South Korea

Understand

Positioned on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea is a country of dazzling scenic landscapes and a mixed representation of centuries-old traditions and contemporary society. It boasts a recorded history extending more than 5,000 years.

History

Early history and founding of a nation

Archeological finds of prehistoric toolmaking on the Korean Peninsula date back to 70,000 BC, and the first pottery is found around 8000 BC. Comb-pattern pottery culture peaked around 3500–2000 BC. Legend has it that Korea began with the founding of Gojoseon (고조선, 古朝鮮, also called Ancient Chosun) by the legendary Dangun in 2333 BC. Archaeological and contemporaneous written records of Gojoseon as a kingdom date back to around 7th–4th century BC. The Chinese Han Dynasty eventually defeated Gojoseon, and its territories were governed as four commanderies. The political chaos following the fall of the Han Dynasty in China allowed native tribes to regain control of Korea and led to the emergence of the Three Kingdoms of Korea (삼국시대, 三國時代), namely Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Silla (신라, 新羅) and Baekje (백제, 百濟). Despite repeated attempts by China, namely the Sui Dynasty and later the Tang Dynasty, to conquer the Korean Peninsula, northern-based Goguryeo managed to repel them. Eventually, Baekje and Goguryeo both fell to a Silla-Tang alliance, and unified Korea under the Silla Dynasty. A later invasion by the Tang was repelled by Silla forces, thus maintaining Korea's independence. The remnants of Goguryeo would go on to found another kingdom known as Balhae (발해, 渤海) in what is now Northeast China, which would last until 926 AD when the Khitans conquered it. Unified Silla was replaced by the Goryeo Dynasty (고려, 高麗, also called Koryo), from which the modern name "Korea" derives.

See

Asian tourists have long discovered South Korea as a prime shopping, culinary and sightseeing destination. It is a relatively new travel destination for the Western world, but has gained popularity fast. And for good reason, as South Korea offers a most pleasant combination of ancient Asian features and all the amenities you would expect from a modern, high-tech nation. Despite its compact size, it boasts a broad range of fine attractions, and excellent

Getting there

Nationals of 112 countries and territories can enter South Korea without a visa. While these visa-free nationals are supposed to apply for a Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA), 67 of these countries including EU, US, UK, Australia etc have been "temporarily" exempted until December 2026. To find out if you're exempted, try to apply for a K-ETA, and you'll get a popup informing you if you are. If you do not have a K-ETA, you need to fill out a free e-Arrival Card online. Avoid bringing in snack foods that contain poppy seeds. While washed poppy seeds contain only trace amounts of opioids, they will probably be confiscated under the same laws that ban the importation of illegal drugs. Do not bring North Korean biographies, books, stamps, postcards, or anything with North Korean propaganda into South Korea. They will be confiscated on sight and you may be fined or jailed.

Entry requirements

Citizens of Canada are allowed visa-free entry for up to 180 days. Citizens of the European Union (except Cyprus, Portugal, and French territory of New Caledonia), Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Singapore, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United States/American Samoa (Except Guam), Uruguay, and Venezuela can visit visa-free for up to 90 days. Citizens from Lesotho, Portugal, and Russia can visit visa-free for up to 60 days. Citizens of Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herze

Getting around

South Korea is fairly compact, and you can get almost anywhere very fast by train. The exception to this is Jeju; the Seoul-Jeju route being the busiest air route in the world. Subways are present in six cities, including metropolitan Seoul. Travel by bus or taxi is readily available, although bus services are far more economical. As South Korean national security laws mandate that navigation processing be done only on local servers, Google Maps does not give driving or walking directions in South Korea and can also be not up to date for some regions, lacking information on recent infrastructure changes such as bridges. It is advisable to install Naver Map and KakaoMap on your mobile phone for English language searching and directions. Unfortunately, the desktop web sites are in Korean only. Note that while Naver Map has more English in its interface, KakaoMap generally has better detail and path finding. Both require a login for basics like saving points of interest.

Smart cards The most widely used transportation smart card is known as T-money (티머니 Ti-meoni) card. This can be used on local buses and subways throughout the country and taxis displaying the T-money logo. Fares and transfers up to 30 minutes are calculated automatically; tap on and tap off when riding on buses and trains. (In some buses in the countryside, you only need to tap on; watch locals to see what they do.) It even gives you a ₩100 discount on bus and subway rides, which is even more reason to use it. As of 2025, the card costs ₩5,000 for the regular version or ₩4,000 for the limited "Visit Korea Card". It can be purchased at convenience stores displaying the T-money logo and at some ticket vending machines in subway stations, as well as newsstands near subway stations. However, to buy and top-