REMINDER FOR A TOURIST traveling to South Korea
Before leaving, we kindly ask you to check the availability of the following documents:
- foreign passports of all participants of the trip;
- railway and air tickets (round trip);
- travel vouchers (vouchers for all services);
- insurance policy;
- a power of attorney certified by a notary from one of the parents (for children traveling without parents).
It is recommended to make a photocopy of your passport, air and railway tickets and store them separately from other documents.
Customs regulations. Import and export of foreign currency is not limited, cash amounts over 10,000 USD must be declared. An entry declaration must
be completed when importing jewelry, expensive watches, photographic equipment, furs, firearms, knives and expensive foreign-made items.
Import and export of local currency is allowed up to a maximum of 8 million won. Unused currency can be exchanged back upon presentation of an exchange certificate issued by a local bank. In the absence of such, you can exchange no more than $100.
Persons over 19 are allowed to import duty-free one liter bottle of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, 60 ml of perfume, gifts worth up to 400 USD. It is forbidden to export antiques without special permission.
Insurance. In the event of an insured event, it is necessary to act according to the instructions placed in the insurance policy. Try to familiarize yourself with it in advance (at home before the flight or during the flight) so that in the event of an insured event, you will have an idea about the algorithm of action. After making a call to the insurance company, follow the instructions received from the insurer.
Time zone. +5 hours ahead of Moscow time
Language. The official language is Korean.
Tips. Not accepted. As a rule, they are already included in the cost of services.
Currency. The national currency of Korea is the Korean Won (KRW). 1 USD = 1536 KRW.
Money can be exchanged at banks, specialized exchange offices and large hotels. The difference between the official and market dollar exchange rate is negligible. The network of banks in South Korea is very developed. They work on weekdays from 9:30 to 16:30, on Saturday – until 13:30, Sunday is a day off. ATMs are installed in hotels, department stores, metro stations, tourist sites and operate from 9:30 to 22:00, some – around the clock. VISA, American Express, Diners Club, Master Card and JCB credit cards are accepted in large hotels, department stores and restaurants.
Transport. Public transport in Korea is very well developed and also very cheap. It is difficult for foreigners to use city buses: all announcements and inscriptions are only in Korean, so the main modes of transport for tourists are taxis and subways. There are extensive subway line systems in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and Incheon. Tickets can be bought at the regular box office, as well as in vending machines. The names of the stations, tables at the ticket offices and the designations of the transitions are duplicated in English. There are many taxis in Korea, they are safe, well-equipped and inexpensive. They are divided into regular and deluxe. Taxis with Kind Call Taxi and KT Powertel nameplates are equipped with simultaneous
translation devices, cash registers and even a terminal with an electronic vehicle location system.
Culture of South Korea. Initially, Korean art was strongly influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism, which can be found in traditional Korean paintings, sculptures, ceramics and porcelain, as well as in the performing arts – the Korean tea ceremony, the Korean puchaechum dance and the “Korean opera” pansori.
Despite the fact that the traditional culture of South and North Korea was similar, after the division of the Korean Peninsula into two parts, these countries managed to develop their own unique cultural identity, different from their neighbor. For example, the 1960s and 1970s saw the heyday of contemporary South Korean art, characterized by artists’ interest in geometric forms, intangible objects, and the creation of harmony between man and nature. A new phase of development awaited in the post-war years and South Korean architecture, the modern trends of which are concentrated on the balance of traditional Korean philosophy (harmony with nature) and the urbanization experienced by the country in recent years.
Security. South Korea is one of the most prosperous countries in the world in terms of street crime. But wandering alone through parks and back alleys or provocatively shoving your wallet into the back pocket of your trousers is still not worth it. The main caveat: the country occupies the unhonorable first place in the world in the number of victims of car accidents, so the streets there should be crossed with the utmost care. The attitude towards tourists is very friendly, but there are problems with understanding.
Cuisine and restaurants of South Korea.Four national cuisines are represented in Korea at once: Korean, Chinese, Japanese and European. In all settlements of the country there are many restaurants, canteens and eateries of various profiles: as they say, for every taste and budget. Japanese restaurants are the most expensive and prestigious. Chinese ones are simpler, all dishes there are divided into two categories: “siksa” and “yori”. “Sixa” – relatively cheap and easy to prepare dishes. “Yori” are noticeably more expensive, often sophisticated dishes that are prepared only in large portions, designed for at least two. A European restaurant in Korea is the place where a middle-class person goes when they want to eat something out of the ordinary. The menu in most of these restaurants is not very diverse: the main and often the only dish is “tonkasy” – a kind of schnitzel,
In Korea, they eat a lot of rice, pickled vegetables collectively called “kimchi” and soups, and fish and seafood dishes are also popular. For dessert, fruits are usually served, and instead of tea, they drink a variety of decoctions and tinctures. Of the drinks with a degree, the most popular are McCory rice wine, as well as Soju rice liquor.
Korean restaurants are the most versatile and democratic, both in terms of prices and audience. Man and designer Artemy Lebedev tells doubting tourists: if you want to dine in a guaranteed good restaurant, look for the official sign with a white flower on the facade of the establishment, where it says: Good Restaurant.
Embassy of the Russian Federation in South Korea
Embassy in Seoul
Address: 100-120, Republic of Korea, Seoul, Jung-gu,11-gil, Seosomun-ro, 43
Contact phones: (8-10-82-02) 318-2116, 318 -2117, 318-2118
Information in Korean 752-0630
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.russian-embassy.org
