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Introduction
The Korean peninsula extends southward from the eastern
end of the Asian continent. The peninsula is roughly 1,030
km (612 miles) long and 175 km (105 miles) wide at its narrowest
point.
Mountains cover 70% of Korea's land mass, making it one
of the most mountainous regions in the world.
The lifting and folding of Korea’s granite and limestone
base has created breathtaking landscapes of scenic hills
and valleys. The mountain range that stretches the length
of the east coast plunges steeply into the East Sea, while
along the southern and western coasts, the mountains descend
gradually to the coastal plains that produce the bulk of
Korea’s agricultural crops, especially rice.
The Korean peninsula is divided just slightly north of the
38th parallel. The democratic Republic of Korea in the south
and communist North Korea are separated by a demilitarized
zone.
South Korea’s 99,500sq.km is populated by 47.9 million people
(2003).
Administratively, the Republic of Korea consists of nine
provinces ; the capital Seoul; and the six metropolitan
cities of Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon and Ulsan.
In total, there are 77 cities and 88 counties.
Language
Koreah has ten vowel and fourteen consonant sounds,
and is written in a native phonetic alphabet, hangeul, which
was created in 1443
Currency
The unit of Korean currency is the won. One US
dollar is equivalant to about 1,270 as of March, 2001 Click
here! to preview currency exchange
Climate
Spring runs from March through May with flowers
such as azalea, forsythia, cherry blossoms, rapaseed flowers
and magnolia. From July to August, it is hot and sometimes
rainy. Autumnal tints arrive nationwide in October. Skiing
seasons starts from late November and lasts to eary March.
Business hours
Government office hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
on weekdays, although from November through February they
close at 5 p.m. On Saturdays they open at 9 a.m. and close
at 1 p.m. Banks are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on
weekdays and from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Major
department stores operate from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. including
Sundays, but smaller shops tend to be open from early morning
until late evening.
Emergencies
Call 119 in any emergency situation (fire, injury,
natural disaster, etc.). Once the call is received, your
location is automatically identified and a rescue team will
arrive quickly provide you with professional assistance.
International SOS Korea, Ltd. provides a 24-hour emergency
service for foreigners, acting as a link between the patient
and the Korean hospitals regarding fees.
Hospitals
Several university hospitals and private hospitals
in Seoul operate international clinics for foreigners. They
are: Seoul National University Hospital (82-2-760-2890),
Samsung Medical Center (82-2-3410-0200), Yonsei Severance
Hospital (82-2-361-6540), and Seoul Asan Medical Center
(82-2-2224-5001).
Electricity
Korea has two types of voltages: 110V and 220V.
But 220V has replaced the older 110V virtually everywhere.
The Korean wall sockets have two holes (220V) while the
telephone socket has four holes.
Telephone
Calls
A local call costs 50 for three minutes. To make an international
call, first dial the international dialing code (001, 002
or 008), then the country code, area code, and finally the
individual number. You may rent a cell phone at the airport.
Tax & Tipping
Value-added tax is levied on most goods and services at
a standard rate of 10% and is included in the retail price.
Tipping is not customary in korea. In tourist hotels a 10%
services charge is added to the bill --- on the other hand,
there is no VAT on hotel room charges for foriegn independent
tourist during 2001 and 2002.
Visa
Visitors with confirmed outbond tickets may stay up to 30
days without visas, although this does not apply to a few
nationalities. |
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