TV scenes of thousands of red-wearing fans going crazy over their national team during the 2002 FIFA World Cup is an image which has helped convince a global audience that South Korea is in fact, a fun place to go, a place with
dazzling cities,
friendly people and
beautiful,
mystical countryside.
Until relatively recently, Korea was an insular place, existing under
dynastic rule for centuries. However, the 35-year Japanese occupation from 1910, the split of the peninsula after WWII and the subsequent Korean War shattered all that. Difficult times have however
made the Koreans a resilient lot, succeeding economically whilst still holding onto their
unique traditions and
fascinating culture.
Korea is littered with
fortresses,
temples and
palaces, many of them
UNESCO World Heritage sites. In addition, the peninsula it shares with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea’s official name) is one of the most
mountainous regions in the world, and Korea also has a significant
beach-dotted coastline.
The capital
Seoul winds around
the
Han River, punctuated by
futuristic skyscrapers in one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The city is an increasingly useful Asia-Pacific
stopover point, or a hub for a three-center Korea-China-Japan cultural trip.
GeographyThe Republic of Korea (South Korea) is a peninsula that shares borders to the north with the demilitarised zone (separating it from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), to the east with the Sea of Japan (East Sea), to the south with the Korea Strait (separating it from Japan), and to the west with the Yellow Sea. There are many islands and bays in the Korea Strait, including the largest, the volcanic island of Jeju-do, which lies off the southwest coast and is also home to South Korea’s highest mountain, Mount Halla, at 1,950m (6,397ft). Most of the country consists of hills and mountains with the 30% of flat plain home to the majority of the population and cultivation. Most rivers rise in the mountains to the east, flowing west and south to the Yellow Sea. The Naktong River flows into the Korea Strait near the southern port of Busan, Korea’s second largest city after Seoul. The eastern coast is rocky and steep with mountains rising from the sea.
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