Travel to South Korea
Browse listings of Home Exchange, Vacation Rentals,B&B, Homestay (furnished apartments, villas, cottages, condos, farmhouses and other types of accommodations) of South Korea:
Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to South Korea
- Time ZoneGMT/UTC +9
- Electricity: Most of Korea is 110V, although some rural areas are 220V.(bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellullar phone etc.)
- Weights & measures: Metric
Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List
- Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple
- Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks
- Jongmyo Shrine
- Changdeokgung Palace Complex
- Hwaseong Fortress
- Gyeongju Historic Areas
- Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites
South Korea
Location
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Capital
Seoul
Population
48,508,972 (July 2009 est.)
Regions
South Korea consists of 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural)
:provincesCheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang) : metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inchon), Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)
Climate
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Ethnic groups
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions
Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)
Languages
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Government type
republic
Background
An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several millennia. Between its initial unification in the 7th century - from three predecessor Korean states - until the 20th century, Korea existed as a single independent country. In 1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il. In October 2007, a second North-South summit took place between the South's President ROH Moo-hyun and the North Korean leader. Harsh rhetoric and unwillingness by North Korea to engage with President LEE Myung-bak following his February 2008 inauguration has strained inter-Korean relations.
South Korea Travel and Accommodation – Your Tips for Travelers
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