Basics

Getting there

Getting around

Accommodation

Food and drink

The media

Festivals

Sports and outdoor activities

Culture and etiquette

Travel essentials

GETTING THERE

With no way to travel to Korea by road or rail, the vast majority of travellers arrive at the gleaming Incheon International Airport; often referred to as “Seoul Incheon” on international departure boards, this offshore beast handles a large and ever-increasing number of international flights. The only other way in is by sea – there are services from both China and Japan.

Korean Air ( koreanair.com) and Asiana ( flyasiana.com) are the two big Korean airlines, operating direct flights from a number of destinations around the world. Seoul increasingly features as a stopover on round-the-world trips, and the country is well served by dozens of international carriers. Fares increase for travel in the summer months and at Christmas time. A departure tax applies when leaving Korea, but will almost certainly be factored in to your ticket price.

A BETTER KIND OF TRAVEL

At Rough Guides we are passionately committed to travel. We feel that travelling is the best way to understand the world we live in and the people we share it with – plus tourism has brought a great deal of benefit to developing economies around the world over the last few decades. But the growth in tourism has also damaged some places irreparably, and climate change is exacerbated by most forms of transport, especially flying. All Rough Guides’ trips are carbon-offset, and every year we donate money to a variety of charities devoted to combating the effects of climate change.

Flights from the UK and Ireland

Korean Air and Asiana have direct connections from London Heathrow to Incheon: Korean Air has a daily service, while Asiana has five per week. The journey takes eleven hours, with return fares costing around £600; this can rise to over £800 during summer and at Christmas, when it’s common for all flights to be fully booked weeks in advance. You can save money by taking an indirect flight, with prices often dipping to around £400 return during low season; good options include Finnair via Helsinki ( finnair.com), Qatar Airways via Doha ( qatarairways.com), Aeroflot via Moscow ( aeroflot.ru) and Emirates via Dubai ( emirates.com). It’s also worth checking deals with KLM ( klm.com) and Air France ( airfrance.com), whose routes are as close to direct as possible.

  There are no direct flights to Korea from Ireland so you’ll have to transfer in the UK or in mainland Europe.

Unless otherwise stated, this Basics section is referring to South Korea, calling that country “Korea” as the locals do. For North Korea travel basics, see the section Basics.

Flights from the US and Canada

If you are coming from the US you have a number of options available to you: there are direct flights to Incheon from New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Washington and Honolulu; carriers include Delta ( delta.com) and United ( united.com), as well as Asiana and Korean Air. Sample low-season return fares are $1400 from New York (a journey of around 14hr), $1200 from Chicago (14hr) and $1150 from Los Angeles (13hr). In all cases you may save hundreds of dollars by transferring – Beijing and Tokyo are popular hubs. Fares on many routes can almost double during summer and Christmas time.

  Korean Air has direct flights from Incheon from two Canadian cities, Vancouver and Toronto, but these can be very expensive when demand is high (over Can$2500); low-season prices can drop under Can$1000. Again, you’re likely to save money by taking an indirect flight.

Flights from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

From Australia, the only cities with direct connections to Korea are Sydney (10hr) and Brisbane (9hr). There have, in the past, also been direct flights from Melbourne and Cairns – check to see whether these connections have reappeared. The number of Koreans going to Australia means that bargain direct flights are few and far between, so check around for indirect flights via a Southeast Asian hub; return prices via Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Hong Kong can often drop below Aus$1000. For those travelling from New Zealand, there are direct flights from Auckland (12hr), and a few from Christchurch, though indirect flights are cheaper. Keep your fingers crossed for a NZ$1400 fare, but assume you’ll pay around NZ$1900. At the time of writing, there were no direct flights from South Africa.

Flights from other Asian countries

There are flights to Incheon from many cities across Japan (from $150 return) and China (around $250 to the major east-coast cities). If Seoul isn’t your final destination, it may be worth checking for a connection to another Korean international airport: in decreasing order of importance, these include Busan’s Gimhae Airport, Jeju, Daegu and Gwangju. There’s also a handy, and extremely regular, connection between Seoul’s Gimpo Airport and Tokyo Haneda, both of which are closer to the centre of their respective capitals than the larger hubs, Incheon and Narita.

  China and Japan aside, Incheon is served by flights from an ever-increasing number of other Asian countries, and the good news is that many of these routes are run by budget airlines; local carriers Eastar Jet ( eastarjet.com), Jin Air ( jinair.com) and Jeju Air ( en.jejuair.net) have services from Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and more besides.

Ferries

Flights aside, access from the Asian continent takes the form of ferries from Japan or China, possibly via a ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway (see  seat61.com for more information). Note that if you’re heading to or from China or Japan, you can make use of a combined rail and ferry ticket that gives substantial discounts on what you’d pay separately (see  letskorail.com for details).

  There are several ferry routes from China’s eastern coast, all of which head to Incheon’s international termini. All vessels have numerous classes of comfort, with one-way prices starting at around 850RMB. The most popular connections are Dalian and Qingdao, and Tianjin’s port in Tanggu, which is most convenient if you’re heading to or from Beijing. See the box below for information on departure days and journey times.

  Services from Japan run from Fukuoka, Osaka and Shimonoseki to Busan, and arrive reasonably close to Busan train station, so you can be heading to other Korean destinations in no time. Fukuoka is by far the best choice, since there are, in fact, two different services to and from Korea – one a regular ferry, departing Fukuoka every day except Sunday (6hr; ¥9000), the other a faster jetfoil with at least five services per day (3hr; ¥13,000;  jrbeetle.co.jp). The longer ferry from Osaka (19hr; from ¥14,000) runs three days a week – a beautiful ride through Japan’s island-studded inland sea.

Overland

Despite the fact that South Korea is part of the Eurasian landmass, and technically connected to the rest of it by rail, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and North Korean red tape means that the country is currently inaccessible by land. Two old lines across the DMZ have been renovated, and 2007 saw trains rumble across the border as part of a peace ceremony, but overnight trains from Beijing to Seoul station remain a distant prospect.

INTERNATIONAL AGENTS

ebookers  ebookers.com. Low fares on an extensive selection of scheduled flights and package deals.

North South Travel  northsouthtravel.co.uk. Friendly, competitive travel agency, offering discounted fares worldwide. Profits are used to support projects in the developing world, especially the promotion of sustainable tourism.

STA Travel  statravel.com. Worldwide specialists in independent travel; also student IDs, travel insurance, car rental, rail passes, and more. Good discounts for students and under-26s.

Trailfinders  trailfinders.com. One of the best-informed and most efficient agents for independent travellers.

LOCAL TOUR OPERATORS

Aju Tours  ajutours.co.kr. A few interesting additions to the regular Seoul tours and DMZ trips, including birdwatching, oriental health or a tour of shamanistic sites.

Grace Travel  english.triptokorea.com. Outfit offering a wide range of good-value tours, including ski trips, Jeju excursions, hiking adventures and a “Royal Relics” journey.

O’ngo  ongofood.com. Interesting food tours, mostly focused on Seoul but sometimes heading to the hinterlands; you’ll be able to wrap up the experience with a cooking class or two.

Rye Tour  ryetour.com. In addition to a few Korea-only itineraries, this group also offers week-long tours which combine Seoul and Busan with Beijing, Shanghai or Tokyo.

< Back to Basics

GETTING AROUND

Travelling around the country is simple – even if the train won’t take you where you want to go, there’s almost always a bus that will; should you have a choice, it’s usually faster but more expensive to take the train. Travel prices are reasonable by international standards, even if you choose to hop on one of the surprisingly numerous domestic flights. Korea is surrounded by islands, and should you take a ferry to one of these, it may well be the most pleasurable part of your visit. All cities have comprehensive (if slightly incomprehensible) bus networks, and many now have subway lines. Taxis are remarkably good value, and can even be feasible modes of transport from city to city.

Wherever you are, it’s wise to avoid peak travel seasons if possible. During the two biggest holidays (Seollal and Chuseok) it can often feel as if the whole country is on the move, as people rush to their home towns and back again – there’s gridlock on the roads, it’s hard to find a seat on trains or buses, and many shops and businesses (including some hotels) close down. Weekend or rush-hour train tickets can also be hard to come by throughout the year. For travel information, it’s best to ask at a tourist office, or call the English-speaking information line on  1330 (you’ll need to add an area code if dialling from a mobile phone or abroad).

By plane

For such a small country, Korea is surprisingly well served by domestic flights. The two national carriers, Korean Air ( koreanair.com) and Asiana ( flyasiana.com), have near-identical services – with near-identical fares – linking over a dozen airports across the nation, with the two main hubs being Gimpo in Seoul, and the holiday hotspot of Jeju Island. There’s also a new mini-glut of budget carriers heading to Jeju from various Korean airports, including T’way ( twayair.com), Eastar Jet ( eastarjet.com), Jin ( jinair.com) and Jeju Air ( en.jejuair.net); hopefully, at least a couple will last the course. All this said, the country is so well covered by train and bus that only a trip to Jeju would see the average traveller need to use a domestic flight. Prices are reasonable – almost always between W50,000 and W100,000 – which is hardly surprising given that few trips take longer than an hour. Don’t forget your passport, as you’re likely to need it for identification purposes.

MOVING ON FROM INCHEON AIRPORT

Connections to Seoul from Incheon Airport are excellent (for more details), but if you’re headed elsewhere there’s no need to transit in the capital. Express buses dash from the airport to all of the country’s major cities at pleasingly regular intervals. Wherever you’re going, useful signs help point the way, or you can ask at the information desk to find the most suitable route.

By ferry

With several thousand islands sprinkled around Korea’s western and southern shores, no trip to the country would be complete without a ferry ride. Several towns and cities have connections, though the main ports of entry to Korea’s offshore kingdom are Incheon, Mokpo, Wando, Yeosu and Busan, all of which embrace sizeable island communities. The choice from Mokpo, in particular, is incredible – some travellers have inadvertently made trailblazers of themselves, finding their way onto islands that had never seen a foreign face. Popular Jeju Island is quite the opposite, and although the vast majority of Koreans travel here by plane, it has ferry connections to a number of south-coast mainland cities (for details).

  Fares, on the whole, are reasonable – short hops may cost as little as W5000, but for return fares to outlying islands such as Jeju, Hongdo, Ulleungdo or Dokdo you’ll probably have to shell out at least ten times that. Only tickets to these destinations will be in much danger of selling out, and even then, only in high season; at these times, it’s best to head to a Korean travel agency.

By train

A fleet of excellent trains ply the mainland provinces – sleek, affordable and punctual to a fault. There are two main lines, both starting in Seoul; these split in Daejeon, with one heading to Daegu and Busan to the southeast, and the other to Mokpo to the southwest. A third line, to Gangneung on the east coast, should open in 2017.

  The highest of three main classes of train is the KTX – these high-speed machines can reach speeds of over 300km per hour. The Gyeongbu line runs from Seoul to Busan and connects the cities in around 2hr 45min (W58,800). The KTX has taken over from the previous lord of the tracks, the Saemaeul; though slower (Seoul to Busan takes over four hours), travelling on this class cuts KTX costs by around a third (W42,600 Seoul to Busan), and the greater legroom usually makes for a more comfortable journey. A third cheaper again is the network’s third class of train, the Mugunghwa, which was forced to cede most of its schedule space to the KTX – a good thing, since the Seoul to Busan journey (W28,600) is now a haul of over five hours.

  The line from Seoul to Mokpo also carries all three breeds of train, though the high-speed upgrade of the section from Daejeon to Mokpo will not be completed in full until 2017, when the Gangneung line also enters service.

  There are other lines away from the inverted “Y”-shape ploughed by the high-speed trains. The south-coast line has irregular services, but can come in handy, while the Jungang line takes a more rural route between Seoul and Busan, lassoing together some of Korea’s most wonderful sights (see Itineraries).

  All trains have toilets, and folk pushing trolleys of beer, peanuts, chocolate and gimbap for sale down the carriages with pleasing frequency. For fare and schedule information, check  letskorail.com.

KOREAN ADDRESSES

First, the good news – almost all Korean road signs are dual-language, spelling the Korean hangeul out in Roman characters. The bad news is that the whole concept of street names remains alien to the majority of Koreans, since addresses in Korea were for a long time based on city sections rather than roads. The numbers of these sections often ran non-sequentially, making things a nightmare for local postmen, and anyone asking – or giving – directions.

  In 2010 the government, in an attempt to bring order to the system, gave all of the roads in the country names (often, confusingly, featuring numbers); consequently, every address in Korea now has two addresses: one old, one new. It’ll be a while before the new ones find common usage – many Koreans still don’t even know what road they live on. This guide has listed the addresses used by each specific establishment (around half old, half new), since that’s the one you’re most likely to find on Internet search or mapping engines.

  Alternative help is at hand. It’s common for hotels and restaurants to include a small map on their business cards; wherever you’re staying, pop one of their cards in your pocket, and it’ll either help you find your way back, or enable locals to point you in the right direction. With a precise address, whether “new” or “old”, taxi drivers will also be able to get you where you want to go – satnav systems have, understandably, become rather popular.

  Despite the general confusion, addresses fit into a very rigid system. Unlike in the Western world, components are usually listed from largest to smallest when writing an address, the elements of which are discernable by their suffix. The country is split into nine provinces (도; –do), inside which you’ll find cities (시; –si, pronounced “shee”), towns (읍; –eup) and villages (리; – ri or – li). The larger cities are split into a number of districts (구; –gu); the number will vary with the city’s size (Seoul, for example, has 25 such sections), and these are further subdivided into neighbourhoods (동; dong). The new address system dispenses with the dong and replaces it with a road name; large roads end with 로 (–no, –ro or –lo), and smaller ones with –gil (길), and many of the latter are numbered. Finally, addresses end with the number of the house or establishment – under the new system, these run sequentially along the road. Happy hunting!

Tickets

Almost all stations have English-language signs where necessary, and schedules can also be checked online. When buying your tickets, note that the bigger stations have special lanes for foreigners, though it doesn’t really matter which one you use as the ticketing system is computerized and buying a ticket is easy. Simply state your destination and the class you require, and the cashier will swing a computer screen in your direction, showing the price and seat availability. If they’re pointing at a zero and looking apologetic, you’ll probably need another train. You’ll be given a carriage and seat number: take your seat and not someone else’s, otherwise it throws the seating system into disarray and may cause a domino-run of disgruntled passengers.

  As trains are far less numerous than buses, they’re far more likely to sell out quickly – on holidays or weekends, you’ll need fortune on your side to walk into a station and find KTX tickets for the main routes. Advancereservations are highly recommended – tickets for all classes go on sale a month ahead of travel, and can be bought at any station. A return ticket costs the same as two single ones.

Subway trains

Six Korean cities now have underground networks: Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju have independent systems, while Incheon’s lines are linked to the marauding Seoul network; all are continuing to grow, and new networks are likely to be born in other cities. Prices start at about W1200 for a short hop, and increase with distance in the bigger cities, though even the full run through Seoul from Soyosan to Cheonan – about one-third of the country, and one of the longest metro routes in the world at three hours plus – will only set you back just over W3000. Signs are dual-language, and station maps easy to read.

By bus

There are a staggering number of long-distance buses in Korea – during rush hour, some scheduled services can run as often as every two minutes, with all of them departing on time. They come in two types: express (고속; gosok), and intercity (시외; si-oe, pronounced “shee-way”). Although the express services are more expensive and tend to be used for longer journeys, they are likely to run in tandem with intercity buses on many routes. Allied to this, the two bus types use separate stations in most cities, and even the locals don’t always know which one to go to, or which one they’ll be arriving at – very frustrating, though some cities are starting to see sense and group both bus stations into one building. Some cities have even more than two bus stations, so all in all it pays to keep a loose schedule when using buses, even more so if the highways are full.

  Longer journeys are broken at service stations, housing fast-food bars and snack shops. You typically get fifteen minutes to make your purchases and use the toilets (there aren’t any on the buses), but many a traveller has come a cropper after exiting the building to be confronted by forty near-identical vehicles, of which half-a-dozen may be heading to the same destination – your bus won’t wait for you, so make sure that you know where it’s parked.

  Buses are so frequent that it’s rare for them to sell out, though the last service of the day between major cities tends to be quite full. This can be surprisingly early: many services make their last trips at 7pm, though some have overnight connections. Prices are reasonable and usually lower than the trains, with intercity services slightly cheaper than express if the two coexist – Seoul to Busan is around W25,000 (5hr) on the former, W35,000 (4hr 30min) on the latter. Journeys take longer than the fastest trains, and are more prone to delays. Tickets are often checked at the start of the journey, but also at the end, so if possible try to avoid losing your ticket, lest the driver refuse to release you from his bus (which does happen).

City buses

With little English language on the signs or vehicles, Korea’s city bus networks can be more than a little confusing for the first-time visitor. Once you are familiar with a route, city buses can be a good way of getting around – they’re pleasingly frequent, and very affordable at around W1200 per ride.

  Throw your money into the collection box next to the driver; change will be spat out just below – make sure that you’ve an ample supply of coins or W1000 notes with you, as higher-value bills are unlikely to be accepted (though foreigners in such situations may be waved on with a grin). The bigger cities have started to avoid these problems by introducing pre-paid cards, and in some cities (notably Seoul) you’re no longer able to pay in cash at all. Cards work out cheaper per journey than paying by cash, and some are also valid on subway networks or longer-distance buses. They last for as long as you have credit, and can be topped up in increments of W1000 at kiosks or ticket booths.

By taxi

Korean taxis are pleasingly cheap for a developed country, and in any city you shouldn’t have to wait long to spot one. Look for cars with illuminated blocks on top, usually something resembling a plastic pyramid. Those whose blocks aren’t illuminated are taken or on call; others can be waved down from the roadside, though to make sure of being understood you’ll have to do it the Korean way – arm out, palm to the ground, fingers dangling underneath. As few drivers speak English, it’s a good idea to have your destination written down, if possible – even the cheapest motels have business cards with their address on.

  Rates start at W3000. Over short distances, cab rides may work out cheaper than taking buses if you’re in a group. All taxis are metered and though dishonesty is rarely an issue, when you start moving, check that the numbers are doing likewise. The only time that you may have to negotiate a fee is if you’re using a chong-al – or “bullet” – taxi. Piloted by death-wish drivers, these hover like vultures around train and bus stations when tickets have sold out, or daily services have finished. Rides in such vehicles are not recommended for those of a nervous disposition, while others may find it quite a thrill.

By car and motorbike

Korea’s public transport network is so good that few foreigners end up renting a car here – in many cases it would simply lose you time. If you do decide to drive, you will inevitably get snarled up in the traffic that blights the cities and highways, with exceptions being Jeju Island and rural Gangwon province in the northeast, where the roads are relatively calm and traffic-free.

  To hire a car you will need an international driving licence, and to be at least 21 years of age. Rental offices can be found at all airports and many train stations, as well as around the cities. Prices usually start at W50,000 per day, though as insurance is compulsory, you should budget on a little extra. Vehicles usually drive on the right-hand side of the road (though not all the time; the pavement can be just as popular in some city areas).

Motorbikes

You’ll be hard pushed to find two-wheeled vehicles above 125cc in the country, as the vast majority of oriental superbikes are exported for use in Europe or America. Despite this, though, a sizeable number of expats still don leather during their Korean stint. One good place to hunt for information or cycle partners is Yongsan Motorcycle Club, whose website ( roaddragons.com) features a calendar of forthcoming trips and events.

Cycling

There are nowhere near as many bikes on the roads of Korea as there are in other Asian countries – so few, in fact, that Korean drivers would rarely think of checking for the presence of a bicycle alongside them. Not that you’re much safer away from the street; cars regularly glide along the pavements looking for a place to park, and half of the country’s road fatalities are pedestrians – an unusually high proportion.

  There are, however, a few pleasant areas to cycle along rural roads; particular recommendations are the sparsely populated provinces of Gangwon and Jeju Island. Rides circumnavigating the latter take three or four days at a steady pace, and are becoming more and more commonplace. Those confined to a city will usually be able to go for a ride on a riverbank, with bikes available for hire at the most popular spots; at many such places foreigners are effectively barred from renting cycles, since a Korean ID card is required, though details have been included in this guide where appropriate.

  In recent years, long-distance bike routes have been laid across the country; it’s now possible to cycle much of the way from Seoul to Busan – a trip of up to one week – on dedicated cycle-and-walking paths. Other routes are set to follow – exciting times for Korean cyclists.

Hitching

Foreigners who attempt to cover long distances by hitching rides in Korea generally have a hard time of things. Even with your destination on a handwritten sign, and even after having confirmed to the smiling driver where it is that you want to go, you’re likely to be dropped at the nearest bus or train station. After all, to Koreans, this is the only sensible way to travel if you don’t have a vehicle of your own – hitching is almost unheard of as a money-saving or experiential device. Short-distance rides are a different proposition altogether; although the scope of Korea’s public transport system means that you’d be very unfortunate to find yourself stuck without a bus or train, it can happen, and in such circumstances hitching a ride can be as easy as flagging down the first car that you see. Of course, accepting lifts with strangers isn’t devoid of risk anywhere on Earth, but if you’re ever determined to give it a try, there can be few easier and safer places to do it than the Korean countryside.

ONLINE TRAVEL RESOURCES

Incheon International Airport  airport.or.kr. Information on flights into and out of Korea’s main airport.

Korail  letskorail.com. Information on train times and passes, including discounted combined train and ferry tickets to Japan.

Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transport (SMRT)  smrt.co.kr. Timetables, and a useful best-route subway map.

Visit Korea  english.visitkorea.or.kr. Good for bus connections between major cities, with cursory information on trains and ferries.

< Back to Basics

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation is likely to swallow up a large chunk of your travel budget, especially for those who favour Western-style luxuries, but for adventurous travellers there are ways to keep costs to a minimum. Finding a place is less likely to be a problem – Korea has an incredible number of places to stay, and one would be forgiven for thinking that there are actually more beds than there are people in the country. Do note, however, that most of these are on the cheaper side – only a few places around the country have top-drawer hotel facilities.

Luxury hotels can be found in all cities and major tourist areas, as well as a number of specially dedicated tourist hotels, though with space at such a premium, rooms are generally on the small side. At the lower end of the price scale, budget travellers can choose from thousands of motels and guesthouses – many of which have nicer rooms than the dedicated tourist hotels and at far lower prices – or even sleep in a jjimjilbang (a Korean sauna). At these levels, there’s so much choice that reservations are almost unheard of. English is spoken to varying degrees in all top hotels, but elsewhere it pays to know a few keywords in Korean (or to have good miming skills).

ACCOMMODATION PRICES

The prices given for all establishments listed in this guide are for the cheapest twin room, in high season, with all taxes and service charges included.

Hotels

The big hotel (호텔) chains have dipped their toes into the Korean market, and there’s at least one five-star option in every major city. You’re most likely to pay full rack rates in July or August, though high season at national parks and ski resorts will be autumn and winter respectively. Standards are high, by and large, though even at the top end it’s hard to find rooms of a decent size.

  Korean hotels are split by class; from top to bottom, these are super-deluxe, deluxe, first-class, second-class and third-class. Categories are marked by a plaque at the front showing a number of flowers – five for super-deluxe down to one for third-class. Many tourist hotels were built as Korea was getting rich in the 1980s, and now offer questionable value; stained carpets, tiny bathrooms and curious smells have become the norm, and few have staff with English language skills. Indeed, some of the most recently built motels offer better rooms, and at much lower prices. Most hotels have “Western” or “Korean” rooms; there are no beds in the latter (the sandwich of blankets on a heated ondol floor represents the traditional Korean way to sleep), and prices for both are about the same.

  When booking, bear in mind that the 10 percent tax levied on hotel rooms is not always factored into the quoted prices; in higher-end establishments, you’re also likely to be hit with an additional 10 percent service charge.

Motels

Bearing little resemblance to their American counterparts, motels (모텔) are absolutely all over the place – in any urban centre, you should never be more than a walk from the nearest one. Most offer fairly uniform en-suite doubles for W30,000–50,000, and standard facilities include shampoo and shower gel, hairdryers, televisions, a water fountain and free cans of beer, coffee or “vitamin juice”. Extortion of foreigners is extremely rare, and you shouldn’t be afraid to haggle the price down if you’re travelling alone, especially outside summer.

  Korean motels won’t appeal to everybody, as they’re generally used as a much-needed source of privacy by young couples (or those who need to keep their relationship secret). A few would be more honestly described as “love hotels” – pink neon and Cinderella turrets are the most obvious giveaways, while the interior may feature heart-shaped beds, condom machines and more mirrors than you can shake a stick at. That said, the majority of establishments are quite tame, any seaminess is kept behind closed doors, and even for lone women most make acceptable places to stay – indeed, those that can put up with the decor will find them Korea’s best-value accommodation option. The motels that have gone up since the turn of the century, in particular, often have cleaner rooms than the average tourist hotel, typically featuring huge flatscreen TVs and internet-ready computer terminals.

FIVE QUIRKY PLACES TO STAY

Sun Cruise, Jeongdongjin Ship-shape in a most literal sense, this hotel sits on top of a cliff overlooking the East Sea.

Rakkojae, Hahoe Folk Village A delightful wooden guesthouse, brooding away in one of Korea’s prettiest, quietest villages.

Jelly Hotel, Seoul One of the country’s most famous “love hotels” – take your pick of rooms featuring billiard tables, Persian-style canopies, Cinderella-style furnishings, and more.

Deungmeoeul, Biyangdo Basically the only inhabited building on this tiny islet, accessible from another tiny islet, which is accessible in turn by ferry from Jeju Island – a great place to get away from it all.

Jjimjilbang Not a specific place, but a concept: found by the dozen in every city, these bathhouses have communal sleeping rooms in which you can get a night’s rest for next to nothing.

Guesthouses

Yeogwan (여관) are older, smaller, less polished versions of motels. Slightly cheaper, but often a little grubby, they once formed the backbone of Korea’s budget travel accommodation, and can still be found in teams around bus and train stations. With whole streets full of them, it’s easy to hunt around for the best deal – a double room usually costs W20,000–35,000, though prices are higher in Seoul, and tend to rise in high season. Single rooms do not exist, but almost all have en-suite bathrooms.

  Minbak rooms (민박) are usually rented-out parts of a residential property, and are less likely to have private bathrooms. These are most commonly found on islands and by popular beaches or national parks, and though the prices are comparable to yeogwan rates for much of the year they can quadruple if there’s enough demand – summer is peak season for the beaches and islands, spring and autumn for the national parks.

  Even cheaper rooms can be found at a yeoinsuk (여인숙) – around W15,000 per night. Slowly disappearing, these are a noisier, more spartan variation of the yeogwan, invariably found in older areas of town, with rooms containing nothing more than a couple of blankets, a television and a heated linoleum ondol floor to sleep on. Such wipe-clean minimalism generally makes for clean rooms, though some have a cockroach problem, and the communal toilets and showers can be quite off-putting; in addition, some of them are used by prostitutes and their clients.

Hostels

Hostels (호스텔) in Korea come in two distinct varieties: official and independent. The official hostels are created for, and primarily used by, the nation’s youth, with the resultant atmosphere more boarding school than bohemian – none have been listed in this guide. The independent hostels will be much more familiar to international backpackers, and have really taken off of late – every major city now has one, and Seoul an almost countless number. However, they’re not always great value: with W20,000 now normal for a dorm bed, you’d almost always be able to score a private motel room for a few dollars more, often in a far more convenient location. Many hostels also offer private rooms, though at W50,000–60,000, they’re double the aforementioned motel prices. Still, if you’re keen to socialize with other travellers, hostels remain a great way to go, and they’re becoming ever more numerous.

STAYING AT A JJIMJILBANG

For travellers willing to take the plunge and bare all in front of curious strangers, sauna establishments (known locally as jjimjilbang; 찜질방) are some of the cheapest and most uniquely Korean places in which to get a night’s sleep. Almost entirely devoid of the seedy reputations that may dog similar facilities abroad, jjimjilbang are large, round-the-clock venues primarily used by families escaping their homes for the night, businessmen who’ve worked or partied beyond their last trains, or teenage groups having a safe night out together. They can be found in any Korean city, typically costing W5000–8000, and consist of a shower and pool area, a sauna or steam room, and a large playschool-style quiet room or two for communal napping; most also have snack bars and internet terminals. Upon entry, guests are given a locker key for their shoes, another for their clothing, and matching T-shirts and shorts to change into – outside clothes are not allowed to be worn inside the complex, though it’s OK to wear underwear beneath your robe. All must be sacrificed on entry to the pools, which are segregated by gender. The common rooms are uniformly clean but vary in style; some have TVs and hi-tech recliner chairs, others invite you to roll out a mini-mattress, but all will have a floorful of snoring Koreans – not the quietest night’s sleep you’ll ever have, but a wonderfully local experience.

Camping and mountain huts

Most national parks have at least one campsite to cater for the swarms of Korean hikers who spend their weekends in the mountains. Most are free, but those that charge (typically under W5000) have excellent toilet and shower facilities. Jirisan and Seoraksan, two of the largest parks, have well-signposted shelters or huts dotted around the hiking trails; these cost under W8000 per person, though they may only open from summer until autumn, and you’re advised to book ahead – check the national park website ( english.knps.or.kr). At both campsites and shelters, drinking water should always be available, and though simple snacks may also be on offer, it’s best to bring your own food.

Templestays and hanok guesthouses

If you’re looking for a more traditional experience, you could try staying at a temple. Though temples with sufficient room are pretty much obliged to take in needy travellers for the night, many offer interesting, prearranged templestay programmes for around W50,000 per night, some with the capacity for English-language translation (see  eng.templestay.com for more details). A stay generally involves meditation, grounds-sweeping, a tea ceremony and a meal or two, but be prepared for spartan sleeping arrangements and a pre-dawn wake-up call.

  If you’re after something traditional but without the routine, try hunting down a hanok. These are traditional Korean buildings, replete with wooden frames, sliding doors and a woodfired underfloor heating system. Few such buildings cater for travellers, though some can be found at the traditional villages scattered around the country (Hahoe near Andong is the best; see Hahoe Folk Village), and there are dedicated districts in Seoul (see Bukchon Hanok Village) and Jeonju (see The hanok village). Many include tea ceremonies and other activities such as kimchi-making in the cost.

ONLINE ACCOMMODATION RESOURCES

 asiarooms.com An excellent discount site with interesting reviews of the hotel rooms on offer.

 eng.templestay.com Information on the various templestay programmes around the country.

 english.knps.or.kr Korea National Park Service site detailing available shelters.

 hostelworld.com Good listings of Seoul’s budget accommodation, and a few more choices from around the country.

 khrc.com Website for the Korea Hotel Reservation Centre, worth a look for occasional special deals.

 stay.visitseoul.net City-sponsored site featuring a range of cheap accommodation in Seoul, all at places deemed suitable for foreigners.

 trivago.com User-friendly site that compares quotes from all the major hotel booking engines, and directs you to the cheapest.

< Back to Basics

FOOD AND DRINK

Korean cuisine deserves greater international attention. A thrillingly spicy mishmash of simple but invariably healthy ingredients, it’s prepared with consummate attention, then doled out in hearty portions at more restaurants than you could possibly count – even if every single person in the country suddenly decided to go out for dinner simultaneously, there would probably still be some free tables. Most are open from early morning until late at night, and a full 24 hours a day in many cases. You can usually find a restaurant to suit your budget, and there will always be an affordable option close by, a fact attested to by the great number of foreigners that live here quite happily for weeks, months or even years on end without doing a single bit of cooking for themselves.

The traditional Korean restaurant is filled with low tables; diners are required to remove their footwear and sit on floor cushions. There are a number of rules of restaurant etiquette but a substantial amount of custom also surrounds the food itself; while what often appears to be a culinary free-for-all can draw gasps from foreign observers (eat the meal; boil off the soup; throw in some rice to fry up with the scraps; add some noodles), Korea’s great on conformity, and you may well provoke chuckles of derision by performing actions that you deem quite sensible – it’s best just to follow the Korean lead.

  Korean eating establishments are hard to pigeonhole. The lines between bar, restaurant, snack shop and even home are often blurry to say the least, and some places cover all bases: in provincial towns, you may well see children snoozing under empty tables.

  Restaurant meals usually consist of communal servings of meat or fish around which are placed a bewildering assortment of side dishes (banchan; 반찬). Often, these are the best part of the meal – a range of fish, meat, vegetables and steamed egg broth, they’re included in the price of the meal, and there may be as many as twenty of them on the table; when your favourite is finished, waitresses will scoot around with a free refill.

  One common problem for visitors is the spice level of the food, an issue that has given Korea one of the world’s highest rates of stomach cancer. It’s not so much the spiciness of the individual dishes that causes problems (British travellers trained on curry, for example, rarely have any problems adjusting to Korean spice) but the fact that there’s little respite from it – red pepper paste (gochujang; 고추장) is a component of almost every meal. Another common complaint by foreign visitors is the lack of attention paid to vegetarians, as such folk are extremely rare in Korea. Despite the high vegetable content of many meals, almost all have at least a little meat, and very few are cooked in meat-free environments. Most resort to asking for bibimbap without the meat, eating ramyeon (라면; instant noodles), or poking the bits of ham out of gimbap with a chopstick.

  Many dishes are for sharing, a fantastic arrangement that fosters togetherness and increases mealtime variety, though this has adverse implications for single travellers – Koreans don’t like to eat alone, and are likely to fret about those who do. One other point worth mentioning is the incredible number of foodstuffs that are claimed to be “good for sexual stamina”; at times it feels as if food is an augmenter of male potency first, and a necessary means of sustenance second. Raw fish and dog meat, in particular, are said to be good for this.

KIMCHI

No country on Earth is as closely entwined with its national dish as Korea is with its beloved kimchi: a spicy mix of fermented vegetables, which is served as a complimentary side dish at pretty much every restaurant in the land. Many traditionally minded families still ferment their own in distinctive earthenware jars, but home-made or not it’s an important part of breakfast, lunch and dinner in most Korean homes. Lots of families even have a dedicated kimchi fridge, quartered off to separate the four main types. The two most common varieties are baechu kimchi, made with cabbage, and ggakdugi kimchi, which are cubes of radish in a red-pepper sauce, but there are others made with cucumber or other vegetables.

  Salt, garlic and a hearty dollop of red-pepper paste are almost mandatory in a good kimchi, though additional ingredients vary from home to home and restaurant to restaurant. Many of the best recipes are shrouded in secrecy and handed down through the generations, but some of the most popular components include onion, brine, ginger and fish paste. The effect on the breath can be dramatic, to say the least, but there are few better ways to endear yourself to the locals than by chowing down on a bowlful of kimchi.

Rice dishes

Many meals involve rice in various forms: one that proves a hit with many foreigners is bibimbap, a mixture of shoots, leaves and vegetables on a bed of rice, flecked with meat, then topped with an egg and spicy gochujang pepper sauce. Bibimbap was originally a religious dish derived from the five principal colours of Korean Buddhism – red for the paste, yellow for the egg yolk, white for the rice, blue for the meat and green for the vegetables – and is one of the easiest dishes to find in Korea. It can cost as little as W4000, though there are sometimes a few varieties to choose from. Some restaurants serve it in a heated stone bowl (dolsot bibimbap; 돌솥 비빔밥); those in the countryside may make it using only vegetables sourced from the surrounding mountains (sanchae bibimbap; 산채 비빔밥); and certain establishments in Jeonju have elevated the dish to an art form, serving it with a whole witch’s cauldron of fascinating ingredients – including pine kernels, fern bracken and slices of jujube – and up to a dozen individual side dishes.

  Other dishes to be served on a bed of rice include beef (bulgogi deop-bap; 불고기덮밥), highly spicy squid (ojingeo deop-bap; 오징어덮밥) or donkasseu (돈까스), a breaded pork cutlet dish imported from Japan that’s particularly popular with those who want to avoid spice. Also fulfilling this need are rolls of gimbap (김밥): gim means laver seaweed, bap means rice, and the former is rolled around the latter, which itself surrounds strips of egg, ham and pickled radish; the resulting tube is then cut into segments with a sharp knife to make the dish chopstick-friendly. The regular ones are filling and only cost W1500, but for a little more you’ll usually have a variety of fillings to choose from, including tuna (chamchi; 참치), minced beef (sogogi; 소고기), processed cheese (chi-jeu; 치즈) and kimchi.

TOP 10 DINING SPOTS

Balwoo Buddhist temple food, Seoul.

Korea House Royal banquets, Seoul.

Bukcheong Sundae Noodle sausages and a ferry trip, Sokcho.

Dosol Maeul Pancakes and rice beer in a traditional wooden abode, Gyeongju.

Jagalchi fish market Busan.

Hwangsolchon Some of Korea’s best barbecued meat, Gwangju.

Gomanaru Feasts of flowers and leaves, Gongju.

Daecheon beach The best place in Korea for a shellfish barbecue.

Haechon Eat cutlassfish bibimbap with a prime view of Sunrise Peak, Seongsan.

North Korea Anywhere and anything, for sheer excitement value.

Noodle dishes

Noodles are used as a base in many dishes, and can be extremely cheap – a bowl of ramyeon (라면) can go for just W3000. This is a block of instant noodles boiled up in a spicy red-pepper soup, and usually mixed in with an egg and some onion. For a little more you can have dumplings (mandu; 만두), rice cake (ddeok; 떡) or processed cheese thrown in. Those travelling in the sticky Korean summer will find it hard to throw back a bowl of hot, spicy soup; a better choice may be naengmyeon (냉면), bowls of grey buckwheat noodles served with a boiled egg and vegetable slices in a spicy paste or an ice-cold spicy soup; it’ll set you back around W5000, though more like double that at the best establishments.

FAST-FOOD CHAINS

Such is the pace at which Koreans live their lives that many find it impossible to spare time for a leisurely meal, so it should come as no surprise that their city streets are packed with fast-food outlets. Korean fast food is something of a misnomer: fast it may well be, but in general the local offerings are far healthier than their Western equivalents – you could eat them every day and never get fat. One slight problem for travellers is that few of these cheap places are used to dealing with foreigners, so don’t expect English-language menus or service; see Food and Drink for a menu reader. Below is a selection of the outlets you’re most likely to come across in cities across the nation.

Gimbap Cheonguk (김밥천국) In Korean street-space terms, this ubiquitous orange-fronted franchise is rivalled only by internet bars and the more prominent convenience store chains. The concept is pretty miraculous – almost all basic Korean meals are served here for around W5000 per dish, and despite the variety on offer you’ll usually be eating within minutes of sitting down. They also sell gimbap from W1500, and these can be made to go: perfect if you’re off on a hike.

Isaac Toast (이삭토스트) Toast, but not as you know it. The Korean variety is made on a huge hotplate – first your perfectly square bread will be fried and smeared with kiwi jam, then joined by perfect squares of spam and/or fried egg (or even a burger, for those to whom the word “cholesterol” means nothing), and the whole lot injected with two sauces, one spicy and one brown. No, it’s not healthy, but it makes a tasty breakfast; prices start at around W2000.

Jaws (죠스) This chain has been a gigantic hit of late, selling rounds of street-eats twigim and ddeokbokki for less than the street stands, and at a much higher level of quality. W2500 will be enough for a plate of crispy twigim; ask to have it smothered with spicy ddeokbokki sauce.

Kim Ga Ne (김家네) A slightly more upmarket version of Gimbap Cheonguk, serving more or less the same things with a few snazzy “fusion” additions. Most branches have their menu on the walls in pictorial form, handy if you don’t speak Korean. Dishes W4000–8000.

Paris Baguette (파리바게뜨) & Tous Les Jours (뚜레쥬르) A pair of near-identical bakery chains, whose offerings may satisfy if you need a breakfast devoid of spice or rice; many branches are also able to whip up a passable coffee. Baked goods start at around W1500, but note that even the savoury-looking ones are usually extremely sugary. You’ll find branches all over the place; harder to spot is Paris Croissant, a slightly more upmarket version.

Yu Ga Ne (유가네) This chain serves tasty barbecued meat, cooked at your table by an apron-wearing attendant. Unlike most barbecue joints, there are dishes for those dining alone, such as the delectable dak-galbi beokkeumbap, which is something like a chicken kebab fried up with rice. W10,000 should be enough to get a bellyful.

Soups and broths

The names of soup dishes usually end with -tang (탕) or -guk (국), though special mention must be made of the spicy jjigae broths (찌개). These are bargain meals that cost W4500 and up, and come with rice and a range of vegetable side dishes; the red-pepper broth contains chopped-up vegetables, as well as a choice of tofu (sundubu; 순두부), tuna, soybean paste (doenjang; 된장) or kimchi.

Barbecued meat

Barbecued meat is one of Korea’s signature foods, and a whole lot of fun – for carnivores, at least. Here, you get to play chef with a plate of raw meat commonly placed on a grill over charcoal, and a pair of scissors to slice it all up. As excess fat drips off the meat onto the briquettes it releases the occasional tongue of flame, which lends a genuine air of excitement to the meal. Two of the most popular meat dishes are galbi and samgyeopsal, which are almost always cooked by the diners themselves in the centre of the table. Galbi is rib-meat, most often beef (so-galbi; 소갈비) but sometimes pork (dwaeji-galbi; 돼지갈비). Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) consists of strips of rather fatty pork belly. Prices vary but figure on around W13,000 per portion for beef and a little less for pork; a minimum of two diners is usually required.

  In dedicated galbi restaurants the dish is usually eaten sitting on the floor, but many cheaper places have outdoor tables. In all cases, you’ll be served free (and replenishable) side dishes, which may include pulses, tofu, leek, potato and tiny fish. A boiling bowl of egg broth and a tray of leaves are also usually thrown in for the group to share – barbecued meat is not a meal to eat on your own – and each person is given a bowl of chopped-up greens and a pot of salted sesame oil.

  In Confucian Korea, it’s common for the “lowest” adult member of the party – usually the youngest female – to cook and dish out the meat. To eat it, first place a leaf or two from the tray onto your left hand, then with your chopsticks add a piece of meat, and a smudge of soybean paste; roll the leaf around to make a ball, and you’re ready to go. Lastly, meat is traditionally washed down with a bottle or three of soju – Korea’s answer to vodka.

Snack food

Though the most common variety of Korean snack food is gimbap there are many more options available. One is a dish called ddeokbokki (떡볶이), a mix of rice cake and processed fish boiled up in a highly spicy red-pepper sauce; this typically costs around W2000 per portion, and is doled out in bowls by street vendors and small roadside booths. The same places usually serve twigim (튀김), which are flash-fried pieces of squid, potato, seaweed-covered noodle-roll or stuffed chilli pepper, to name but a few ingredients. The price varies but is usually around W3000 for six pieces – choose from the display, and they’ll be refried in front of you. You can have the resulting dish smothered in ddeokbokki sauce for no extra charge – delicious.

  Convenience stores are usually good places to grab some food, as all sell sandwiches, rolls and triangles of gimbap, and instant noodles; boiling water will always be available for the latter, as well as a bench or table to eat it from, an activity that will mark you as an honorary Korean. A less appealing practice, but one that will endear you to Koreans more than anything else can, is the eating of beonddegi (번데기) – boiled silkworm larvae.

ROYAL CUISINE

Being such an important part of daily Korean life, it’s inevitable that food should wend its way into traditional events. The hundredth day of a child’s life is marked with a feast of colourful rice cake, while a simpler variety is served in a soup (ddeokguk) to celebrate Lunar New Year. More interesting by far, however, is royal court cuisine: a remnant of the Joseon dynasty, which ruled over the Korean peninsula from 1392 to 1910, this was once served to Korean rulers and associated nobility. The exact ingredients and styles vary and go by several different names, but usually rice, soup and a charcoal-fired casserole form the centre of the banquets, and are then surrounded by an array of perfectly prepared dishes; twelve was once the royal number of dishes and banned to the peasant class, but now anyone can indulge as long as they have the money. The aim of the combination is to harmonize culinary opposites such as spicy and mild, solid and liquid, rough and smooth; a balance of colour and texture is thereby achieved – the Yin–Yang principle in edible form.

  Some of the best places to try this kind of food are Korea House and Balwoo in Seoul.

Desserts

You’ll find ice cream in any convenience store, where prices can be as low as W500; if you want to keep your selection as Korean as possible, go for green tea, melon, or red-bean-paste flavours. An even more distinctively local variety, available from specialist snack bars, is patbingsu (팥빙수), a strange concoction of fruit, cream, shaved ice and red-bean paste – most Korean meals are for sharing, so it’s inevitable that a dessert made for sharing is super-popular around the land. Also keep an eye out in colder months for a hoddeok (호떡) stand – these press out little fried pancakes of rice-mix filled with brown sugar and cinnamon for just W1000 per piece, and are extremely popular with foreigners.

Seafood, markets and mountain food

Some Korean eating places exude an essence little changed for decades. Raw fish stalls around the coast, city-centre marketplaces and mountain restaurants are your best options for that traditional feeling.

  Korean seafood is a bit of a maze for most foreigners, and much more expensive than other meals, though it’s worth persevering. Some is served raw, while other dishes are boiled up in a spicy soup. Jagalchi market in Busan deserves a special mention, but in small coastal villages – particularly on the islands of the West and South seas – there’s little other industry to speak of; battered fishing flotillas yo-yo in and out with the tide, and you may be able to buy fish literally straight off the boat. This may seem as fresh as seafood can possibly be, but baby octopus is often served live (sannakji; 산낙지), its severed tentacles still squirming as they head down your throat. Be warned: several people die each year when their prey decides to make a last futile stab at survival with its suckers, so you may wish to wait until it has stopped moving, or at least kill the nerves with a few powerful bites. A far simpler choice is hoe deop-bap (회덮밥), a widely available dish similar to bibimbap, but with sliced raw fish in place of egg and meat. A halfway house in excitement terms is jogae-gui (조개구이), a shellfish barbecue – the unfortunate creatures are grilled in front of you, and W35,000 will buy enough of them to fill two people.

  Korean markets offer similar opportunities for culinary exploration. Here you’re also likely to spot seafood on sale, along with fruits, vegetables, grilled or boiled meats and an assortment of snacks. Many options have been detailed under “Snack food”, but one favourite almost unique to the market is sundae (순대), a kind of sausage made with intestinal lining and noodles. Sokcho on the Gangwon coast is the best place to sample this.

  Korea’s wonderful national parks feature some splendid eating opportunities located around the main entrances. One of the most popular hiker dishes is sanchae bibimbap (산채 비빔밥), a variety of the Korean staple made with roots, shoots and vegetables from the surrounding countryside – knowing that everything is sourced locally somehow makes the dish taste better. Most popular, though, are pajeon (파전); locals may refer to these as “Korean pizza”, but they’re more similar to a savoury pancake. They usually contain strips of spring onion and seafood (haemul; 해물) pajeon, though other varieties are available; it’s usually washed down with a bowl or three of dongdongju, a milky rice wine.

DOG MEAT

Korea’s consumption of dog meat (gae-gogi; 개고기) became global knowledge when the country hosted the 1988 Olympics, at which time the government kowtowed to Western mores and attempted to sweep the issue under the carpet.

  Today, eating dog meat amounts to a shameful national secret. Foreigners looking for it on the menu or in their hamburgers are likely to be relieved, as it’s almost nowhere to be seen. Should the issue be raised, even with a Korean you know well, they’ll probably laugh and tell you that they don’t eat dog, and that the practice only takes place behind closed doors, if at all.

  That said, and though it’s true that few young people consume dog, the soup yeongyangtang, for one, is still popular with older Koreans due to its purported health-giving properties, and can be hunted down in specialist restaurants.

  Any fears of Koreans chowing down on an Alsatian or Border Collie should be quelled; almost all dog meat comes from a scraggly mongrel breed colloquially known as the ddong-gae (똥개), or “shit-dog”, an animal named for its tendency to eat whatever it finds on the floor. Even so, the poor conditions that the animals are often kept in, and the continuing – and occasionally verified – stories of dogs being clubbed to death to tenderize the meat, are good reasons to avoid this kind of meal. For those who wish to know, it’s a slightly stringy meat somewhere between duck and beef in texture, and is generally agreed to taste better than it smells.

International cuisine

While many visitors fall head over heels for Korean food, it’s not to everybody’s taste, and after a while the near-permanent spicy tang of red-pepper paste can wear down even the most tolerant taste buds. One problem concerns breakfast, which, to most Koreans, is simply another time window for the intake of kimchi and rice. This is too heavy for many Westerners, but though a fry-up or smörgåsbord will be hard to find outside the major hotels, you may find some solace in the buns, cakes and pastries of major bakery chains such as Tous Les Jours and Paris Baguette, or the mayonnaise-heavy sandwiches of the convenience stores.

  International food is getting easier to come by in Korea, though only Seoul can be said to have a truly cosmopolitan range. American-style fast food, however, can be found pretty much everywhere – McDonald’s and Burger King are joined by Lotteria, a local chain, and there are also a great number of fried-chicken joints scattered around. Traditional Japanese food has made serious inroads into the Korean scene, and the obligatory red lanterns of izakaya-style bar-restaurants are especially easy to spot in student areas. Italian food has long been popular with Koreans, who have added their own twists to pizzas and pasta – almost every single meal will be served with a small tub of pickled gherkin, an addition that locals assume to be de rigueur in the restaurants of Napoli or Palermo. Chinese restaurants are equally numerous, though unfortunately they’re no more authentic than their counterparts in Western countries, even in the many cases where the restaurateurs themselves are Chinese. One recommendation, however, is beokkeumbap – fried rice mixed with cubes of ham and vegetable, topped with a fried egg and black bean sauce, and served with deliciously spicy seafood broth; the whole thing will cost about W5000, and is, therefore, a great way to fill up on the cheap.

Drink

A sweet potato wine named soju (소주) is the national drink – a cheap, clear Korean version of vodka that you’ll either love or hate (or love, then hate the next morning) – but there’s a pleasing variety of grog to choose from. The country also has a wealth of excellent tea on offer, though coffee is increasingly winning the urban caffeine battles.

GET DRUNK THE LOCAL WAY

Though Koreans largely favour beer and imported drinks, the country has more than a few superb local hooches, many of which go down very well indeed with the few foreigners lucky enough to learn about them.

Baekseju (백세주) A nutty, whisky-coloured concoction, about the same strength as wine. Its name means “one-hundred-year alcohol”, on account of healthy ingredients including ginseng and medicinal herbs. Surely the tastiest path towards becoming a centenarian, baekseju is available at all convenience stores (W4500) and many barbecue houses (W7000 or so).

Bokbunjaju (복분자주) Made with black raspberries, this sweet, fruity drink is somewhat similar to sugary, low-grade port. It’s available at all convenience stores (W6500), though those off on a mountain hike in late summer may be lucky enough to try some freshly made: it’s sold by farmers at makeshift stalls.

Dongdongju (동동주) Very similar to makgeolli, dongdongju is a little heavier taste-wise, and since it can only be served fresh you’ll have to head to a specialist place for a try. The restaurants most likely to have dongdongju are those also serving savoury pancakes known as pajeon; these establishments are usually rustic affairs decked out with Korean bric-a-brac, and serving dongdongju in large bowls (W8000). A word of warning: many foreigners have “hit the wall” on their first dabble, suddenly finding themselves floored by this deceptively quaffable drink.

Maehwasu (매화수) Similar to baekseju in colour, strength and price, this is made with the blossom of the maesil, a type of Korean plum, and some bottles come with said fruit steeping inside.

Makgeolli (막걸리) Milky rice beer that’s usually around 6 percent alcohol by volume.

Soju (소주) The national drink, for better or worse. Locals are fond of referring to it as “Korean vodka”, but it’s only half the strength – a good thing too, as it’s usually fired down in staccato shots, preferably over barbecued meat. It’s traditionally made with sweet potato, but these days most companies use cheap chemical concoctions: the resultant taste puts many foreigners off, but some find themselves near-addicted within days of arrival. Expect to pay W1300 from a convenience store, W3000 at a restaurant.

Bars and hofs

Though the imbibing of soju is de rigueur at restaurants of an evening, most people do their serious drinking in bars and “hofs”. There are a quite incredible number of both in the cities, though the majority can be surprisingly empty, even at weekends – you may wonder how most of them stay in business. Hofs, pronounced more like “hop” (호프), are bright, booth-filled places serving beer (maekju; 맥주) by the bucketload. The main beers are Cass, OB and Hite; prices are more or less the same for each, starting at about W2500 for a 500cc glass. Quite fascinating are the three- or five-litre plastic jugs of draught beer (saeng-maekju; 생맥주), which often come billowing dry ice and illuminated with flashing lights. The downside of such places is that customers are pretty much obliged to eat as well as drink; you’ll be given free snacks, but customers are expected to order something from the menu.

  Bars are almost invariably dark, neon-strewn dens; unlike in hofs, customers are not usually expected to eat and tend to take roost in an extensive cocktail menu; beer will still be available, in draught or bottled form. Each city has one or more main “going-out” district, with the most raucous to be found outside the rear entrances of the universities (which maintain a veneer of respectability by keeping their main entrances free of such revelry). Most cities have at least one resident expat bar; these are usually the best places for foreigners to meet fellow waeguk-in (foreigners) or new Korean friends. Often surrounded with tables and chairs for customer use, convenience stores are equally great places to meet new mates, and actually the best hunting grounds for local drinks. They also sell bottles of foreign wine for W7000 and up, though special mention must be made of a local variety named Jinro House Wine: this curiously pink liquid, which may or may not be derived from grapes, costs about W2000 per bottle and can only be described as “comedy wine” as it tends to give people the giggles.

  The local drinking scene has recently been shaken up by sudden increases in demand for two particular alcoholic drinks. First of all came the makgeolli craze: for decades young Koreans pooh-poohed this delicious rice beer, but it has been given a new lease of life, and is now sold at mini-markets and convenience stores across the country; Seoul even has a bunch of chic bar-restaurants dedicated to the stuff. More recently, the “regular” beer scene has been stirred by the arrival of smaller-scale breweries; though the ripples are still slowly emanating from Seoul’s Itaewon district, a whole generation of Koreans is now experiencing craft ale for the first time.

MAKGEOLLI

The milky-coloured rice beer known as makgeolli (막걸리) has become increasingly hip in recent years. It’s somewhat similar to real ale, in that the drink is still “living” when you drink it – the best will last no longer than a week, even while refrigerated. The following are just some of the varieties available around the country:

Sobaeksan Geomeunkong (소백산 검은콩) Made in Danyang, this creamy number is the best of Korea’s many black-bean makgeolli brands.

Baedari (배다리) Pleasantly sour brew from Ilsan (a satellite city west of Seoul), and a one-time favourite of ex-dictator Park Chung-hee – it was once delivered in caseloads to the Blue House.

Busan Geumjeongsan (부산 금정산) Too sour for some, invigoratingly so and slightly appley to others, this hails from Busan but is actually easier to hunt down in the mak-bars of Seoul.

Jeju Makgeolli (제주 막걸리) Jeju Island has some cloyingly disgusting varieties, but this pink-labelled one, made with “friendly” bacteria, is a real winner.

Boeun Daechu (보은 대추) You’ll have to be in the Songnisan mountains to have any chance of finding this delicious makgeolli, made with local jujube dates.

Gongju Albam (공주 알밤) Found all over Gongju, and even Seoul these days, this chestnut makgeolli is a good one for beginners to sample.

Jangsu (장수) Purists scoff at this sweet, fizzy brand, which has cornered much of the Seoul market, but the truth is that it’s still pretty tasty – not to mention very easy to find in the capital’s convenience stores.

Hongsam Jujo (홍삼 주조) One of the most notable of Jeonju’s many brands, and made with red ginseng.

Jipyeong (지평) A fresh-tasting, easy-to-quaff brand, which has since 1925 been made in Jipyeong – a village east of Seoul – in a giant hanok (traditional wooden house).

Dosan (도산) Smooth brew that’s only really available in Tongyeong – grab a bottle and drink it outside, next to the town’s cute little harbour.

Tea and coffee

Tea is big business in Korea. Unfortunately, most of the drinking takes place at home or work, though Insadong in Seoul has dozens of interesting tearooms, and there are some gems outside national parks and in Jeonju’s hanok district (see Cafés and tearooms). Green tea is by far the most popular, though if you find your way to a specialist tearoom, do take the opportunity to try something more special (see the box above for suggestions).

  Korea is now a bona fide coffee nation. Caféculture has found its way into the lives of Korean youth, and even in smaller towns you shouldn’t have to look too far to find somewhere to sate your caffeine cravings. In addition to coffee, modern cafés usually serve delicious green tea latte, with some of the more adventurous throwing in ginseng or sweet potato varieties for good measure. Though certainly not for purists, worth mentioning are the cans and cartons of coffee on sale in convenience stores, and the three-in-one instant mixes that pop up all over the place, including most motel rooms.

KOREAN TEA VARIETIES

Daechu-cha 대추차 Jujube tea

Gukhwa-cha 국”차 Chrysanthemum tea

Gyepi-cha 계피차 Cinnamon tea

Ggulsam cha 꿀삼차 Honey ginseng tea

Insam-cha 인삼차 Ginseng tea

Ma-cha 마차 Wild herb tea

Maesil-cha 매실차 Plum tea

Nok-cha 녹차 Green tea

Omija-cha 오미자차 Five Flavours tea

Saenggang-cha 생∞차 Ginger tea

Yak-cha 약차 Medicinal herb tea

Yuja-cha 유자차 Citron tea

Yulmu-cha 율무차 “Job’s Tears” tea

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THE MEDIA

Korean media has come a long way since bursting out of the dictatorial straitjacket of the 1970s and 1980s, but most of it is only accessible to those fluent in Korean.

Newspapers, magazines and the web

The two big English-language newspapers are the Korea Times ( koreatimes.co.kr) and Korea Herald ( koreaherald.com), near-identical dailies with near-identical addictions to news agency output and dull business statistics. That said, both have decent listings sections in their weekend editions, which detail events around the country, as well as the goings-on in Seoul’s restaurant, film and club scenes. For Korean news translated into English, try the websites of Yonhap News ( english.yonhapnews.co.kr), or Dong-a Ilbo ( english.donga.com); the Chosun Ilbo ( english.chosun.com) has a translated version too, but it’s rather conservative in nature.

  The International Herald Tribune is pretty easy to track down in top hotels, with copies containing the eight-page Joongang Daily ( koreajoongangdaily.joins.com), an interesting local news supplement. You should also be able to hunt down the previous week’s Time or Economist in most Korean cities – try the larger bookstores, or the book section of a large department store. Lastly, Seoul has its own clutch of useful websites and magazines, some of which also cover destinations elsewhere in Korea.

Television

Korean television is a gaudy feast of madcap game shows and soppy period dramas, and there are few more accessible windows into the true nature of local society. Arirang ( arirang.co.kr) is a 24hr English-language television network based in Seoul, which promotes the country with occasionally interesting (but often propaganda-like) documentaries, and has regular news bulletins. Arirang TV is free-to-air throughout much of the world, and though not free in Korea itself, it comes as part of most cable packages.

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FESTIVALS

On even a short trip around the country you’re more than likely to stumble across a special event of some sort. Many are religious in nature, with Buddhist celebrations supplemented by Confucian and even animist events. Most festivals are concentrated around spring and autumn, but there are many spread throughout the year. If you’re heading to one, don’t be shy – the locals love to see foreigners joining in with traditional Korean events, and those who dare to get stuck in may finish the day with a whole troupe of new friends.

Though there are some crackers on the calendar, it must be said that a fair number of Korean festivals are brazenly commercial, making no bones about being held to “promote the salted seafood industry”, for example. Other festivals can be rather odd, including those dedicated to agricultural utensils, clean peppers and the “Joy of Rolled Laver” – you’ll easily be able to spot the duds. The most interesting events are highlighted below, though bear in mind that celebrations for two of the big national festivals – Seollal, the Lunar New Year, and a Korean version of Thanksgiving named Chuseok – are family affairs that generally take place behind closed doors. There are also festivals specific to Seoul (see Seoul festivals) and Busan (see Busan festivals).

APRIL–JUNE

Cherry blossom festivals Usually early April. Heralding the arrival of spring, soft blossom wafts through the air across the country, a cue for all good Koreans to lay down blankets at parks or riverbanks, barbecue some meat and throw back the soju.

Jeonju International Film Festival  jiff.or.kr. Last week of April. Smaller and more underground than the biggie in Busan, JIFF focuses on the arty, independent side of the movie industry.

Buddha’s Birthday Late May. A public holiday during which temples across the land are adorned with colourful paper lanterns; there’s an even more vibrant night parade in Seoul.

International Mime Festival  mimefestival.com. May. Held in the Gangwonese capital of Chuncheon, this foreigner-friendly event is a showcase of soundless talent.

Dano Usually June. A shamanist festival held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, featuring circus acts, ssireum wrestling, mask dramas and a whole lot more. The city of Gangneung is host to the biggest displays.

JULY–AUGUST

Boryeong Mud Festival  mudfestival.or.kr. Late July. This annual expat favourite pulls mud-happy hordes to Daecheon beach for all kinds of muck-related fun.

International Puppet Festival Aug. Puppets and their masters come from around the world to flaunt their skills in Chuncheon, a city in Gangwon province.

Firefly Festival Aug. Glow worms are the tiny stars of the show at this modest night-time event, which takes place over a weekend near Muju. One unexpected treat is the chance to don a firefly costume.

SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER

Gwangju Biennale  gwangjubiennale.org. Sept–Nov. A wide-ranging, two-month-long festival of contemporary art, the biennale usually takes place on alternate autumns, though it has also been held in spring.

Andong Mask Dance Festival  maskdance.com. Late Sept or early Oct. Legend has it that if a person fails to attend a mask festival in their lifetime, they cannot get into heaven, so if you’re in Korea in the autumn you might as well have a crack at salvation by participating in one of the country’s most popular events – a week of anonymous dancing, performed by the best troupes in the land.

Pusan International Film Festival  piff.org. Usually Oct. One of Asia’s biggest such events, PIFF draws in big-shots and hangers-on for a week of cinematic fun.

Baekje Festival  baekje.org. Early Oct. This annual event commemorating the Baekje dynasty is held each year in the old Baekje capitals of Gongju and Buyeo.

Kimchi Festival Late Oct. In Gwangju. You’ll be able to see, smell and taste dozens of varieties of the spicy stuff, and there’s even a kimchi-making contest for foreigners keen to show off.

Pepero Day Nov 11. A crass marketing ploy, but amusing nonetheless – like Pocky, their Japanese cousins, Pepero are thin sticks of chocolate-coated biscuit, and on the date when it looks as if four of them are standing together, millions of Koreans say “I love you” by giving a box to their sweethearts, friends, parents or pets.

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SPORTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

The 1988 Seoul Olympics did much to thrust Korea into the international spotlight, a trick repeated with the even more successful 2002 FIFA World Cup, an event co-hosted with Japan. But sport here is less about watching than doing, a fact evident in the well-trodden trails of the national parks, and the svelte proportions of the average Korean.

Hiking

The most popular activity in Korea is hiking, which is the national pastime owing to the country’s abundance of mountains and national parks. There are no fewer than seventeen national parks on the mainland – their names all end with the suffix “-san”, which means mountain or mountains – and these are supplemented by an even greater number of lesser parks, mountains and hills. English-language maps (W1000) are available at all park offices, trails are well marked with dual-language signs, and each national park has a cluster of accommodation and restaurants outside its main entrance. Some are mini-towns bursting with neon signs and karaoke rooms, which dilutes the experience somewhat, but a Korean hike is not complete unless it’s finished off with a good meal: pajeon is the most popular post-hike dish, a kind of savoury pancake made with mountain vegetables, while the creamy rice wine dongdongju is the drink of choice. Deceptively mild, it can pack a punch, especially the next morning.

  Despite the wealth of choice available, many of Korea’s trails contrive to be packed to the gills, especially during holidays and warm weekends, when the parks are full with locals enjoying a day out. Many families bring along sizeable picnics to enjoy on their way to the peaks, and lone travellers may be invited to join in – Koreans hate to see people on their own.

POPULAR HIKES

Day-trips from the city With so much of the country covered by mountains, it’s possible to see any Korean city from the vantage point of its surrounding peaks. Even Seoul has a national park. Bukhansan is the world’s most visited, though it occasionally offers surprising serenity.

Multi-day hikes Only a couple of parks have shelters where you can stay the night. Jirisan is the largest in the country, and features a three-day, 26km-long spine route. Seoraksan is not quite as expansive, but is considered the most beautiful in the country, with great clumps of rock peeking out from the pines like giant skulls.

Scaling peaks South Korea’s highest peak is on Jeju Island. The 1950m-high extinct volcanic cone of Hallasan dominates the island, but is surprisingly easy to climb, as long as Jeju’s fickle weather agrees. The highest mountain on the whole peninsula is Paekdusan (2744m) on the Chinese-North Korean border; its sumptuously blue crater lake, ringed by jagged peaks, is a font of myth and legend.

Getting away from it all Hiking is so popular in Korea that some trails resemble supermarket queues, but there are a few splendid ways to get away from it all. Taebaeksan has long been a shamanist place of worship, while the small park of Wolchulsan sees few visitors dash across the vertigo-inducing bridge that connects two of its peaks. Though popular on account of its enormous bronze Buddha, Songnisan has a tiny, secluded guesthouse; when the sun goes down, you’ll be alone with nature, a trickling stream and a bowl of creamy dongdongju.

Spectator sports

The two most popular spectator sports in the country are football and baseball. Koreans tend to follow one or the other, though football has been in the ascendancy of late, particularly with females and the younger generations. Those looking for something authentically Korean should try to hunt down a ssireum wrestling tournament.

Football

Soccer, or chuk-gu (축구), became the most popular sport in the country following its co-hosting of the World Cup in 2002. The ten gleaming new gyeonggi-jang built for the tournament were swiftly moved into by teams from the national K-League, but the high attendances that the tournament spawned dropped sharply as spectators realized that their local boys weren’t really better than Argentina – rows of empty seats mean that you’ll always be able to get a ticket at the door, with prices generally W10,000–20,000.

  The championship trophy usually sits in or around Seoul: Suwon, Seongnam and FC Seoul have achieved domestic and international success, though Pohang and Jeonbuk have also won titles recently. Suwon and Daejeon are said to have the rowdiest fans. Other teams are listed below, though note that most teams operate as American-style “franchises” that can move lock, stock and barrel to more profitable locations at the drop of a hat. A few locals have escaped the K-League for more lucrative pastures, and Koreans are immensely proud of their sporting diaspora.

K-LEAGUE TEAMS

Busan I’Park Asiad Main Stadium, Busan

Daejeon Citizen World Cup Stadium, Daejeon

FC Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul

Gwangju FC Guus Hiddink Stadium, Gwangju

Incheon United Incheon Football Stadium, Incheon

Jeju United FC World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo

Jeonbuk Motors World Cup Stadium, Jeonju

Jeonnam Dragons Gwangyang Stadium, Gwangyang

Pohang Steelers Steel Yard, Pohang

Seongnam FC Tancheon Sports Complex, Seongnam

Suwon Bluewings World Cup Stadium, Suwon

Ulsan FC Munsu Cup Stadium, Ulsan

Baseball

Until 2002, baseball (yagu; 야구) was the spectator sport of choice. Though its popularity has waned, you’ll see a lot of games on Korean television, or you can attend a professional game at one of the yagu-jang listed below; seasons run from April to October, with a break at the height of summer. Though the fielding, in particular, isn’t quite up to the level that American fans will be used to (and neither is the ballpark atmosphere), several Korean players have made their way into the Major League, including pitchers Kim Byung-hyun and Park Chan-ho. Since the turn of the century, the Unicorns, Lions and Wyverns have ruled the roost, though the Giants also deserve a mention thanks to their noisy support. Bear in mind that the team names listed below are subject to regular change, thanks to the franchise system.

KOREAN BASEBALL TEAMS

Doosan Bears Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Seoul

Hanhwa Eagles Baseball Stadium, Daejeon

Kia Tigers Champions Field, Gwangju

KT Wiz KT Wiz Park, Suwon

LG Twins Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Seoul

Lotte Giants Sajik Baseball Stadium, Busan

NC Dinos Masan Baseball Stadium, Changwon

Nexen Heroes Mokdong Baseball Stadium, Seoul

Samsung Lions Baseball Stadium, Daegu

SK Wyverns Munhak Baseball Stadium, Incheon

Ssireum

Though inevitably compared to sumo, this Korean form of wrestling (씨름) bears more resemblance to Mongolian styles – the wrestlers are chunky, rather than gargantuan, and they rely on grabs and throws, rather than slaps and pushes. As with sumo, the object of the wrestlers is to force their opponents to the floor, but in ssireum the fights start with both fighters interlocked. The sport is markedly less popular than its Japanese counterpart; few Koreans will be able to point you in the right direction if you wish to see a tournament, and even if you hunt one down the atmosphere will usually be low-key. The best place to catch a fight will be as part of a traditional festival, notably the early summer Dano in Gangneung.

Participatory sports

In addition to being a nation of compulsive hikers, all Koreans are taught at school to exercise as a matter of course. Martial arts are among the nation’s most famed exports, but Western activities such as golf and skiing have caught on in recent decades.

Martial arts

Most Korean martial arts are variations of those that originated in China or Japan. Taekwondo (태권도) is the best known – developed in Tang-dynasty China, it was given a Korean twist during the Three Kingdoms period, going on to become one of the country’s most famed exports, and an Olympic sport to boot. The predominantly kick-based style is taught at schools, and forms the backbone of compulsory military service for the nation’s men; it’s possible to take classes around the country, though easiest in Seoul (see Namsangol Hanok Village). There are dozens of less common local styles to choose from. These include hapkido (합기도), better known in the West as aikido, its Japanese counterpart; and geomdo (검도), a form in which participants get to bonk each other with wooden poles and likewise known to the world as kendo.

Golf

The success of professional Korean golfers, mainly females such as LPGA champ Park Se-ri, has tempted many into taking up the game. Over a hundred courses dot the country, mainly surrounding Seoul or on Jeju Island; most are members-only clubs, however, and those that aren’t are pretty pricey – the fact that Korean golfers often go to Japan to save money says it all. If you come in with clubs, don’t forget to declare them on arrival at the airport. Tourist offices will have information about nearby courses, though the average traveller will have to stick to the driving ranges dotted around the cities – scan the urban horizon for tower blocks topped by a large green net.

Skiing

With sub-zero winters and mountainous terrain, it’s hardly surprising that skiing is big business in Korea – and a sport that’s likely on the rise, since the country will play host to the 2018 Winter Olympics. Non-Olympians looking to ski or snowboard in Korea should have few problems – there are a number of resorts, mainly in the northern provinces of Gyeonggi and Gangwon; most of these have ample accommodation facilities, though prices soar in the ski season (usually Dec–Feb). Clothes and ski equipment are available for hire, and many resorts have English-speaking instructors; prices vary from place to place, but expect lift passes to cost around W65,000 per day, with ski or snowboard rental another W40,000 on top of that.

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CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE

You may have mastered the art of the polite bow, worked out how to use the tricky steel chopsticks, and learnt a few words of the Korean language, but beware, you may upset new friends by accepting gifts with your hand in the wrong place. While even seasoned expats receive heartfelt congratulations for getting the easy bits right (some are even surprised when foreigners are able to use Korean money), there are still innumerable ways to offend the locals, and unfortunately it’s the things that are hardest to guess that are most likely to see you come a cropper.

Korea is often said to be the world’s most Confucian nation, such values having been instilled for over a thousand years across several dynasties. Elements of Confucianism still linger on today – it’s still basically true that anyone older, richer or more important than you (or just male as opposed to female) is simply “better” and deserving of more respect, a fact that becomes sorely clear to many working in Korea. Perhaps most evident to foreigners will be what amounts to a national obsession with age – you’re likely to be asked how old you are soon after your first meeting with any Korean, and any similarity of birth years is likely to be greeted with a genuine whoop of delight (note that Koreans count years differently from Westerners – children are already 1 when they’re born, and gain another digit at Lunar New Year, meaning that those born on December 31 are already two years old the very next day). Women have traditionally been treated as inferior to men, and are expected to ditch their job as soon as they give birth to their first child; however, recent years have shown a marked shift towards gender equality, with males more forgiving in the home and females more assertive in the workplace.

  Foreigners are largely exempt from the code of conduct that would be required of both parties following their knowledge of age, employment and background, and little is expected of them in such terms, but this does have its drawbacks – in such an ethnically homogenous society, those that aren’t Korean will always remain “outsiders”, even if they speak the language fluently or have actually spent their whole lives in the country. Meanwhile, foreigners with Korean blood will be expected to behave as a local would, even if they can’t speak a word of the language.

Conduct

The East Asian concept of “face” is very important in Korea, and known here as gibun (기분); the main goal is to avoid the embarrassment of self or others. Great lengths are taken to smooth out awkward situations, and foreigners getting unnecessarily angry are unlikely to invoke much sympathy. The traditional Korean retort to an uncomfortable question or incident is an embarrassed smile; remember that they’re not laughing at you, merely trying to show empathy or move the topic onto safer ground. Foreigners may also see Koreans as disrespectful: nobody’s going to thank you for holding open a door, and you’re unlikely to get an apology if bumped into. Dressing well has long been important, but though pretty much anything goes for local girls these days, foreign women may be assumed to be brazen hussies (or Russian prostitutes) if they wear revealing clothing.

Meeting and greeting

Foreigners will see Koreans bowing all the time, even during telephone conversations. Though doing likewise will do much to endear you to locals, don’t go overboard – a full, right-angled bow would only be appropriate for meeting royalty (and the monarchy ended in 1910). Generally, a short bow with eyes closed and the head directed downwards will do just fine, but it’s best to observe the Koreans themselves, and the action will become quite natural after a short time. Attracting attention is also done differently here – you beckon with fingers fluttering beneath a downward-facing palm.

  Koreans are great lovers of business cards, which are exchanged in all meetings that have even a whiff of commerce about them. The humble rectangles garner far greater respect than they do in the West, and folding or stuffing one into a pocket or wallet is a huge faux pas – accept your card with profuse thanks, leave it on the table for the duration of the meeting and file it away with respect (a card-holder is an essential purchase for anyone here on business). Also note that it’s seen as incredibly rude to write someone’s name in red ink – this colour is reserved for names of those who have died, a practice that most Koreans seem to think goes on all around the world.

  If you’re lucky enough to be invited to a Korean home, try to bring a gift – fruit, chocolates and flowers go down well. The offering is likely to be refused at first, and probably on the second attempt too – persevere and it will eventually be accepted with thanks. The manner of receiving is also important – the receiving hand should be held from underneath by the non-receiving one, the distance up or down the arm dependent on exactly how polite you want to be. This will only come with experience and will not be expected of most foreigners, but you will be expected to take your shoes off once inside the house or apartment, so try to ensure that your socks are clean and hole-free.

Dining

There are innumerable codes of conduct when it comes to dining, although Koreans will usually guide foreigners through the various dos and don’ts. Koreans will tolerate anything viewed as a “mistake” on the part of the foreigner, and offer great encouragement to those who are at least attempting to get things right. This can sometimes go a little too far – you’re likely to be praised for your chopstick-handling abilities however long you’ve been around, and it’s almost impossible to avoid the Korean Catch-22: locals love to ask foreigners questions during a meal, but anyone stopping to answer will likely fail to keep pace with the fast-eating Koreans, who will then assume that your dish is not disappearing quickly because you don’t like it.

Chopsticks

Many rules surround the use of chopsticks – don’t use these to point or to pick your teeth, and try not to spear food with them unless your skills are really poor. It’s also bad form, as natural as it may seem, to leave your chopsticks in the bowl: this is said to resemble incense sticks used after a death, but to most Koreans it just looks wrong. Just leave the sticks balanced on the rim of the bowl.

Table manners

Many Korean meals are group affairs, and this has given rise to a number of rules surrounding who serves the food from the communal trays to the individual ones – it’s usually the youngest woman at the table. Foreign women finding themselves in this position will be able to mop up a great deal of respect by performing the duty, though as there are particular ways to serve each kind of food, it’s probably best to watch first. The serving of drinks is a little less formal, though again the minutiae of recommended conduct could fill a small book – basically, you should never refill your own cup or glass, and should endeavour to keep topped up those belonging to others. The position of the hands is important – watch to see how the Koreans are doing it (both the pourer and the recipient), and you’ll be increasing your “face” value in no time.

  One big no-no is to blow your nose during the meal – preposterously unfair, given the spice level of pretty much every Korean dish. Should you need to do so, make your excuses and head to the toilets. It’s also proper form to wait for the head of the table – the one who is paying, in other words – to sit down first, as well as to allow them to be the first to stand at the end of the meal. The latter can be quite tricky, as many Korean restaurants are sit-on-the-floor affairs that play havoc on the knees and backs of foreigners unaccustomed to the practice.

Paying the bill

Korea’s Confucian legacy can often be a great boon to foreigners, as it has long been customary for hosts (usually “betters”) to pay – as with the rest of the local workforce, many English teachers get taken out for regular slap-up meals by their bosses, and don’t have to pay a penny. Koreans also tend to make a big show of trying to pay, with the bill passing rapidly from hand to hand until the right person coughs up. Nowadays things are changing slowly – “going Dutch” is increasingly common where it would once have been unthinkable.

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TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Costs

Some people come to Korea expecting it to be a budget destination on a par with the Southeast Asian countries, while others arrive with expectations of Japanese-style prices. The latter is closer to the truth – those staying at five-star hotels and eating at Western-style restaurants will spend almost as much as they would in other developed countries, though there are numerous ways for budget travellers to make their trip a cheap one. Your biggest outlay is likely to be accommodation – Seoul has some grand places to stay for W400,000 and up, though most cities have dedicated tourist hotels for around W100,000, and decent mid-range options for W70,000 or so. Though they’re not to everyone’s taste, motels usually make acceptable places to stay; thet cost around W30,000 (or often double that in Seoul). The capital has a few backpacker hostels with dorms for around W20,000, while real scrimpers can stay at a jjimjilbang.

  Because the country is small, transport is unlikely to make too much of a dent in your wallet – even a high-speed KTX train from Seoul in the northwest to Busan in the southeast won’t set you back much more than W50,000, and you can cut that in half by taking a slower service. Inner-city transport is also good value, with most journeys costing just over W1000, and admission charges to temples, museums and the like are similarly unlikely to cause your wallet discomfort.

  By staying in motels or guesthouses and eating at reasonably cheap restaurants, you should be able to survive easily on a daily budget of W40,000, or even half this if seriously pushed. After you’ve added in transport costs and a few entry tickets, a realistic daily figure may be W60,000.

  Tipping plays almost no part in Korean transactions – try not to leave unwanted change in the hands of a cashier, lest they feel forced to abandon their duties and chase you down the street with it. Exceptions are tourist hotels, most of which tack a 10 percent service charge onto the room bill; these are also among the few places in the country to omit tax – levied at 10 percent – from their quoted prices.

Climate

Korea is a land of extremes in many senses, and its weather is no exception. Temperatures can rise to over 35ºC in the summer (broadly June–Sept), when it’s also incredibly humid – more than half of Korea’s annual rainfall comes down in the summer monsoons. Winters (Nov–March), on the other hand, can be surprisingly chilly for a country at the same latitude as Iraq, Cyprus and California, with the mercury occasionally plummeting to -20ºC. Spring and autumn are very pleasant times to visit, though some years, blink and you’ll miss them.

Crime and personal safety

Korea is a country in which you’re far more likely to see someone running towards you with a dropped wallet than away with a stolen one – tales abound about travellers who have left a valuable possession on a restaurant table or park bench and returned hours later to find it in the same place. Though you’d be very unlucky to fall victim to a crime, it’s prudent to take a few simple precautions. The country has a poor road safety record, the statistics heightened by the number of vehicles that use pavements as shortcuts or parking spaces. Caution should also be exercised around any street fights that you may have the misfortune to come across – since Korean men practise taekwondo to a fairly high level during their compulsory national service, Korea is not a great place to get caught in a scuffle. These days many local women avoid taking taxis alone in the evening; you’d be extremely unlucky to have something untoward happen, but it may be prudent to keep a phone in your hand as a deterrent.

Electricity

The electrical current runs at 220v, 60Hz throughout the country, and requires European-style plugs with two round pins, though some older buildings, including many yeogwan and yeoinsuk, may still take flat-pinned plugs at 110v.

Entry requirements

At the time of writing, citizens of almost any Western nation can enter Korea visa-free with an onward ticket, though the duration of the permit varies. Most West European nationals qualify for a visa exemption of three months or ninety days (there is a difference), as do citizens of the USA, New Zealand and Australia; Portuguese are allowed sixty days, South Africans just thirty, and Canadians a full six months. If you need more than this, apply before entering Korea.

  Overstaying your visa will result in a large fine (up to W500,000 per day), with exceptions only being made in emergencies such as illness or loss of passport. Getting a new passport is time-consuming and troublesome, though the process will be simplified if your passport has been registered with your embassy in Seoul, or if you can prove your existence with a birth certificate or copy of your old passport.

Work visas

Work visas, valid for one year and extendable for at least one more, can be applied for before or after entering Korea. Applications can take up to a month to be processed by Korean embassies, but once inside the country it can take as little as a week. Your employer will do all the hard work with the authorities, then provide you with a visa confirmation slip; the visa must be picked up outside Korea (the nearest consulate is in Fukuoka, Japan; visas here can be issued on the day of application). Visas with the same employer can be extended without leaving Korea. An alien card must be applied for at the local immigration office within ninety days of arrival – again, this is usually taken care of by the employer. Work visas are forfeited on leaving Korea, though re-entry visas can be applied for at your provincial immigration office. Citizens of seventeen countries – including Americans, Australians, British, Canadians and New Zealanders – can apply for a working holiday visa at their local South Korean embassy, as long as they’re aged between 18 and 30.

SOUTH KOREAN EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES ABROAD

Australia 113 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla, ACT 2600  02 6270 4100,  aus-act.mofa.go.kr.

Canada 150 Boteler St, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5A6  613/244-5010,  can-ottawa.mofa.go.kr.

China No 3, 4th Avenue East, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100600  10 6532 0290.

Ireland 20 Clyde Rd, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4  01 660 8800,  irl.mofa.go.kr.

Japan 1-2-5 Minami-Azabu, 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106  03 3452 7611,  jpn-tokyo.mofa.go.kr.

New Zealand 11th Floor, ASB Bank Tower, 2 Hunter St, Wellington  04/473 9073,  nzl-wellington.mofa.go.kr.

Singapore 47 Scotts Rd #08-00 Goldbell Towers, Singapore 228233  6256 1188,  www.koreaembassy.org.sg.

South Africa Green Park Estates, Building 3, 27 George Storrar Drive, Groenkloof, Pretoria  012 460 2508.

UK 60 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJ  020 7227 5500,  gbr.mofa.go.kr.

US 2450 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008  202 939 5600,  usa.mofa.go.kr.

Gay and lesbian travellers

Despite Goryeo-era evidence suggesting that undisguised homosexuality was common in Royal and Buddhist circles, the gay scene in today’s Korea forms a small, alienated section of society. Thankfully, a spate of high-profile comings-out have countered the prevailing local belief that Korean homosexuality simply does not exist, and fewer and fewer regard it as a “foreign disease” that instantly gives people AIDS.

  Confucian attitudes, together with the lack of a substantial gay scene, have been the bane of many a queer expat’s life in the country. For Korean homosexuals, the problems are more serious – although the law makes no explicit reference to the legality of sexual intercourse between adults of the same sex, this is less a tacit nod of consent than a refusal of officialdom to discuss such matters, and gay activities may be punishable as sexual harassment, or even, shockingly, “mutual rape” if it takes place in the military. In the early 1990s, the first few gay and lesbian websites were cracked down on by a government that, during the course of the subsequent appeal, made it clear that human rights did not fully apply to homosexuals – all the more reason for the “different people” (iban-in), already fearful of losing their jobs, friends and family, to lock themselves firmly in the closet.

  Korean society is, however, becoming more liberal. With more and more high-profile homosexuals coming out, a critical mass has been reached, and younger generations are markedly less prejudiced on – and more willing to discuss – the pink issue. Gay clubs, bars and saunas, while still generally low-key outside “Homo Hill” in Seoul’s Itaewon district (see Gay and Lesbian Seoul for details), can be found in every major city, and lobbyists have been making inroads into the Korean parliament. The Korean Queer Culture Festival – still the only pride event in the country – takes place over a fortnight in early June at locations across Seoul.

GAY INFORMATION SOURCES

Chingusai  chingusai.net. Loosely meaning “Among Friends”, Chingusai’s trailblazing magazine is available at many gay bars in the capital. Mainly in Korean, but with some English-language information.

Travel Gay Asia  travelgayasia.com. Pan-Asian site featuring listings of bars, clubs and saunas, in the case of Korea mainly focused on Seoul and Busan.

Utopia Asia  utopia-asia.com. Useful information about bars, clubs and saunas, including a fair few non-Seoul spots.

Health

South Korea is pretty high in the world rankings as far as healthcare goes, and there are no compulsory vaccinations or diseases worth getting too worried about. Hospitals are clean and well staffed, and most doctors can speak English, so the main health concerns for foreign travellers are likely to be financial – without adequate insurance cover, a large bill may rub salt into your healing wounds if you end up in hospital.

  Though no vaccinations are legally required, get medical advice ahead of your trip, particularly regarding hepatitis A and B, typhoid and Japanese B encephalitis (which are all rare in Korea but it’s better to err on the side of caution), and make sure that you’re up to date with the usual boosters. It’s also wise to bring along any medicines that you might need, especially for drugs that need to be prescribed – bring a copy of your prescription, as well as the generic name of the drug in question, as brand names may vary from country to country.

  Despite the swarms of mosquitoes that blanket the country in warmer months, malaria is not prevalent in Korea. However, infected mosquitoes breed in the DMZ, so those planning to hang around the rural north of the Gyeonggi or Gangwon provinces should take extra precautions to prevent getting bitten. All travellers should get up-to-date malarial advice from their GP before arriving in Korea, and wherever you are in the country during the monsoon season in late summer, it’s also a good idea to slap on some repellent before going out.

  Drinking Korean tapwater is a bad idea, and with free drinking fountains in every restaurant, hotel, supermarket, police station and department store in the country, there really should be no need. Water is also sold at train and bus stations – around W700 for a small bottle. Restaurant food will almost always be prepared and cooked adequately, and all necessary precautions taken with raw fish.

  In an emergency, you should first try to ask a local to call for an ambulance. Should you need to do so yourself, the number is  119, though it’s possible that no English-speaker will be available to take your call. Alternatively, try the tourist information line on  1330. If you’re in a major city and the problem isn’t life-threatening, the local tourist office should be able to point you towards the most suitable doctor or hospital. Once there, you may find it surprisingly hard to get information about what’s wrong with you. As in much of East Asia, patients are expected to trust doctors to do their jobs properly, and any sign that this trust is not in place results in a loss of face for the practitioner.

  For minor complaints or medical advice, there are pharmacies all over the place, usually distinguished by the Korean character “yak” (약) at the entrance, though English-speakers are few and far between. Travellers can also visit a practitioner of oriental medicine, who uses acupuncture and pressure-point massage, among other techniques, to combat the problems that Western medicine cannot reach. If you have Korean friends, ask around for a personal recommendation in order to find a reputable practitioner.

Insurance

The price of hospital treatment in Korea can be quite high so it’s advisable to take out a decent travelinsurance policy before you go. Bear in mind that most policies exclude “dangerous activities”; this term may well cover activities as seemingly benign as hiking or skiing. Keep the emergency number of your insurance company handy in the event of an accident and, as in any country, if you have anything stolen make sure to obtain a copy of the police report, as you will need this to make a claim.

ROUGH GUIDES TRAVEL INSURANCE

Rough Guides has teamed up with WorldNomads.com to offer great travel insurance deals. Policies are available to residents of more than 150 countries, with cover for a wide range of adventure sports, 24hr emergency assistance, high levels of medical and evacuation cover and a stream of travel safety information. Roughguides.com users can take advantage of their policies online 24/7, from anywhere in the world – even if you’re already travelling. And since plans often change when you’re on the road, you can extend your policy and even claim online. Roughguides.com users who buy travel insurance with WorldNomads.com can also leave a positive footprint and donate to a community development project. For more information go to  roughguides.com/shop.

Internet

You should have no problem getting online in South Korea, possibly the most connected nation on the planet. Wi-fi access is becoming ever more common, with many cafés allowing customers to use their connection for free. Tom N’ Toms and Hollys are generally the best chains for this (though the coffee at the former is pretty poor). You may also be able to get online at your accommodation, though ironically the cheaper places are better: most modern motels have free-to-use terminals inside the rooms, while hotels generally charge extortionate rates of over W20,000 per day.

  If wi-fi fails, PC rooms (PC 방; pronounced “pishi-bang”) are everywhere. Though declining in number with each passing year, there should always be one within walking distance – just look for the letters “PC” in Roman characters. These cafés charge around W1500 per hour, with a one-hour minimum charge.

Laundry

Almost all tourist hotels provide a laundry service, and some of the Seoul backpacker hostels will wash your smalls for free, but with public laundries so thin on the ground those staying elsewhere may have to resort to a spot of DIY cleaning. All motels have 24-hour hot water, as well as soap, body lotion and/or shampoo in the bathrooms, and in the winter clothes dry in no time on the heated ondol floors. Summer is a different story, with the humidity making it very hard to dry clothes in a hurry.

Mail

The Korean postal system is cheap and trustworthy, and there are post offices in even the smallest town. Most are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm; all should be able to handle international mail, and the larger ones offer free internet access. There’s a relative dearth of postcards for sale, though if you do track some down you’ll find that postal rates are cheap, at around W400 per card. Letters will cost a little more, though as with parcels the tariff will vary depending on their destination – the largest box you can send (20kg) will cost about W150,000 to mail to the UK or USA, though this price drops to about W50,000 if you post via surface mail, a process that can take up to three months. All post offices have the necessary boxes for sale, and will even do your packing for a small fee. Alternatively, international courier chains such as UPS and FedEx can also ship from Korea.

Maps

Free maps – many of which are available in English – can be picked up at any tourist office or higher-end hotel, as well as most travel terminals. The main drawback with them is that distances and exact street patterns are hard to gauge, though it’s a complaint the powers-that-be are slowly taking on board. Excellent national park maps, drawn to scale, cost W1000 from the ticket booths.

Money

The Korean currency is the won (W), which comes in notes of W1000, W5000, W10,000 and W50,000, and coins of W10, W50, W100 and W500. At the time of writing the exchange rate was approximately W1700 to £1, W1250 to €1, and W1100 to US$1.

  ATMs are everywhere in Korea, not only in banks (은행; eunhaeng) but 24-hour convenience stores such as 7-Eleven or GS25. Most machines are capable of dealing with foreign cards, and those that do are usually able to switch to English-language mode; note that you may have to try a few machines. Smaller towns may not have such facilities – stock up on cash in larger cities.

  Foreign credit cards are being accepted in more and more hotels, restaurants and shops. It shouldn’t be too hard to exchange foreign notes for Korean cash; banks are all over the place, and the only likely problem when dealing in dollars, pounds or euros is time – some places simply won’t have exchanged money before, forcing staff to consult the procedure manual.

Opening hours and public holidays

Korea is one of the world’s truest 24-hour societies – opening hours are such that almost everything you need is likely to be available when you require it. Most shops and almost all restaurants are open daily, often until late, as are tourist information offices. A quite incredible number of establishments are open 24/7, including convenience stores, saunas, internet cafés and some of the busier shops and restaurants. Post offices (Mon–Fri 9am–6pm) and banks (Mon–Fri 9.30am–4pm) keep more sensible hours.

  Until recently, the country was one of the few in the world to have a six-day working week; though this has been officially altered to five, the changes haven’t filtered through to all workers, and Korea’s place at the top of the world’s “average hours worked per year” table has not been affected. The number of national holidays has fallen, however, in an attempt to make up the slack, and as most of the country’s population are forced to take their holiday at the same times, there can be chaos on the roads and rails. Three of the biggest holidays – Lunar New Year, Buddha’s birthday and Chuseok – are based on the lunar calendar, and have no fixed dates (see Korean Public Holidays for further details).

KOREAN PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Sinjeong (New Year’s Day) Jan 1. Seoul celebrates New Year in much the same fashion as Western countries, with huge crowds gathering around City Hall.

Seollal (Lunar New Year) Usually early Feb. One of the most important holidays on the calendar, Lunar New Year sees Koreans flock to their home towns for a three-day holiday of relaxed celebration, and many businesses close up.

Independence Movement Day March 1.

Children’s Day May 5. Koreans make an even bigger fuss over their kids than usual on this national holiday – expect parks, zoos and amusement parks to be jam-packed.

Memorial Day June 6. Little more than a day off for most Koreans, this day honours those who fell in battle.

Constitution Day July 17.

Independence Day Aug 15. The country becomes a sea of Korean flags on this holiday celebrating the end of Japanese rule in 1945.

Chuseok Late Sept or early Oct. One of the biggest events in the Korean calendar is this three-day national holiday, similar to Thanksgiving; families head to their home towns to venerate their ancestors in low-key ceremonies, and eat a special crescent-shaped rice cake.

National Foundation Day Oct 3. Celebrates the 2333 BC birth of Dangun, the legendary founder of the Korean nation. Shamanist celebrations take place at shrines around Seoul, with the most important on Inwangsan mountain.

Christmas Day Dec 25. Every evening looks like Christmas in neon-drenched Seoul, but on this occasion Santa Haraboji (Grandpa Santa) finally arrives.

Phones

Getting hold of a mobile phone while you’re in the country is easy – there are 24-hour rental booths at Incheon Airport. Using your own phone is more problematic, but you’ll be able to rent a data-only SIM at the same places, or simply switch on roaming. If you’re going to be in Korea for a while, you may care to buy a secondhand mobile phone; the best places to look are shopping districts, electrical stores or underground malls. After purchase you’ll need to register with a major service provider – KT and SK Telecom are two of the biggest chains, and so ubiquitous that the nearest store is likely to be within walking distance. Registration is free, though you’ll need a Korean ID of some sort (bring a Korean friend along if you’re not legally employed in the country); you can top up pay-as-you-go accounts in increments of W10,000.

  Despite the prevalence of mobile phones, you’ll still see payphones on every major street; many of these ageing units only take coins, meaning that you’ll have to pump in change at a furious pace to avoid the deafening squawks that signal the end of your call time. Pre-paid travel cards work with some machines.

  Korea’s international dialling code is 82. When dialling from abroad, omit the initial zero from the area codes. Korean area codes are given throughout the guide.

Photography

Photography is a national obsession in Korea. If you want a personal shot, few locals will mind being photographed, though of course it’s polite to ask first. One serious no-no is to go snap-happy on a tour of the DMZ – this can, and has, landed tourists in trouble. You may also see temple-keepers and monks poised at the ready to admonish would-be photographers of sacrosanct areas.

Studying in Korea

Korea has long been a popular place for the study of martial arts, while the country’s ever-stronger ties with global business are also prompting many to gain a competitive advantage by studying the Korean language.

Language

Courses at the institutes run by many of the larger universities vary in terms of price, study time, skill level and accommodation. Most of the year-long courses are in Seoul and start in March – apply in good time. There’s a good list at  english.visitkorea.or.kr, while information on study visas and how to apply for them can be found on the Ministry of Education’s website ( studyinkorea.go.kr). There are private institutes dotted around Seoul and other major cities –  english.seoul.go.kr has a list of safe recommendations in the capital, while other official city websites are the best places to look for institutes elsewhere.

  If you’re working in Korea, you may not have time for intensive study; if so, it’s worth looking into the government-funded courses run by a few major cities, some of which are so cheap that their price is barely an issue. Many people opt for an even higher degree of informality and take language lessons from friends or colleagues, but with so few English speakers around, just living in Korea can be all the practice you need.

Martial arts classes

Finding classes for the most popular styles (including taekwondo, hapkido and geomdo) isn’t hard, but very few classes cater for foreigners – it’s best to go hunting on the expat circuit. Those looking for something more advanced should seek advice from their home country’s own taekwondo federation.

Buddhist teachings

Many temples offer teaching and templestay programmes for around W50,000 per night – a wonderful opportunity to see the “Land of Morning Calm” at its most serene (as long as you can stand the early mornings). Some temples are able to provide English-language instruction, and some not – see  eng.templestay.com for more details.

Teaching English in Korea

Uncomplicated entry requirements, low tax and decent pay cheques make Korea one of the most popular stops on the English-teaching circuit. Demand for native speakers is high and still growing; the cost of living, though rising, is still below that in most English-speaking countries; English-teaching qualifications are far from essential (though they certainly help), and all that is usually required is a degree certificate, and a copy of your passport – many people have been taken on by a Korean school without so much as a telephone interview.

  To land a full-time job from outside Korea you’ll have to go online, and it’s still the best option if you’re already in Korea. Popular sites include Dave’s ESL Café ( eslcafe.com) and HiTeacher ( hiteacher.com), though a thorough web search will yield more.

  Most language schools are reputable; you can typically expect them to organize free accommodation, and to do the legwork with your visa application. Some countries operate Working Holiday visa schemes with Korea, but others will need a full working visa to be legally employed; those unable to collect this in their home country are usually given a plane ticket and directions for a quick visa-run to Japan (the closest embassy is in Fukuoka).

  Most new entrants start off by teaching kids at a language school (학원; hagwon). There are a whole bunch of pan-national chains, with YBM and Pagoda among the two biggest; like the smaller-fry operations, they pay around W2,500,000 per month in Seoul, and a little less outside the capital. After a year or two, many teachers make their way to a university teaching post; pay is usually lower and responsibilities higher than at a hagwon, though the holiday allowances (as much as five months per year, as opposed to less than two weeks per year in a hagwon) are hard to resist. Most teachers give their bank balance a nudge in the right direction by offering private lessons on the side – an illegal practice, but largely tolerated unless you start organizing them for others.

  One of the most regular hagwon-related complaints is the long hours many teachers have to work – figure on up to thirty per week. This may include Saturdays, or be spread quite liberally across the day from 9am to 9pm – try to find jobs with “no split shift” if possible. Questionable school policies also come in for stick; for example, teachers are often expected to be present at the school for show, even if they have no lessons on.

  With the number of teaching jobs on offer, it’s quite possible to hand-pick a city or province of your choice. Seoul is an obvious target and the easiest place from which to escape into Western pleasures if necessary, though note that a hefty proportion of positions listed as being in the capital are actually in uninteresting satellite cities such as Bundang, Anyang or Ilsan, all a long journey from central Seoul – try to find the nearest subway station to your prospective position on a map if possible. Those who head to provincial cities such as Daejeon, Mokpo or Busan generally seem to have a better time of things, and emerge with a truer appreciation of the country, as well as better Korean language skills.

Time

The Korean peninsula shares a time zone with Japan: one hour ahead of China, nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, seven hours ahead of South Africa, fourteen hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the US or Montreal in Canada, and one hour behind Sydney. Daylight Saving hours are not observed, so though noon in London will be 9pm in Seoul for much of the year, the difference drops to eight hours during British Summer Time.

Tourist information

The Korean tourist authorities churn out a commendable number of English-language maps, pamphlets and books, most of which are handed out at information booths – you’ll be able to find one in every city, usually outside the train or bus stations. Not all of these are staffed with an English-speaker, but you’ll be able to get 24-hour assistance and advice on the dedicated tourist information line – dial  1330 and you’ll be put through to helpful call-centre staff who speak a number of languages and can advise on transport, sights, accommodation, theatre ticket prices and much more. If calling from a mobile phone or abroad, you’ll also need to put in a regional prefix – to reach Seoul, for example, dial 02 1330. The official Korean tourist website ( english.visitkorea.or.kr) is quite useful, and most cities and provinces have sites of their own.

Travelling with children

Korea is a country with high standards of health and hygiene, low levels of crime and plenty to see and do – bringing children of any age should pose no special problems. Changing facilities are most common in Seoul – department stores are good places to head – though few restaurants have highchairs, and baby food labelled in English is almost nonexistent. A few hotels provide a baby-sitting service, though those in need can ask their concierge for a newspaper with baby-sitter adverts. Every city has cinemas, theme parks and a zoo or two to keep children amused; Everland and Seoul Land are the two most popular escapes from Seoul, while there are a number of interesting museums in the capital itself. Note that some of the restaurants listed in this guide – especially those serving galbi, a self-barbecued meat – have hotplates or charcoal in the centre of the table, which poses an obvious danger to little hands, and in a country where it’s perfectly normal for cars to drive on the pavements, you may want to exercise a little more caution than normal when walking around town.

Travellers with disabilities

Despite its First World status, Korea can be filed under “developing countries” as far as disabled accessibility is concerned, and with rushing traffic and crowded streets, it’s never going to be the easiest destination to get around. Until recently, very little attention was paid to those with disabilities, but things are changing. Streets are being made more wheelchair-friendly, and many subway and train stations have been fitted with lifts. Almost all motels and tourist hotels have these, too, though occasionally you’ll come across an entrance that hasn’t been built with wheelchairs in mind. Some museums and tourist attractions will be able to provide a helper if necessary, but wherever you are, Koreans are likely to jump at the chance to help travellers in obvious need of assistance.

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