Base yourself in Seoul for four or five nights, then take the KTX south. Busan is under three hours away for the coast and the fish market, and Gyeongju sits between the two with the Silla tombs and temples in the open. Add Jeonju for the hanok quarter and the food, or Jeju for volcanic coastline on a one-hour flight. April to May and September to November are the months to aim for: blossom then foliage, mild air, and none of the August heat.
3 South Korea city guides
Fun fact
Around 70 percent of South Korea is mountainous, so Seoul has national park trails inside the city limits.
Stereotypes, sorted out
The realitySeoul holds the palaces and the nightlife, but Busan is a beach and port city with its own accent, Gyeongju is an open-air museum of Silla tombs, and Jeju is volcanic coastline. The KTX puts most of them within a morning of the capital.
The realityBarbecue is the export, not the everyday. Regional cooking runs from the cold buckwheat noodles of the north to the seafood of the south coast, and Jeonju built a reputation on a single rice bowl.
The realityThe DMZ is a day trip from Seoul, run daily with permits and guides, and life in the country carries on without reference to it. Korea consistently ranks among the safest places to travel in Asia.
The realityThe country is more than its exports. It is also Confucian scholarship at Andong, a Buddhist temple-stay tradition open to visitors, and mountain hiking as a national weekend habit.
The realitySeoul hotels can be, but eating is not. A market meal, a bowl of noodles or a convenience-store dinner costs little, and the subway and intercity buses are cheap by any comparison.
Cultural notes that actually help
- Give and receive with two hands, or with your right hand supported at the elbow. It is the single clearest sign of respect.
- Take your shoes off at the door in homes, temple stays, guesthouses and any restaurant with a raised floor.
- Let the oldest person at the table start eating and pour their drink first. Turn away slightly when you drink in front of them.
- Do not tip. There is no line for it, and offering one causes more confusion than goodwill.
- Keep phone calls quiet on the subway. Trains are busy and almost silent, and everyone is reading.
- Sort your rubbish. Recycling is separated by law, and bins in public places are labelled by category.
Famous Korean faces
Bong Joon-ho
Han Kang
Son Heung-min
Kim Yuna
Ban Ki-moon
IU
G-Dragon
Seo Taiji
BoA
Park Chan-wook
Youn Yuh-jung
Lee Jung-jae
Hwang Dong-hyuk
Bae Doona
Park Ji-sung
An San
Ryu Hyun-jin
Lee Byung-chul
Chung Ju-yung
Koo In-hwoi
Nam June Paik
Lee Ufan
Do Ho Suh
Hwang Sok-yong
Yi Mun-yol
BTS
Blackpink
Psy
Rain
Song Kang-ho
Park Se-ri
Kim Dae-jung
Yu Gwan-sun
Kim Young-ha
Must-try Korean food
Budae jjigae
Army stew, a postwar mix of ham, noodles and gochujang.
Jjajangmyeon
Wheat noodles under black bean sauce, the standard delivery order.
Janchi guksu
Thin wheat noodles in warm broth, the banquet noodle.
Jjamppong
Seafood noodles in a red chilli broth.
Makgeolli
Cloudy unfiltered rice wine, shaken before pouring.
Bibimbap
Rice under vegetables, egg and chilli paste, mixed at the table.
Kimchi jjigae
Sour aged kimchi stewed with pork and tofu.
Samgyetang
Whole young chicken stuffed with rice and ginseng, eaten in high summer.
Sundubu jjigae
Silken tofu stew that arrives still boiling.
Bulgogi
Thin beef marinated in soy, pear and sesame.
Samgyeopsal
Pork belly grilled at the table and wrapped in lettuce.
Galbi
Marinated short ribs, cut at the table with scissors.
Dakgalbi
Chicken stir-fried with cabbage and rice cake on a hot plate, a Chuncheon dish.
Makchang
Grilled pork intestine, a Daegu speciality.
Naengmyeon
Cold buckwheat noodles in iced broth, sharpened with vinegar and mustard.
Kalguksu
Knife-cut noodles in a clear anchovy or chicken broth.
Tteokbokki
Rice cakes in a sweet-hot gochujang sauce, the stall standard.
Gimbap
Rice and fillings rolled in seaweed, sliced for the road.
Hotteok
Griddled dough filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.
Eomuk
Fish cake on a skewer, sold with a cup of its own broth.
Twigim
Battered vegetables, squid and dumplings, fried to order.
Kimchi
Fermented cabbage with chilli and salted shrimp, on every table.
Japchae
Sweet potato noodles tossed with vegetables and sesame oil.
Pajeon
Spring onion pancake, ordered whenever it rains.
Gyeranmari
Rolled omelette, sliced into rounds.
Bingsu
Shaved milk ice under red bean, fruit or condensed milk.
Bungeoppang
Fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean, sold in winter.
Yakgwa
Honey and sesame-oil cookie, pressed into a flower shape.
Soju
Clear grain spirit, poured for the table, never for yourself.
Sikhye
Sweet malted rice drink, served cold after a meal.
