South Korea Travel Tips

Social Conventions
Shoes should be removed before entering a Korean home. Entertainment is usually lavish and Koreans may sometimes be offended if their hospitality is refused. Customs are similar to those in the West. Small gifts are customary and traditional etiquette requires the use of the right hand for giving and receiving. Dress should be casual and practical clothes are suitable. Traditional costume, or hanbok, is mainly worn on holidays and special occasions. For men it consists of a short jacket and loose trousers, called baji, that are tied at the ankles. Women’s hanboks comprise a wrap-around skirt and a bolero-style jacket and is often called a chima-jeogori. Both ensembles may be topped by a long coat called a durumagi.

International Travel:

Getting There by Air
The national airlines are Asiana Airlines (OZ) (website: http://us.flyasiana.com) and Korean Air (KE) (website: www.koreanair.com).

Departure Tax
None.

Main Airports
Seoul (SEL) Incheon International Airport (ICN) (website: www.airport.or.kr) is located 40km (25 miles) west of Seoul on Yongion. To/from the airport: Limousine buses, taxis and coaches operate regular routes between the main urban area (journey time – 1 hour 30 minutes). A ferry service operates a daily service between the airport ferry pier and Wolmido/Yuldo on the coast of Incheon city (journey time – 15 to 20 minutes). The Korea Train Express (KTX) has two lines (the Honam line, running from Seoul to destinations such as Cheonana, Iksan and Mokpo; and the Gyeongbu line, running from Seoul to destinations such as Gwangmyeong and Busan) to transport people from the airport. Facilities: Left luggage, banks/bureaux de change, chemist, duty-free shops, post office, restaurants and tourist information.

Busan (PUS) (Kimhae) is 27km (17 miles) from Busan (in the far south). The airport receives flights from Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo. To/from the airport: There are bus, subway, coach and taxi services to the town. Facilities: Currency exchange, post office, duty-free shop, snack bar, gift shop, restaurant, travel information service and car hire.

Jeju (CJU) (Jeju), located on the island of Jeju, is 4km (2.5 miles) from the town center. To/from the airport: Buses and coaches are available to the town. Limousine buses and taxis are also available from the airport terminal. Facilities: Currency exchange, post office, duty-free shop, snack bar, gift shop and travel information service.

Note: Seoul (SEL) Gimpo (GMP) airport is the main domestic airport, although a few international flights (mainly to Hong Kong) do still depart from there (see Getting Around).

Getting There by Water
Main ports: Busan (in the far south) and Incheon (due west of Seoul).

Passenger lines that sail to Japan are Bugwan Ferry, Korea Ferry and Korea Marine Express. Jinchon Ferry and Weidong Ferry sail regularly to China. Cargo/passenger lines include Yellow Sea Ferry. Trips from the USA are offered by CP Ships.
Under an agreement reached between Korea (Dem Rep) and Korea (Rep) tour operators, groups of tourists are now allowed to travel to Korea (Dem Rep) on cruise ships leaving from the port of Tonghae, in Korea (Rep), and sailing to the port of Changjon.

Getting There by Rail
The Republic of Korea’s only land frontier with Korea (Dem Rep) remains closed, although a limited number of tourists are now allowed to travel to the north via certain cruise ships (see Getting There by Water, above).

Rail Passes
Korea-China Through-ticket and Korea-Japan Through-ticket provide discounts on travel between the countries, including transport by ferry and train. For more information, contact KNTO (see General Info).

Overview
The following goods may be imported into the Republic of Korea by persons aged 19 and over without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of other tobacco products; one bottle (not exceeding 1l) of alcoholic beverage; 57g of perfume; gifts up to the value of US$400.

Narcotics, drugs, fruit, hay, seeds; printed material, films, records or cassettes considered by the authorities to be subversive, obscene or harmful to national security or public interests; products originating from communist countries.

Firearms, explosives and other weapons and ammunition, even for sporting purposes, unless prior police permission is obtained, and item(s) is/are declared on arrival; plants and and plant products require a phytosanitary certificate issued by the plant quarantine office of the country of origin.

Internal Travel:

Getting Around By Air
Asiana Air and Korean Air run frequent services between Seoul and Busan, Taegu, Cheju, Ulsan and Kwangju, linking the Republic of Korea’s 16 major cities.
The main domestic airport is Seoul Gimpo (GMP), located 17km (10 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Limousine Buses depart to the city every five to 10 minutes from 0700-2215 (travel time – 40 minutes). Airport Express buses depart every 12 minutes. A subway line 5 runs to the city center (travel time – 40 minutes). Taxis to the city are also available. The first phase of a railway link between Incheon Airport and Gimpo Airport (41 km/26 miles) was completed in 2005. In 2008, the second phase of the project, a 20.5km (12.5 miles) stretch between Gimpo and Seoul, will be complete. Facilities: Currency exchange, pharmacy, children’s restroom, post office, gift shop, duty free shop, car hire, local products’ shop, restaurant and travel information desk.

Note
It is not possible for British nationals to travel directly to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) from the Republic of Korea.

Getting Around by Water
There are ferry terminals at: Mokpo, Yeosu, Jeju, Gunsan, Wando, Tongyeong, Pohang, Geoje, Donghae and Boryeong. Ferries connect Busan with Jeju-do Island. Car ferries also operate this route. Han River Land Company operates a cruise service on the Han-Gang River in Seoul, which runs through the center of the capital. Children pay half fare and night cruises are available.

Getting Around by Rail
Korean National Railroads connect major destinations. There are three classes of trains: Super-Express, Express and Local. Super-Express trains operate on Seoul–Mokpo, Seoul–Busan, Seoul–Chungju–Yosu, Seoul–Incheon (particularly scenic) and Seoul–Onyang (second-class only) routes. Some have air conditioning and restaurant cars. A supplement is payable for better-quality accommodation on some trains. Station signs in English are common and English translations of timetables are usually available. Children under six travel free and children six to 12 years old pay half fare. Timetables and fares are accessible online (website: www.korail.go.kr).

Rail Passes


Korea Rail Pass


The Korea Rail Pass allows visitors free travel with reserved seats on any KR train (except subways) within a three-, five-, seven- or 10-day period. Saver passes are available for groups of between two and five people, and Youth passes for people aged between 13 and 25 years old. A Korea Rail Pass voucher can be purchased at certain offices and travel agencies abroad and exchanged for the actual pass at Korean railway stations. The voucher must be exchanged within 60 days from the date of purchase. For further details, contact the Korea National Tourist Organization (see Top Things To Do).


Korea Rail Pack


This is a rail pass which includes accommodation and sightseeing services as well as the actual rail journey. Packs are available for two-, three- or five-days and include a free pick-up/drop-off service for major hotels in downtown Seoul, hotel accommodation with breakfast and an English-speaking guide throughout. Routes covered include: Seoul-Gyeongju, Seoul-Gyeongju-Busan, Seoul-Andong and Busan-Seoul. Children under three years travel free of charge and children under 10 years get a 30 per cent discount. Pre-booking is essential and the money for the journey must be received at least two weeks before departure (website: www.korail.go.kr).

Getting Around by Road
Cars drive on the right. Over half of the roads are paved. Excellent motorways link all major cities, but minor roads are often badly maintained. Road signs are usually written in both Korean and English. Bus: Local and express buses are inexpensive, though local buses within cities are often crowded and make no allowances for English-speakers. Hotel staff will be able to assist in choosing the correct bus and stop. Air-conditioned city-express buses, called Chwasok buses in Korean and much more comfortable than local buses, operate in competition with trains for connections to major cities. Towns and villages are linked by local bus services. Fares are paid in change into the coin box to the right of the driver upon boarding. To stop the bus at your destination, push one of the stop buttons located along the length of the bus. Taxi: Cheap and a good way to travel. There are also deluxe-taxis (mobom taxis) that are black with a yellow sign on top. Taxi drivers tend to speak little or no English. It is recommended that destinations are written in Korean and that you have a map of private addresses. Car hire: There are numerous car hire companies operating, including the major international ones. Some hotels and travel agents also provide a car hire service. Regulations: Seat belts are mandatory. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious offence. Documentation: International Driving Permit required. Drivers must have more than one year’s driving experience, be in possession of a valid passport and be over 25 years of age.

Getting Around Towns and Cities
Seoul has underground and suburban railways and well-developed bus services, all of which are very crowded during the rush hour. Underground station names, ticket counters and transfer signs are clearly marked in English as well as Korean. Underground lines are color-coded, and all trains have multilingual announcements. Fares are relatively cheap, but do vary with service areas. The base fare for 12km is KRW800, 13 to18 year olds pay KRW640 and seven to12 year olds pay KRW400. Taxis are widely available. Good bus services also operate in other cities.

Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Seoul to other major cities/towns in the Republic of Korea.

	Air	Road	Rail
Kwangju	0.50	3.55	4.20
Chonju	1.10	3.00	3.20
Kyongju	-	4.40	3.30
Ulsan	0.50	4.40	4.00

Additional times


From Busan to Cheju by sea is 11 hours (three hours 30 minutes via the super-express ferry). From Mokpo to Cheju by sea is five hours 30 minutes. From Busan to Kyongju is one hour by road and 40 minutes by rail.


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