw (or cooked) garlic, shredded pickled radish (무채 muchae) and some chili-soya paste (쌈장 ssamjang) and then devoured. All are optional, so be creative.

The cost of a barbeque meal depends largely on the meat chosen. In most Korean restaurants that serve meat, it is sold in units (usually 100 grams). Beef is the most common choice but pork or chicken are also popular. You'll rarely see filet mignon, instead common cuts of meat include ribs, unsalted pork bacon (삼겹살 samgyeopsal) and chicken stir-fried with veggies and spicy sauce (닭갈비 dakgalbi). Unmarinated meats tend to be higher quality, but in cheaper joints it's best to stick with the marinated stuff.

[edit] Rice dishes

Bibimbap (비빔밥) literally means "mixed rice", which is a pretty good description. It consists of a bowl of rice with all sorts of condiments on top (vegetables, shreds of meat, and an egg), which you mash up with your spoon, stirring in your preferred quantity of gochujang (고추장 chili sauce), and then devour. Particularly tasty is dolsot bibimbap (돌솥비빔밥), served in a piping hot stone bowl (watch your fingers!) that cooks the rice to a crisp on the bottom and edges.

Another healthy and tasty option is gimbap (김밥), sometimes (rather inaccurately) dubbed "Korean sushi". Gimbap contains rice, sesame seed, a Korean variety of spinach, pickled radish, and an optional meat, such as minced beef or tuna, all neatly wrapped in dried seaweed, topped with sesame oil and sliced. A single roll makes a good snack or meal depending on one's appetite, and they travel well. Basically what differentiates Korean gimbap and Japanese sushi is how they prepare rice: Korean style gimbap usually use salt and sesame oil to flavor the rice, while Japanese style uses sugar and vinegar.

More of a snack than a meal is tteokbokki (떡볶이), which resembles red cylinders at first sight, but is actually rice dumplings in a sweet chili sauce.

[edit] Soups and stews

Soups are known as guk (국) or tang (탕), while jjigae (찌개) covers a wide variety of stews. The line is fuzzy, and a few dishes can be referred to with both (eg. the fish soup-stew dongtae jjigae/dongtaetang), but in general, jjigae are spicier while tang/guk are milder. Both are always eaten with plenty of white rice on the side.

Common versions jjigae include doenjang jjigae (된장찌개), made with doenjang (Korean miso), vegetables and shellfish, and gimchi jjigae (김치찌개), made with — you guessed it — kimchi. Sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개) uses soft tofu as the main ingredient, usually with minced pork added, but there's also a seafood version called haemul sundubu jjigae(해물 순두부찌개) where the meat is replaced by shrimp, squid and the like.

Budae jjigae (부대찌개) is a interesting type of Korean fusion food from the city of Uijeongbu, where a US military base was located. Locals experimenting with American canned food like Spam, sausages, and pork and beans tried adding them into jjigae, and while recipes vary, most of them involve large quantities of fiery kimchi. Most places will bring you a big pan of stew and put it on a gas stove in the middle of the table. Many like to put ramyeon noodle (라면 사리) in the stew, which is optional.

Popular tang soups include seolleongtang (설렁탕), a milky white broth from ox bones and meat, gamjatang (감자탕), a stew of potatoes with pork spine and chillies and doganitang (도가니탕), made from cow knees. One soup worth a special mention is samgyetang (삼계탕, pron. saam-gae-taang), which is a whole spring chicken stuffed with ginseng and rice. Thanks to the ginseng, it's often a little expensive, but the taste is quite mild. It's commonly eaten right before the hottest part of summer in warm broth in a sort of "eat the heat to beat the heat" tradition.

Guk like the seaweed soup miyeokguk (미역국) and the dumpling soup manduguk (만두국), but a few like the scary-looking pork spine and ox blood soup haejangguk (해장국), a popular hangover remedy, are substantial enough to be a meal.

[edit] Noodles

Koreans are great noodle lovers too, and the terms kuksu (국수) and myeon (면) span a vast variety of types, sold in fast-food noodle shops for as little as W1000-2000.

Naengmyeon (냉면) are a Korean speciality, being thin, chewy buckwheat noodles served in ice cold beef broth, and hence a popular summer dish — although it's traditionally winter food! They're also a classic way to end a heavy, meaty barbeque meal. The key to the dish is the broth (육수 yuksu) and the recipes of well known restaurants are usually closely guarded secrets.

Japchae (잡채) is made from yam noodles, which are fried along with some vegetables (commonly cabbage, carrots, onions) and sometimes beef or odeng (fishcake). Mandu (만두) dumplings are also very popular and are served up in steamed or fried as an accompaniment to other foods, or boiled in soup to make a whole meal.

Ramyeon (라면) is Korea's variant of ramen, often served with kimchi (what else?). Korean ramyeon is well known for its overall spiciness, at least when compared to Japanese ones. Try shin ramyeon (신라면) for example. Jajangmyeon (자장면) is a noodle with a black sauce that usually includes pork, onions, cucumber, and garlic. Finally, u-dong (우동) are thick wheat noodles, similar to the Japanese udon.

Rice noodles, common in much of Asia, are seldom found in Korea.

[edit] Seafood

Since Korea is a peninsula, you can find every type of seafood (해물 haemul), eaten both cooked and raw. Restaurants where you pick your own fish — or bring it from the fish market next door — are popular, but can be very expensive depending on what you order.

Hoe (회), pronounced roughly "hweh", is raw fish Korean-style (similar to sashimi), meaning it's served with spicy cho-gochujang (Korean hot pepper sauce with vinegar) sauce. Chobap (초밥) is raw fish with vinegared rice, similar to Japanese chirashizushi.

Another cooked specialty is haemultang (해물탕), a spicy red hotpot stew filled crab, shrimp, fish, squid, vegetables and noodles.

[edit] Other

Jeon (전), jijimi (지짐이), jijim (지짐), bindaetteok (빈대떡) and buchimgae (부침개) are all general terms for Korean-style pan-fried pancakes, which can be made of virtually anything. Pajeon (파전) is a Korean-style pan-fried pancake laden with spring onions (pa 파 is green onion). Haemul pajeon (해물파전), which has seafood added, is particularly popular. Saengseonjeon (생선전) is made of small fillets of fish covered with egg and flour and then pan fried, and nokdu bindaetteok (녹두빈대떡) is made from ground mung bean and various vegetables and meat combined.

If barbequed meat is not to your taste, then try Korean-style beef tartar, known as yukhoe (육회). Raw beef is finely shredded and then some sesame oil, sesame, pine nuts and egg yolk are added, plus soy and sometimes gochujang to taste. It's also occasionally prepared with raw tuna or even chicken instead.

Sundae (순대, pron. "sun-deh") are Korean sausages made from a wide variety of ingredients, often including barley, potato noodles and pig blood.

A squirmy delicacy is raw octopus (산낙지 sannakji) — it's sliced to order, but keeps wiggling for another half hour as you try to remove its suction cups from your plate with your chopsticks. Sea squirts (meongge) are at least usually killed before eating, but you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference as the taste been memorably described as "rubber dipped in ammonia".

[edit] Dietary restrictions

Vegetarians will have a tough time in Korea. As in most of East Asia, meat is understood to be the flesh of land animals, so seafood is not considered meat. If you ask for "no gogi" (고기) they will probably just cook as usual and pick out the big chunks of meat. One good phrase is to say you are chaesikjuwija (채식주의자), a person who only eats vegetables. This may prompt questions from the server, so be prepared!

Most stews will not use beef stock, but fish stock, especially myeol-chi (멸치, anchovy). This will be your bane, and outside of reputable vegetarian restaurants, you should ask if you are ordering any stews/hotpots or casseroles.

Spicy (red) kimchi will almost certainly have seafood, such as salted tiny shrimp, as an ingredient. Since it disappears into the brine, you will not be able to visually identify it. Another type of kimchi, called mulgimchi (물김치, "water kimchi") is vegan, as it is simply salted in a clear, white broth with many different vegetables.

On the bright side, vegans and vegetarians are perfectly safe at Korean monastery cuisine restaurants, which uses no dairy, egg, or animal products, except perhaps honey. There has been a recent vogue for this type of cuisine, but it can be rather expensive.

There is an increasing number of vegetarian restaurants in Korea - most are in the larger or medium-sized places. Some of these are run by Seventh-Day Adventists or Hindus.

[edit] Drink

Alcoholics rejoice — booze is cheap and Koreans are among the heaviest drinkers in the world. Due to the strict social norms in effect at the workplace, the drinking hall tends to be the only place where inhibitions can be released and personal relationships expressed. Significant business deals are closed not in the boardroom, but in the bar. Promotions, grants, and other business advancements are secured over drinks at singing rooms, late night raw fish restaurants, and restaurant-bars. Many Korean men are what would be considered heavy drinkers in the west, and as alcoholism is being recognized as an ailment, public moves have begun to attempt to curb alcohol intake.

For those who love singing as well as drinking, karaoke is popular and therefore widely available in South Korea, where it's called noraebang (노래방). In addition to Korean songs, larger establishments may include some Chinese, Japanese and English songs.

There are a few etiquette rules to observe when drinking with Koreans. You're not supposed to fill your own glass; instead, keep an eye on others' glasses, fill them up when they become empty (but not before), and they'll return the favor. It's considered polite to use both hands when pouring for somebody, and to turn your head away from seniors when drinking.

Younger people often 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 promptly return the empty glass and refill it.

[edit] Soju

The national drink of South Korea is soju (소주), a vodka-like alcoholic beverage (usually around 20%). It's cheaper than any other drink — a 350ml bottle can cost slightly over W3000 at bars (as little as W1200 at convenience stores!) — and also strong. Usually this is made by fermenting starch from rice, barley, corn, potato, sweet potato, etc, to produce pure alcohol which is then diluted with water and other flavors.

Traditionally, soju was made by distilling rice wine and aging it, which created a smooth spirit of about 40%. This type of traditional soju can still be found, for example Andong Soju (안동 소주) — named after the town of Andong — and munbaeju (문배주). These can be expensive, but prices (and quality) vary considerably.

History tells that there were numerous brewers throughout the country in the past until late Chosun dynasty and before Japanese colonization. However, by the Japanese colonization and the oppressive and economy-obsessed government in the 60-70s, using rice for making wine or spirits was strictly prohibited. This eliminated most of the traditional brewers in the country and Korea was left with a few large distilleries (Jinro 진로, Gyeongwol 경월, Bohae 보해, Bobae 보배, Sunyang 선양, etc), that basically made 'chemical soju'. Brewery distribution and markets were regionalized, and until the 1990s it was difficult to find a Jinro soju anywhere else than Seoul (you would have to pay premium even if you found one), Gyeongwol soju outside Gangwon, or Sunyang outside Chungcheong.

Also, there are soju cocktails such as "socol" (soju + coke), ppyong-gari (soju + pocari sweat - sports drink) and such, all aimed at getting you drunk quicker and cheaper.

[edit] Rice wine

Cheongju vs. sake There are two major differences between Korean rice wine and Japanese rice wine. The first is that Korean wine uses nuruk, while Japanese wine uses koji. While both can be considered yeasts, nuruk contains various kinds of fungi and other microorganisms, while in koji a more selected breed of fungi does its job. The treatment of rice is also different: traditionally rice for making cheongju is washed "a hundred times" (paekse 백세), but for sake, the rice is polished until the grain size is as little as 50% of its original size. Therefore, some people comment that in general cheongju tastes more complicated and earthy, while sake tastes "cleaner" and "sweeter".

Traditional unfiltered rice wines in Korea are known as takju (탁주), literally "cloudy alcoholic beverage". In the most basic and traditional form, these are made by fermenting rice with nuruk (누룩), a mix of fungi and yeast that breaks down starch in rice into sugar, for a short while (3-5 days usually). Then this is strained, usually diluted to 4-6% and imbibed. However, as with the case of traditional soju, unless explicitly stated on the bottle most takju are made from wheat flour and other cheaper grains. Makgeolli (막걸리) is the simplest takju, fermented once and then strained, while in dongdongju (동동주) more rice is added once or more during the fermentation to boost the alcohol content and the flavor. Typically you can find a couple of rice grains floating in dongdongju as a result.

Yakju (약주) or cheongju (청주) is filtered rice wine, similar to the Japanese rice wine sake. The fermentation of rice is sustained for about 2 weeks or longer, strained, and then is kept still to have the suspended particles precipitate. The end result is the clear wine on top, with about 12-15% alcohol. Various recipes exist, which involves a variety of ingredients and when and how to add them accordingly. Popular brands include Baekseju (백세주) and 'Dugyeonju (두견주).

Those with an interest in the wine production process and its history will want to visit the Traditional Korean Wine Museum in Jeonju.

[edit] Ginseng wine

One expensive but tasty type of alcohol you can find in Korea is Korean ginseng wine (인삼주 insamju), which is believed to have medicinal properties and is particularly popular among the elderly. It is made by fermenting Korean ginseng, just as the name says.

[edit] Beer

Western-style lagers are also quite popular in Korea, with the three big brands being Cass, Hite and OB, all of which are rather light and watery and cost around 1500 won per bottle at a supermarket. Korea's version of the beer pub is the hof (호프 hopeu), which serve pints of beer in the W2000-5000 range, although imported beers can be much more expensive. Note that you are expected to order food as well, and may even get served grilled squid or similar Korean pub grub without ordering, for a charge of W10000 or so.

[edit] Tea and coffee

Like their neighbors, Koreans drink a lot of tea (차 cha), most of it green (녹차 nokcha). However, the label cha is applied to a number of other tealike drinks as well:

• boricha (보리차), roasted barley tea, often served cold in summer, water substitute for many household
• insamcha (인삼차), ginseng tea
• oksusucha (옥수수차), roasted corn tea
• yulmucha (율무차), a thick white drink made from a barley-like plant called Job's tears

Coffee (커피 keopi) is also widely available, especially from streetside vending machines that will pour you a cupful for as little as W300, usually sweet and milky. Latte snobs will also be glad to know that Starbucks and assorted copies are spreading like wildfire.

[edit] Other drinks

Some other traditional drinks worth keeping an eye out for:

• sikhye (식혜), a very sweet, grainy rice drink
• sujeonggwa (수정과), a sweet, cinnamon-y drink made from persimmons

[edit] Sleep

There's plenty of accommodation in all price brackets in South Korea. Note that prices in Seoul are typically about twice that of anywhere else in the country.

Some higher-end hotels offer a choice of both Western-style and Korean-style rooms. The main feature of Korean rooms is an elaborate floor-heating system known as ondol (온돌), where hot steam (or, these days, water or electricity) heats stone slabs under a layer of clay and oiled paper. There are no beds; instead, mattresses are laid directly on the floor. Other furniture is typically limited to some low tables (you're also expected to sit on the floor) and maybe a TV.

[edit] Motels

Some of the cheapest accommodation in South Korea are in what are locally termed motels (모텔 motel) or yeogwan (여관), 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 plastic beds, occasionally vibrating, 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, with rates as low as W25,000/night. Just look for the symbol "♨" and gaudy architecture, particularly near stations or highway exits. These are also popular with single female travellers.

In some motels picking your room is very easy, as there will be room numbers, lit pictures and prices on the wall. The lower price is for a "rest" of a few hours, while the higher price is the overnight rate. Press the button for the one you like, which will go dark, and proceed to check-in. You'll usually be expected to pay in advance, often to just a pair of hands behind a frosted glass window. English is rarely spoken, but the only word you need to know is sukbak (overnight). You may or may not receive a key, but even if you don't, the staff can usually let you in and out on request — just don't lose your receipt!

[edit] Hotels

Full-service hotels can be found in all larger towns in Korea. Cheaper hotels blend into motels with rooms from W40,000, while three-four star hotels are closer to W100,000 and five-star luxury hotels can easily top W200,000. Outside peak season you can often get steep discounts from the rack rates, so be sure to ask when reserving.

[edit] Minbak

In rural areas in and near national parks, you can find a minbak (민박). Most of these are just a room or two in someone's home - others are quite fancy and may be similar to yeogwans (motels) or hotels. Generally, they have ondol rooms with maybe a TV and that's about it. You don't usually get your own bathroom in your room, although some of the fancier ones do have an en suite. Minbaks usually run around 20,000 won off-season though the price may go up quite a bit during high season.

[edit] Homestay

Very similar in concept to a Minbak, these aren't limited to just rural areas or near national parks. Since the World Cup in 2002, many families around the country have opened their doors and hearts to foreigners looking for a good place to sleep and a breakfast included in the price. These can run between 30,000 and 35,000 won per night based on the website booking agency you use (there are several).

[edit] Jjimjilbang

For the budget traveller public bath houses known as jjimjilbang (찜질방) can offer a great way to sleep. Entrance costs around W5000 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, although this often means little more than a quiet, warm room with maybe some wooden blocks to rest your head on. 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, jjimjilbang offer a very relaxing place to sleep and bathe.

[edit] Temples

Jogye, Korea's largest Buddhist sect, runs a popular Temple Stay program where visitors get to spend 24 hours living at a Buddhist temple. Korean ability helps but is not necessary at some temples, but you will be expected to work at the temple and get up at 3 or 4 AM to participate in morning prayer. In exchange for three meals and a basic bed for the night, a "donation" of W50,000-80,000 is expected. Reservations are necessary and can be made at the Temple Stay site [14] or via Korea Travel Phone, tel. +82-2-1330.

[edit] Learn

• Taekwondo — If you're interested in martial arts, you should learn Taekwondo. Taekwondo is originally from Korea, and you can study at any of the numerous schools all over the country. Taekwondo is a very courteous sport, and also a very effective form of self-defense.

• Chang or Pansori — If you like music, this will be good for you. It's a unique traditional Korean form of singing. If you want to learn about Pansori through film, "Seo Pyen Je" would be an excellent choice.

• Korean — Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University(in Seoul) provide Korean language programs. You can meet people from all over the world while studying Korean.

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

• Baduk — Korean name for the ancient board game called Go in English. Many Koreans play the game, and among them are some of the world's finest players. There are even schools that specialize in Baduk. See this [Go Wiki].

[edit] Work

Work as an English teacher is available through various companies, with the desired minimum level of education being a Bachelor's degree. Schools prefer native English speakers, and some prefer North American accents. In most instances, native English speakers from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Republic of Ireland, and Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) are the only applicants that can be considered because the South Korean government usually (information has been inconsistent) just accepts those from the aforementioned pre-approved English-speaking countries.

Native speakers of English who have four-year university degrees may find it easy to obtain employment in one of Korea's many private academies (hagwon). These schools have proliferated in response to perceived failings of the public education system, although there are also hagwons aimed at adult instruction. Often, people interested in these teaching positions find them via professional recruiters. There are pros and cons to teaching ESL in the hagwon system. On the plus side, the money can be quite good. As of late 2005, the average monthly salary is approximately 2 million KRW, and housing is usually provided. It's possible to live comfortably on half of one's salary, and to save the rest. However, it is important to evaluate each prospective employer before accepting an offer; tales of unscrupulous academy owners and incompetent directors abound. Dave's ESL Cafe and ESL Jobs World have general Korean job ads. Korea-specific sites include a blog called The Daily Kimchi [15], a job ads site called HI Teacher [16] and the Hagwon Blacklist [17]. A web search will turn up many more.

University employment is also possible. Those who have a graduate-level degree, preferably in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or Other Language) may find professional opportunities at the postsecondary level preferable to teaching in private academies.

See also Teaching English.

[edit] Stay safe

South Korea is an extremely safe country, although theft, assault and hotel burglary might happen in major cities such as Busan or Seoul. Take care especially in known tourist areas. Use only legitimate taxis. Illegitimate taxis run even from the airport, and their safety and honesty cannot always be guaranteed. Be also careful late at night with non-Koreans in some areas of Seoul, such as Itaewon. Security is monitored strictly in Korea, so crime is really rare and it is uncommon to have any big problems.

See also the travel topic articles on pickpockets and common scams.

The emergency number for police is 112 from a phone and region code-112 from a cellular phone, and fire and ambulance services are 119 and region code-119 from a cellular. Emergency-service English interpreters are available 24 hours a day.

[edit] 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 shops 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 prescriptions; prescriptions are dispensed in small paper packages. No special vaccinations are required to enter Korea from most countries -- check your local consulate for details.

Visitors should be careful to get relevant hepatitis vaccinations. Hepatitis A, which is transmitted through food and water, is particularly rampant, with the Center for Disease Control estimating the chance of infection at 1% per month of stay. Korea has a disproportionately large infection rate, mostly attributed to food-sharing practices. Those who are unvaccinated should avoid the traditional side dishes served with all meals, as it is commonplace to recycle them from the last user (much like bread baskets in the west).

[edit] Respect

Korea is a land of strict Confucian hierarchy and etiquette. As a visitor you will not be expected to know every nuance, but making an effort will certainly be appreciated.

When Koreans greet, they bow to each other to show their respect, but this is usually not the case today, for like Western countries, people shake hands as a form of greeting.

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

It is also customary that you must take off your shoes in the house and also in many traditional restaurants.

As with anywhere, politics is a poor topic of conversation. In particular, bringing up the Japanese occupation, the Korean war of the early 1950s and US foreign policy, as these delicate topics are certain to get you on someone's bad side and can led to intense debates. Also, Koreans are particularly proud of their cuisine, and do not welcome criticism of it.

In addition, even though it may be true, one should avoid associating Koreans with the Japanese by saying that they look alike, have similar cultures etc. Many Koreans still hate the Japanese due to the atrocities committed and "cultural assimilation" policy during the Japanese occupation and will feel very offended if you link them to the Japanese in even the most superficial way. One might also want to note that many Koreans also harbor some degree of resentment towards the mainland Chinese(though not to the extent of the Japanese), which generally does not extend to the ethnic Chinese from Taiwan, Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities, as they blame the Chinese communists for the current division of Korea.

[edit] Contact

[edit] By phone

South Korea's country code is 82.

South Korea does not have a GSM network, which means that roaming opportunities are limited, although there are now both types of 3G networks (W-CDMA and CDMA2000). Roaming onto these is possible in a limited number of cases, so check with your operator.

LG TeleCom and SK Telecom offer prepaid mobile phone services (pre-paid service, PPS) in South Korea. Incoming calls are free. Phones and prepaid services can be acquired at any LG TeleCom and SK Telecom retail locations.

SK Telecom and KTF also offer mobile phone rental services, and some handsets also support GSM SIM roaming. Both companies have outlets at the airports in Seoul, Busan and Jeju and charges start from W2000/day. Reserve in advance via Tour2Korea (the official Korea Tourism Organization site) for a discount and guaranteed availability.

[edit] By net

South Korea is the world's most wired country and Internet cafes, known as PC bang (PC bAHng) (PC 방), are ubiquitous through the country. Many customers are there for gaming but you're free to sit and type e-mails as well, typical charges are about W1000 to W2000/hour. Like anything, it may be more expensive in more "luxurious" places. Also, snacks and drinks are available for purchase in most PC bangs. PC bangs are often divided into smoking and non-smoking areas.

[edit] By mail

South Korea's postal service is fast and reliable. Stamp and postcard prices vary and may increase over time. The price from 2006. 11. 1. is averagely W250 for standard-sized item.WikiPedia:South Korea Dmoz:Asia/South Korea/ World66:asia/northeastasia/southkorea

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