International Relations Office
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South Korea
| Leisure |
| Getting Around |
By air: All South Korea's main cities are linked by air, but the distances are small so it's usually not worth the extra cost By rail: The largest railway operator is Korail. Railway network is managed by Korea Rail Network Authority. Tonggeun (commuter train, not to be confused with subways) serves some selected lines. They stop in all stations and seat reservation is not available. By road: Highways in South Korea are classified as freeways (expressways/motorways), national roads, and various classifications below the national level. Almost all freeways are toll highways, and most of the expressways are built, maintained and operated by Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC). The freeway network serves most parts of South Korea. Tolls are collected using an electronic toll collection system. KEC also operates service amenities (dining and service facilities) en route. There are also several privately financed toll roads. Nonsan-Cheonan Expressway, Daegu-Busan Expressway, Incheon International Airport Expressway, Seoul-Chuncheon Expressway, and parts of the Seoul Ring Expressway are wholly privately funded and operated BOT concessions. Donghae Expressway was built in cooperation between KEC and the National Pension Service. Buses: Virtually all towns in South Korea of all sizes are served by regional bus service. Regional routes are classified as gosok bus (고속버스, "high speed" express bus) or sioe bus (시외버스, "suburban" intercity bus) with gosok buses operating over the longer distances and making the fewest (if any) stops en route. Shioe buses typically operate over shorter distances, are somewhat slower, and make more stops. Car-hire: Driving in Korea is not recommended for first-time visitors, but travellers who wish to hire a car must be 21 years or over and must by law have an international driving licence (a driving licence from your own country is not acceptable). Official prices are usually discounted by 65% and start at around W46,000 for a small car. Insurance costs around W10,000 a day, but depends on the level of the excess you choose. A better option than driving yourself is to hire a car and a driver at W145,000 per day (10 hours). By ferries: Korea has a very extensive network of ferries that connects hundreds of offshore islands to each other and to the mainland. The large southern island of Jejudo can be reached by ferry from Mokpo or Wando in Jeollanam-do, or on longer boat trips from Busan and Incheon, although most people fly these days. On the west coast, ferries from Incheon’s Yeonan Pier service a dozen nearby and more distant islands, while other west-coast islands further south can be reached from Daecheon harbour and Gunsan. Mokpo, Wando, Yeosu and Busan provide access to countless islands strung along the south coast. Remote Ulleungdo off the east coast can be reached by ferry from Pohang or Donghae. Inland ferries run along a couple of large sceniclakes – Soyang Lake in Gang·won-do and Chungju Lake in Chungcheongbuk-do. Public Transport: Planes, trains and express buses link major cities, intercity buses link cities and towns large and small, while local buses provide a surprisingly good service to national and provincial parks and villages in outlying rural areas. Car ferries ply numerous routes to offshore islands. Local urban buses, subways and taxis make getting around cities and towns easy. All transport works on the Korean ppallippalli (hurry hurry) system, so buses and trains leave on time, and buses and taxis tend to be driven fast with little regard to road rules. |
| Food |
Some recommended dishes:
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| Sights |
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| Others eg. Travel Guide |
