By Pranjal Saikia
Seoul, South Korea
South Korea is located in Eastern Asia, on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the East Sea and the Yellow Sea. It has an area of 98,480 sq Km, which is slightly bigger than our Assam.
Transportation:
Air: There are 6 international airports and 10 domestic airports in South Korea.
Rail: All tourist destinations in South Korea are connected with rail. Korea has High speed Train facility. This new high-speed train has been designed to reach speeds of 350 km per hour. It currently operates around 300 Km per hour.
Taxi: Taxies are safe and inexpensive in Korea. There are taxi stands in most busy city areas and taxis can also be hailed on the streets.
Subway: Subway is available in the following cities in South Korea: Seoul, Busan, Daegu.
Accommodation:
Hotels are classified into five categories: super deluxe (five-star), deluxe (four-star), first class (threestar), second class (two-star), third class (one-star). Generally, a double room in a super deluxe hotel cost approximately 180 USD – 350 USD. Apart from hotels there are different type of accommodations are available for tourists: Motel/Inn, Home stay, Youth Hostel, Temple Stay etc.
Climate:
The climate of Korea is characterized by four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter:
Spring: March to May. It’s warm
Summer: June to Early September. It’s Hot and humid
Autumn: September to November. It’s pleasant and best season to visit Kore
Winter: December to Mid March.
Language:
The Korean language is Hangeul. Hangeul was invented in 1443. It is composed of 10 vowels and 14 consonants. Hangeul has 11 compound vowels, 5 glottal sounds.
Food:
The staple food in Korea i s Rice. Korean cuisine is characterized by a wide variety of meat and fish dishes along with wild greens and vegetables. All most all dishes are served with 3 to 12 varieties of side dishes. You can have a feel of few Korean dishes below:
Kimchi: Chinese cabbage (or radish, cucumber, etc), julienne radish, minced garlic, diced green onion, salted fish, salt Bibimbap: Bibimbap is a dish with minced meat, veggies, eggs, sesame oil, and hot bean paste mixed with rice. Bulgogi: Bulgogi is a dish with thinly sliced beef or pork marinated in soy sauce, green onions, garlic, sesame, and sesame oil, served grilled.
Galbi: Galbi, meaning ‘rib’ in Korean, is a dish featuring beef or pork ribs cut into 6~7cm chunks, then served broiled or grilled.
Mandu: Mandu is a Korean-style dumpling with minced meat, tofu, kimchi, and vegetables wrapped in a thin flour skin.
Learn Korean: [Ne.(ye.)] = Yes [Anio.] = No. [Yeoboseyo.]: Hello (when picking up the phone). [Annyeong-haseyo.]: Hello. [Annyong-hi gyeseyo.]: Good bye (when you, the guest, are leaving). [Annyeong-hi gaseyo.]: Good bye (when you, the host, are bidding your guests good bye). [Eoseo oseyo.]: Welcome. [Gomapseumnida. (Gamsahamnida.)]: Thank you. [Cheonmaneyo.]: You're welcome.
Shopping: You can buy few unique Korean items such as:
Traditional Korean Ceramic Ware (Pottery): Pottery is a product shaped from clay, then fired at high temperatures.
Ginseng: Known as the 'miraculous medicine', Ginseng is Korea's representative medicinal crop. Since olden days, Korean produced ginseng was called 'Goryeo Ginseng' and used widely around the world as a way to recover healthy, strengthen the body, and calming the mind.
Hanji (Traditional Korean Paper): Hanji is a paper made from the bark of the Mulberry Tree. Hanji is used to make a variety of products, including home accessories (cup holders, tea tables, decorative accents, etc.) and Jewelry boxes Traditional Tea: There are many kinds of traditional tea in Korea. e.g. Green tea, jujube tea, ginger tea, dalai tea etc Gim: Gim is seaweed dried in very thin, paper like layers. It is usually eaten with rice or by itself. Apart from these you’ll get verities of traditional crafts and antiques.
Few Places of Interest:
Seoul: Seoul is the capital city of Korea, located at a longitude of 126 degrees east and latitude of 37 degrees north. The city lies at the center of the Korean peninsula. It is 605,522 square kilometers in size and covers 0.61% of South Korea. The population of Seoul was 10,320,000 in 2000. Seoul consists of a total of 25 wards (gu) and 522 dongs (a smaller municipal division) and is classified as a special municipality, with the local government being directly controlled by the central government. It is the heart of Korea’s culture and education as well as politics and economics. Seoul is unique in that historical sites such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and modern cultural facilities coexist in harmony. Seoul is a worldclass city with numerous amenities and shopping districts.
Busan: Busan is a second largest city in Korea. As a major port city, there is a myriad of sea routes offering gateways to Japan and to the rest of the world. Busan also boasts scenic visions of nature with Nakdonggang River flowing in the west adjacent to the ocean at the south. Its landscape includes a coastline with fine beaches, scenic islets and tall mountains. The Pusan* International Film Festival (PIFF) is held annually and attracts movie buffs enthusiasts from all over the world. * Under the new Romanization system promulgated in 2000, Pusan is now spelled Busan. The film festival was established before the system took effect, thus the original spelling "Pusan" is still employed (i.e. Pusan International Film Festival).
Daegu: Daegu is one of the largest cities in Korea and it is a basin surrounded by mountains. The major tourist attractions include Mt. Biseulsan Provincial Park and Mt. Palgongsan Provincial Park. In Mt. Biseulsan Park, there is a plain four kilometers in diameter where the blossom of the azalea and purple eulalia offers exquisite scenery in the spring and fall.
Gwangju: Gwangju is the largest city in Jeollado. The major tourist attraction in Gwangju is Mt. Mudeungsan Provincial Park, and major cultural festivals include the Gwangju Kimchi Festival and Gwangju Biennale. Gwangju Gossaumnori (Korean traditional game) has been designated as intangible cultural assets.
Jeju-do: Jeju-do is the premier tourist destination in Korea because of the stunning natural scenery and superior tourist amenities. Scenic beaches, waterfalls, cliffs and caves lie in harmony, and the mild weather makes Jeju-do an even more ideal tourist destination. Mt. Hallasan in Jeju-do has flora and fauna of both temperate and tropical varieties, coexisting on the mountain. The Jungmun Tourist Complex is a comprehensive tourist resort and provides top-quality accommodations and tourist facilities.
How to get more information The Tourist Information Center (TIC) provides you with up-to-date and accurate information on Korean tourism. Make it your first stop on your visit to Korea. Visitors can get helpful informationontravel, accommodations, tourist attractions and much more at the TIC in the Korea National Tourism Organization (KNTO). 1330 Travel Phone: You can communicate directly with Korean tour advisors from all over the world via the Internet! Along with staffed Tourist Information Centers, the Korea National Tourism Organization (KNTO) provides nationwide call service “1330, (Thirteen-thirty)” for the convenience of foreign tourists. Web Call is free of charge and available in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock throughout the year.
Contributed by Pranjal Saikia. Pranjal
works for LG Electronics, South
Korea. He can be reached at
pranjalsaikia@hotmail.com. Pranjal is
a graduate of Cotton College and
Tezpur University. Pranjal now resides
in Bangalore, India and Seoul, South
Korea, shuttling between the two cities.
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