Capital: Seoul
Currency: South Korean won (KRW)
Borders: North Korea 238 km
The Korean Peninsula lies wedged between Russia, China and across
the East Sea, Japan. Korea in fact, lies right in the heart of North
East Asia. For years, Koreans have fought hard to repel neighbouring
invaders who have attempted to annex Korea. The Korean War in the
1950’s is harsh evidence of this, yet this struggle to remain an
independent nation appears to have paid off well, in respect of
Koreans having maintained their own unique blend of cultural
heritage and customs. After the Korean War, the US provided aid to
South Korea, and many large banks in the US, helped South Korea into
becoming one of the great economical giants of today. The unit of
currency is the won. Seoul, the capital along with many other parts
of the country, was levelled during the Korean War though today, few
signs of that bitter time remain. Modern day Seoul is a thriving
economical metropolis and South Korea as a result, aims to
experience a great economic boom in the not too distant future.
South Korea is relatively small in size, with a
landmass of 98,190 sq km. Much of the Korean terrain is mountainous,
and the Koreans have pulled out all the stops into ensuring that
areas of outstanding natural beauty, have been properly and
tastefully preserved into national parks. The Korean word for
mountain is ‘san’, and the main parks are named thus: Bukansan,
Seoraksan, Songnisan, Chiaksan and Woraksan. Within these national
parks, one can find serenity in the form of beautiful rock carvings,
temples and monk’s hermitages, some of which are set alongside
tranquil babbling streams and shaded woodland.
Koreans are extremely receptive towards foreign tourists, and often
extend a warm welcome to the curious tourist and delight in
explaining life from a Korean point of view as well as providing an
insight into Korean history and culture.
The peninsula receives a temperate climate similar to Western
Europe, although winters are harsh due to blizzard winds from
Siberia. Summer is a time of much rain and sticky temperatures.
During the wetter summer months, South Korea experiences freak
typhoons which bring with them mass destruction. |
