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Travel and Tourism in Korea, South
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Korea, South.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Time Difference
- UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- South Korean won (KRW)
- Climate
- Korea's climate is marked by four very distinct seasons. The winters are dry and cold, with snow usually appearing in January. The advent of the cherry blossoms heralds spring—a season that can also be somewhat unpredictable. A brief monsoon season and high temperatures combine to make city life rather humid in the summertime. Autumn is easily the best time of year in Korea, when both the cities and the countryside benefit from clear skies and vibrant fall foliage. Only 19% of the country is flat enough to be arable, and that land is farmed intensively. In addition, there has been a steady shift away from the farm and into urban areas. Two-thirds of Korea's population now live in its cities.
- Language(s) Spoken
- Korean is spoken in both North and South Korea and is written in a phonetic alphabet created and promulgated in the mid-15th century. While the alphabet is called Hangul in South Korea, it is known as Chosongul in North Korea. Although the Korean language is replete with words adapted from Chinese, the North Koreans, unlike the South Koreans, do not use Chinese characters with Chosongul in their newspapers and publications. They prefer to use only Chosongul, which is sufficient for most needs. There are also some differences in vocabulary between the North and the South, influenced somewhat by politics and also by the contact each country has had with other nations. Russian, Chinese, and English are taught as second languages in the schools.
- Ethnic Groups
- homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
- National Holiday
- Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 37 00 N, 127 30 E
- Location
- Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
- Airports
- 102
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Top Attractions
Jeju Island
Jeju Island, South Korea's southernmost province and its largest island, occupies a special place in the Korean imagination as a place of subtropical beauty, volcanic wonder, and cultural distinctiveness. Known as "the island of three abundances" in reference to its traditionally plentiful wind, women, and rocks, Jeju draws both domestic and international tourists with its extraordinary natural landscapes, mild climate, UNESCO-recognized geological formations, and a folk culture that developed in relative isolation from the mainland.
Hallasan, the dormant volcano at the center of Jeju and at 1,950 meters the highest peak in South Korea, dominates the island physically and spiritually. Designated a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site as part of Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes in 2007, Hallasan's summit crater shelters a pristine lake called Baengnoktam whose deep blue waters reflect the sky with mirror perfection on calm days.
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Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Hospitals in the Republic of Korea are generally well-equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. High quality general and specialty dental care is available in Seoul. Western-style medical facilities are available in major urban areas of Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and a few other large cities. However, not all doctors and staff in these major urban areas are proficient in English. Most clinics in rural areas do not have an English-speaking doctor.
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