Places To Visit in South Korea

As Won is used as legal tender in South Korea but almost throughout the country, US dollar is widely accepted, though other major currency like yen or pound sterling are also accepted and exchanged in the larger cities. Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels and shops in the big cities except in the countryside. ATMs will allow you to withdraw cash, but not all will accept international cards, so look for the ones with international logos of Plus or Cirrus as these machines will allow the transaction. One should get the T-Money Card which can be used to pay the fares for buses, taxi, trains and metro as well. These cards are available at a very reasonable cost at any subway station booth, bus kiosks and even in the departmental stores displaying the logo of the T-Money Card. ATMs with a Global sign work with internationally issued cards; very few are open 24 hours.

It is believed that Korea came into being in 2333 B.C when the state of Ancient Choson was founded. Further, the land was invaded by Chinese troops, Choson Dynasty and Japanese as well. After World War 2, Korea was divided into two parts, one communist northern half, and anAmerican occupied southern half; it still stands divided at the 38th parallel. The Korean war broke when theNorthh Korean Communist army crossed the parallel and invaded noncommunist southKorea. US Army joined and fought on behalf of South Korea. The Korean War was relatively short but exceptionally bloody. Nearly 5 million people died.

Korean culture is somewhat similar to that of Chinese, yet it is different in many ways. The art and architecture in South Korea have been inspired by the religions that are being followed like Shamanism, Buddhism and largely by Confucianism. You may find paintings around the city influenced by Buddhist teachings, temples murals, carved Buddhas, elegant Buddhist temples and all are signs of a culture shaped by faith. The once-dominant Confucian culture with its emphasis on respect for ancestors, age, and seniority still continues to influence Korean family, work, and social life. Buddhism and Christianity are the main religions followed in South Korea today, with Buddhism having a following of about 51% of the population. Hanbok is considered as the traditional dress of Korea, and on occasions like a family meeting, holiday or weddings, it is consideredÊauspicious to be dressed in it. As far as language is concerned people here speak only Korean and you may find difficult to communicate as hardly anyone speaks or understands English.

South Korea can be roughly divided into four regions
Eastern Region - High Mountain regions and low coastal plains
Western Region - There are about 3000 islands that lie off the in the region, among which Jeju Island is the largest. River basins and hills are 
Southwestern Region - This region has beautiful coastal plains and mountains
Southeastern Region -  This region is dominated by the river bank of the Nakdong River.