Country info for backpacking in South Korea

History

Map of South Korea Archeological finds of prehistoric toolmaking date back to 70,000 BC, and the first pottery is found around 8000 BC. Comb-pattern pottery culture peaked around 3500-2000 BC. Korea's history begins with the founding of Gojoseon (also called Ancient Choson) by the legendary Dangun in 2333 BC. Archeological and contemporaneous written records of Gojoseon as a kingdom date back to around 7th-4th century BC. Gojoseon was eventually defeated by the Chinese Han Dynasty and Korea was governed as four commanderies of the Han. The political chaos following the fall of the Han Dynasty in China eventually allowed native tribes to regain control of Korea, eventually becoming the Three Kingdoms of Korea, namely Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, which vied for control of the peninsula. Despite repeated attempts by the Chinese Sui Dynasty and later, the Tang Dynasty to conquer the Korean peninsula, Goguryeo managed to repel them. Eventually, Goguryeo fell to a Silla-Tang alliance, which had earlier defeated Baekje, when it was attacked simultaneously from the north and south, thus unifying the peninsula under Silla. Even though the Tang later invaded, Silla forces managed to drive them out, thus maintaining Korea's independence, but at the same time serving as a tributary to the Tang. Unified Silla was replaced by the Goryeo (also Koryo) dynasty, from which the modern name "Korea" derives. Goryeo was then replaced by the Joseon (also Choson) dynasty after a coup by one of its generals, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910, one of the longest actively ruling dynasties in world history. Throughout most of its history from the Three Kingdoms period up till 1895, the various Korean states were tributary states to China, resulting in heavy Chinese influences in Korean culture, but at the same time preserving native Korean elements. Korea's status as a Chinese protectorate ended in 1895 after China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese War and the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Under the terms of the treaty, Qing Dynasty China was to recognise the independence of Korea, which in practice became a puppet state of Japan. In the early 20th century, Japan invaded Joseon Dynasty and started an illegal occupation, as a poor excuse for a protectorate in 1905 and by annexation in 1910. There were enormous movements for liberation, but 35 years of occupation followed, through suppression of resistance, economic exploitation, and a "cultural assimilation" policy. After Japan's defeat in World War II, US-occupied southern half and Soviet-occupied northern half each declared separate states in 1948. The Korean War (1950-53) began with North Korea's attack, and when US and other UN forces intervened on South Korea's side, China supported the North. An armistice was signed in 1953 splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel, but a peace treaty has never been signed. Thereafter, despite initially being economically outdone by North Korea, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth under the leadership of former dictator and president Park Chung Hee, with per capita income rising to roughly 20 times the level of North Korea, also earning it a place among the East Asian Tigers. South Korea is now a liberal democracy and the 10th largest economy in the world. In June 2000, a historic first summit took place between the South's President Kim Dae-jung and the North's leader Kim Jong-il (leading Kim Dae-jung to awarding first Nobel Peace Prize for South Korea), but the peace process has moved at a glacial pace.

People

Namdaemun Gate, Seoul South Korea is a very homogeneous country, with nearly all inhabitants identifying themselves as ethnically Korean and speaking the Korean language. However, there are a significant number of foreign workers from Mongolia, China and Southeast Asia, and about 30,000 American military personnel stationed throughout the country, especially near the DMZ. Government, businesses, and educational institutions tend to discriminate against foreigners and against Koreans of mixed descent. Although it is the 12th most densely populated country, South Korea now has the world's lowest birthrate (1.16 children per woman nationwide and even less in Seoul), and dealing with this will be one of the major problems of the 21st century. The sex ratio is skewed strongly male, with about 112 men for every 100 women. About 85% of South Koreans live in urban areas.

Culture

Decoration of a royal palace, Changdeokgung, Seoul During the Joseon dynasty Korea's dominant philosophy was a strict form of Confucianism. People were separated into a rigid hierarchy, with the king at the apex, an elite of officials and warriors below him, a small middle class of merchants below them, then a vast population of peasants and a hereditary class of slaves. Men were superior to women, educated were superior to the uneducated and everybody stuck to his defined role or faced the severe consequences. Buddhism and its supposedly dangerous notions of equality and individual spiritual pursuit were suppressed. While the Joseon Dynasty ceased to exist in 1910, its legacy lives on in Korean culture: education and hard work are valued above all else, and women still struggle for equal treatment. Koreans believe that the things that sets them the most apart from other Asian cultures is their cuisine, their language and their hangeul script. Outsiders will note their extreme modernity, tempered by a well-developed artistic and architectural joyfulness. Nothing goes undecorated if it can be helped, and they have a knack for stylish interior design. They have a vibrant film industry. Korea has a significant number of Christians (26%) and Buddhists (26%). Some 46% of the country profess to follow no particular religion.

Holidays

Korea's traditional holidays follow the lunar calendar, so they fall on different days each year. The big ones are family holidays and entail everybody returning to their hometowns en masse, meaning that all forms of transport are absolutely packed. shinjeong(신정),means New Years day : on the 1st day, January Seollal (설날), on the 1st day of the 1st month in the lunar calendar, is also known as "Korean New Year". Families gather together, eat traditional foods-especially Ddugguk (떡국) and perform an ancestral service. Holyday is lasted 3 days including former day and latter day of the Seollal. sameeljjeol(삼일절,3.1절) : 1st, March orininal (어린이날) : means children's day, 5th, May Buchonnim osinnal or sawolchopa-il : means Buddah's birthday, 8th, 4th month in the lunar calendar hyeonchung-il(현충일) : means memorial day, 6th, June gwangbokjjeol(광복절) : means independence day, 15th, August Chuseok (추석), often dubbed "Korean Thanksgiving", is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the year (usually August-September). Koreans celebrate by eating traditional foods, notably a rice cake called songpyeon (송편) and playing folk games. It lasts 3days including former and latter day. gaecheonjeol(개천절) : 3rd, October Christmas (성탄절) has become a major holiday in Korea due to the large number of Christian converts in recent times. As such, it is an ideal time to visit and soak up the festive mood, and maybe listen to a couple of Korean renditions of popular Christmas songs. Note that, shikmogil(식목일), Arbor day, isn't holiday since 2006 and also is jeheonjeol, that is Constitution day, since 2008.

Climate

• Spring is a great time of year to be in Korea. The temperatures are warm but not hot and there's not too much rain either. Although, spring is the time when yellow dust blows over from China. Some days can be horrible because of this.

• Summer starts with a dreary rainy season in June and turns into a steambath in July-August, with extreme humidity and the temperature heading as high as 40°C. Best avoided.

• Fall, starting in September, is perhaps the best time to be in Korea. Temperatures and humidity become more tolerable, fair days are common and the justly renowned fall colors make their appearance.

• Winter is a good time to go skiing or hot-spring hopping, and the Korean invention of ondol (floor heating) helps defrost any parts that froze outside.

South Korea is an extremely safe country, although theft, assault and hotel burglary might happen in major cities such as Busan or Seoul. Take care especially in known tourist areas. Use only legitimate taxis. Illegitimate taxis run even from the airport, and their safety and honesty cannot always be guaranteed. Be also careful late at night with non-Koreans in some areas of Seoul, such as Itaewon. Security is monitored strictly in Korea, so crime is really rare and it is uncommon to have any big problems. See also the travel topic articles on pickpockets and common scams. The emergency number for police is 112 from a phone and region code-112 from a cellular phone, and fire and ambulance services are 119 and region code-119 from a cellular. Emergency-service English interpreters are available 24 hours a day.

Although health care in South Korea is not free, it is heavily subsidized by the government and is very cheap compared to the United States. For expat workers who have a medical insurance card (this is required), it is even less expensive (although still not free). Most doctors speak at least some English, typically peppered with medical terms that might be unfamiliar to most people. In general, the larger hospitals in big cities will be more able to accommodate people with little or no command of the Korean language. In addition to Western medicine, Oriental medicine is quite popular in Korea. Herbal supplements can be bought in most pharmacies as well as from shops which produce their own. The most popular herbal supplements (such as Ginseng) can even be bought in convenience stores in the form of energy drinks, tea, gum, and alcohol. Pharmacies are usually located near hospitals, as hospitals in Korea are not allowed to dispense take-home prescriptions; prescriptions are dispensed in small paper packages. No special vaccinations are required to enter Korea from most countries -- check your local consulate for details. Visitors should be careful to get relevant hepatitis vaccinations. Hepatitis A, which is transmitted through food and water, is particularly rampant, with the Center for Disease Control estimating the chance of infection at 1% per month of stay. Korea has a disproportionately large infection rate, mostly attributed to food-sharing practices. Those who are unvaccinated should avoid the traditional side dishes served with all meals, as it is commonplace to recycle them from the last user (much like bread baskets in the west).