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South Korea - Imagine Your Korea
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South Korea's geological composition primarily comprises Precambrian rocks, including granite and gneiss, over 540 million years old. The country is predominantly mountainous, with a few valleys and coastal plains. The T'aebaek Mountains form the drainage divide of the country, stretching north-south along the eastern coastline and into North Korea. Several mountain ranges with a northeastern to southwesterly orientation diverge, including the Sobaek Mountains that undulate across the peninsula in an S shape. Mount Srak in the T'aebaek Mountains is the highest point in South Korea's mountains, rising to a height of 5,604 feet (1,708 meters), while Mount Chiri in the Sobaek Mountains reaches an elevation of 6,283 feet (1,915 meters). Mount Halla, an extinct volcano on Cheju Island, is the highest point in South Korea at 6,398 feet (1,950 meters) above sea level.
Japan and China are the top destinations for foreign tourists visiting South Korea, accounting for 60% of all visitors in 2015. The country's proximity to major cities and appealing tourism options, particularly in Seoul, make short vacation visits popular. South Korea's tourism sector is driven by the 'Hallyu' or Korean wave cultural trend, which includes K-Pop performers and TV dramas that have expanded into various industries, including food, electronics, and cosmetics. The Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) estimated that the Korean wave effect on production inducement was worth roughly KRW 15.6 trillion (USD 14 billion) in 2015. Over the past few years, South Korea has consistently ranked among the top 5 places to visit in the region for Chinese tourists.
Let's get around
Because of how effective Seoul's subway system is, you probably won't need to use any other mode of transportation while you're there. The only occasions we ever boarded a bus were to travel to locations outside of Seoul, such as Paju, Suwon, and Jinhae. We never took a taxi.
At first, it could seem a little complex, but as long as you keep in mind the metro stop and the line number of your final destination, there shouldn't be any issues.
Knowing the line number of your stop is crucial because you occasionally have to walk a long distance to change lines. You won't be able to switch lines if you don't know which direction to travel.
A T-money card is a smart investment. It is a transit card that saves you money each trip and takes the fuss out of purchasing individual trip tokens. It can be used for free transfers from one metro line to another, between buses, or from one subway stop to another (within a set transfer window).
The card can be purchased for KRW 2,500 at the majority of convenience stores and metro stations. Every subway stop has a recharge station where you may add money to the device. You can get a refund at a convenience store or refund station if you have any leftover money at the end of your trip (without a KRW 500 service fee).
A Korea Tour Card, a variant of the T-money card, provides an additional choice. It offers you small discounts at select tourist attractions, shops, restaurants, and theaters in addition to the same advantages as the T-money card.
Google Maps, which we typically use for navigation, is less effective in Seoul. It has to do with how recently street names have changed (or something like that), thus it's better to use the NAVER Map (iOS | Android) to find your way.
Korean Food Guides
In Seoul, there is an abundance of delectable cuisine. From traditional street foods like tteokbokki and gyeranppang to popular Korean specialties like ganjang gejang, galbi, and gomtang, Seoul will have you looking forward to your next meal.
In Korean cuisine, rice, vegetable, and meat dishes are frequently served. Kimchi is eaten at practically every meal and traditional Korean meals are preceded by a variety of small side dishes called banchan.
Korea experiences four distinct seasons — spring, summer, autumn, and winter — as a result of its geographic location in northeast Asia. The local cuisine greatly benefits from this seasonality. Seasonal differences in the flavors of some components cause recipes to have a wide range of flavor variations.
Sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, gochujang (fermented red chili paste), gochugaru (pepper flakes), doenjang (fermented bean paste), and napa cabbage are among the ingredients frequently used in South Korean cuisine.
A significant portion of the Korean diet, which emphasizes variety and moderation, includes grains and legumes. In Korean cuisine, a wide variety of vegetables are employed, and the preferred proteins are beef, chicken, and pork.
Fish and shellfish are a major part of the cuisine in Korea because the Korean peninsula borders the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the East Sea (Sea of Japan).
Few things to know
1. What is the currency and conversion in South Korea?
South Korea's official currency is the Korean won (KRW). The won has been managed by the country's central bank, the Bank of Korea, since 1950; its users signify it by using the symbol "," as in "1,000."
1 USD = 1,341.69 SKW2. What is the language in South Korea?
The 10 vowels and 14 consonants are represented by phonetic symbols in the Korean script, which is also known as Hangul (Han'gl) in South Korea and Chosn muntcha in North Korea. Although there is a tendency to use less Chinese, South Koreans frequently use Chinese ideograms and Hangul to write Korean.
3. Are there many ATMs and Money exchanges?
ATMs in South Korea
If you have a foreign debit or credit card, you'll need to find an ATM that is marked "Global Services or Global ATM" and has the Visa/Mastercard logo because some ATMs only allow users with local bank accounts to withdraw cash.
Cash Dispensers are typically located in convenient places like subway stations and are more likely to permit debit and credit card cash withdrawals. However, there's a chance that the service will cost you money.
TIP: Some ATMs may prompt you to continue "with or without conversion" before allowing you to withdraw money. Always go towards NOT converting. Going "with conversion" enables the foreign bank running the ATM to carry out the conversion at rates that are advantageous to them. This article claims that there may be a 10% rate difference.
Currency Exchange in South KoreaThe finest spot to exchange money is in Myeongdong. There are many money changers nearby, and they are renowned for offering the finest exchange rates in the city. We looked into a couple other places, but the prices were never as attractive.
To get you into the city, I advise changing just a tiny amount at the airport—no more than USD 100. The remainder might then be changed in Myeongdong.
Nowadays, using an ATM to withdraw KRW is a preferable choice. The prices are reasonable, and occasionally much better. To avoid issues, just be sure to inform your bank that you'll be using your ATM card overseas. My ATM card only functions properly in some machines, according to my experience. Using it in Seoul wasn't problematic for me.4. What is the time zone in South Korea?
KST, or Korea Standard Time (UTC+09:00), is the sole time zone of South Korea. Although it didn't currently practice it, South Korea tried it out during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. In this time zone, DST is not observed.
5. What is the climate in South Korea?
South Korea's climate is characterized by a hot, humid summer and a cold, largely dry winter. Except for towards the southern coast, the coldest average monthly temperatures in winter are below zero. Seoul's typical January temperature is in the low 20s °F (about 5 °C), while Pusan (Busan), on the southeast coast, experiences a similar average in the mid-30s °F (about 2 °C). In contrast, summertime temperatures are generally consistent across the nation, with August—the warmest month—having an average monthly temperature in the upper 70s °F (about 25 °C).
6. What is the telephone code in South Korea?
The International Telecommunication Union has given South Korea the country dialing number +82.
7. What is the emergency service in South Korea?
From anywhere in Korea, simply dial "112" (no area code is necessary).
You will be asked to wait by a police officer until you are connected to an interpreter. When you hear a beep or waiting indication, wait; do not disconnect the call. On the other end of the line will be an interpreter and a police officer.8. What is the driving mode in South Korea?
Like the United States and the majority of Europe, Korea uses the right hand to drive.
9. What is the electricity voltage in South Korea?
220V
The outlet has two round holes with a 220 volt, 60 Hz standard voltage for Korea. whether you don't already own one, you can ask the front desk of your hotel whether you can borrow one or buy one.
Some highlights in South Korea
Airlines that fly to South Korea
These are some of the airlines flying to South Korea from around the world. Major airlines offer direct flights to South Korea from all over the world. There are also several connecting flights to South Korea depending on what countries you depart from and which airline you are flying with. In some airlines, you may consider having layovers too.
How long do flights to South Korea take?
13 hours, 35 minutes is the entire flight time between the United States and South Korea.
This implies that a commercial airliner flies at an average speed of 500 mph, 805 km/h, or 434 knots. A further 30 minutes are added for takeoff and landing. The precise time may change based on the wind.
The straight line distance ("as the crow flies") between the United States and South Korea, which is approximately 6,543 miles (10 531 kilometers), is used to calculate the flight time.
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