The Republic of Korea (herein after Korea) is a country visited by approximately ten million international travelers every year. With its long history in culture and tradition, the country has a lot to offer to travelers. Continue reading to learn general information about Korea before visiting.

Where is Korea?

The Korean peninsula, roughly 1,030 km long and 175 km wide at its narrowest point, is located in Northeast Asia. With Seoul as its capital city, Korea's total land area is 100,033 ㎢. Korea's neighbors include Japan to the east, China to the west, and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) across the northern border.

Language

Hangeul (한글), Korea’s official alphabet, was first invented by King Sejong during the Joseon Dynasty. Originally called Hunminjeongeum (훈민정음), the language was conceived in 1443, and further promulgated by the King in 1446. At the time of its inception, the language consisted of 17 consonants and 11 vowels however, since then, 3 of the originally established consonants and 1 vowel have fallen into disuse bringing the total number of characters to 24. Syllables are formed by the selective combination of vowels and consonants to create words.

Business Hours

Government office hours are usually from 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays. Banks are open from 9:00 to 16:00 on weekdays. Most stores are open every day from 10:30 to 20:00, including Sundays.

Old Bills	10,000 won (man won)	5,000 won (ocheon won)	1,000 won (cheon won)
New Bills	50,000 won (oman won)	10,000 won (man won)	5,000 won (ocheon won)	1,000 won (cheon won)
Coins	500 won (obaek won)	100 won (baek won)	50 won (osip won)	10 won (sip won)

Tip & Tax

Service charges are included in your bill for rooms, meals, and other services at hotels and upscale restaurants. Koreans occasionally do tip when they are especially pleased with the service they receive. Foreign tourists can receive nearly 10 % VAT refunds for purchases at Duty Free shops. Goods must be taken out of Korea within three months of purchase to be eligible for a tax refund. Visitors can receive a refund on a receipt for a minimum purchase of KRW 50,000 (around USD 43). To receive this refund, present receipts with the purchased goods at the customs clearance desk at Incheon International Airport when departing.

Currency & Exchange

Emergency Phone Numbers

• 1339: Medical Emergency
• 119: Emergencies for Fire, Rescue & Hospital Services
• 112: Police
• 129: First Aid Services

Useful Websites

• Korea Tourism Organization: GO
• Gateway to Korea: GO
• Seoul Tourism Organization: GO
• Seoul Metropolitan Government : GO
• Korea Immigration Service : GO
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: GO
• Incheon International Airport : GO

VISA

Foreign nationals entering Korea are required to have a valid passport and a Korean visa issued by the Korean embassy or consular offices in their country. However, citizens from many countries are now permitted visa-free entry for a limited period under certain conditions. In order to check whether you are allowed to enter Korea without visa issuance and for other requirements, please contact a Korean embassy or consular office in your country or visit the following websites to confirm.

Visa Information

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  Korean English

• Korea Immigration Service

  Korean English

• Hi Korea

  Korean English Chinese

Example of Entry Visa to Korea

Countries under Visa Waiver Agreements

Nationals of visa waiver countries can enter Korea without a visa as long as the purpose of their visit is tourism or temporary visit. If they want to engage in profitable activities such as employment, they must apply for a Korean visa suitable for their purpose.

Designated visa-free entry

Considering international convention, mutuality doctrine, national profit and other such factors, certain countries are granted visa-free entry permissions. (1 September 2018. Currently, 48 countries)
Nationals of the following countries are allowed up to 30 days of visa-free sojourn for tourism or visitationExceptions: Canada is allowed up to 6 months, and United States, Australia, Hong Kong, Slovenia, and Japan are allowed up to 90 days.

	Continent	Countries/ regions
Countries that are granted visa-free entry for diplomatic, government official, and general passport holders (46 countries)	Asia	Macao(90 days), Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Japan (90 days), Qatar, Taiwan(90 days), Hong Kong (90 days), Kuwait(90 days), Bahrain[10 countries]
	North America	United States(90 days), Canada (6 months) [2 countries]
	South America	Guyana, Argentina, Ecuador(90),Paraguay, Honduras [5 countries]
	Europe	Monaco, Vatican, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Cyprus, San Marino, Serbia(90), Montenegro, Slovenia (90 days), Andorra, Croatia(90) [11 countries]
	Oceania	Guam, Nauru, New Caledonia, Micronesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, Australia (90 days), Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, Tonga [13 countries]
	Africa	South Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, Swaziland, Botswana (5 Countries)
Countries that are granted visa-free entry for diplomatic and government official passport holders (2 countries)	Asia	Indonesia, Lebanon

Seoul Attractions

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung, the main palace of Joseon Dynasty, has returned. After an over 20-year-long restoration project, Gyeonbokgung stands tall at the foot of Bugaksan Mountain looking down to Gwanghwamun Plaza, with its old dignity fully regained.

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N Seoul Tower

Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Tokyo Tower in Tokyo, N Seoul Tower stands for Seoul. The tower, soaring from the top of Namsan, has been beautifully decorating the skyline of Seoul for decades.

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Cheonggyecheon Stream

A long vertical-lined stream in the middle of the busiest street of Seoul makes a perfect rest area for Koreans and foreigners, men and women of all ages.

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Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) has attracted much attention from all levels of society since it opened in 2014. It has now become an architectural space and cultural complex representing Seoul.

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Namdaemun Market

This is the largest general market in metropolitan Seoul and receives 400,000 visitors daily. As they say they have “everything except nothing,” the charms you will find at the market are as vast and as overwhelming as the products that fill the place.

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