| Country Name | Republic of Korea | Climate | Continental climate with four distinct seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital | Seoul (designated as the nation’s capital in the Joseon Dynasty in 1394) | Total Area | 100,188.1㎢ (109th largest in the world) |
| Population | 51,663,000(IMF, ’18. 04) | Official Language | Korean |
| Religion | Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, etc. | National Flower | Rose of Sharon |
| National Flag | Taegeukgi | Time Zone | GMT + 9 hours |
| Form of Government | Democratic republic | GDP | GDP 16,932 Billion$(IMF, ’18. 04) |
| National Currency | Won (KRW) | Main Industries | Semiconductors, automobiles, shipbuilding, flat panel display, petroleum products, etc. |
The Republic of Korea (herein after Korea) is a country visited by approximately ten million international travelers every year. With its long history in culture and tradition, the country has a lot to offer to travelers. Continue reading to learn general information about Korea before visiting.
The Korean peninsula, roughly 1,030 kilometers long and 175 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, is located in Northeast Asia. With Seoul as its capital city, Korea's total land area is 100,033 kilometers squared. Korea's neighbors include Japan to the east, China to the west, and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) across the northern border.
| City | Time | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul, Tokyo (Korea Time) | 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 | 13:00 | 16:00 | 19:00 | 22:00 |
| Taipei, Manila, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore | 24:00 | 3:00 | 6:00 | 9:00 | 12:00 | 15:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 |
| Bangkok, Jakarta | 23:00 | 2:00 | 5:00 | 8:00 | 11:00 | 14:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 |
| New Delhi, Kolkata | 22:00 | 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 | 13:00 | 16:00 | 19:00 |
| Tehran, Kuwait, Jeddah | 19:00 | 22:00 | 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 | 13:00 | 16:00 |
| Hamburg, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam | 17:00 | 20:00 | 23:00 | 2:00 | 5:00 | 8:00 | 11:00 | 14:00 |
| London, Madrid | 16:00 | 19:00 | 22:00 | 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 | 13:00 |
| Rio de Janeiro, S`ao Paulo | 13:00 | 16:00 | 19:00 | 22:00 | 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 11:00 |
| New York, Montreal, Bogota, Toronto | 11:00 | 14:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 | 23:00 | 2:00 | 5:00 | 8:00 |
| Chicago, Houston | 10:00 | 13:00 | 16:00 | 19:00 | 22:00 | 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 |
| Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles | 8:00 | 11:00 | 14:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 | 23:00 | 2:00 | 5:00 |
| Sydney, Melbourne | 2:00 | 5:00 | 8:00 | 11:00 | 14:00 | 17:00 | 20:00 | 23:00 |
How to use : Read the graph vertically to compare the time differences between cities from around the world.
* Please note the there is no daylight savings in Korea.
* Shaded boxes designate times that fall in the previous calendar day.
Hangeul, one of the most unique creations of the nation, was introduced in 1443 by King Sejong (r. 1418-1450), the 4th king of the Joseon Dynasty. In order to help all commoners to easily read and write this new alphabet, Hunminjeongeum (meaning "Proper sounds to instruct the people" in Korean) was created. The name of the language was changed to the current Hangeul in the 20th century. Hangeul is a series of scientifically designed characters. The alphabet is composed of basic consonants and vowels, each with a set sound, and a dot or a line added to form more sounds. The 5 main consonants (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅅ, ㅁ, ㅇ) imitate the shape the lips and tongue make when producing that particular sound, while the 3 main vowel components (ㆍ, ㅡ, ㅣ) symbolize the sky, the earth and mankind respectively. Originally composed of 17 consonants and 11 vowels, only 14 consonants and 10 vowels are used in modern Hangeul. Hangeul, as a written language, did not have any influence from pre-existing writing systems. The language is very easy for all to learn, evidenced by Korea's illiteracy rates being one of the lowest in the world. Of all Korea's cultural assets, the citizens are most proud of Hangeul and thus designated October 9 as Hangeul Day, to memorialize and celebrate the invention of the alphabet. In addition, UNESCO inscribed Hunminjeongeum Haerye; The Hangeul Manuscript, on the Memory of the World Register in 1997.
The meaning of visa differs somewhat depending on the country. An ‘entry confirmed’stamp serves as a verification of approval for entry to the country by a foreign national, while the ‘recommended for entry’ stamp given by the consulate to foreign nationals entering the country serves as only the consulate’s recommendation for entry. A visa is considered a consul’s recommendation for a foreigner’s entry. Therefore, even if one carries a valid visa, entry may be denied if one fails to satisfy the requirements of immigration inspection at the airport
Administrative Institutions : The administrative institutions that people visit in everyday life are mostly township (myeon/ eup) offices, community service centers, and city (si), county (gun) and district (gu) offices. These offices provide health and welfare services, maintain public facilities, and issue and file various certificates and process civil petitions as well.
Pilice station (112) :If you become the victim of a crime or are involved in a car accident, you should dial 112 or report the incident directly to the nearest police station. Simply dial 112 on a phone without an area code.
Fire station (119) : Dial 119 when there is a fire or a medical emergency. Dial 119 without an area code.