Tourism in South Korea
Encyclopedia
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In 2007, 6.4 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, making it the 36th most visited country in the world, and this number is expected to exceed 8.5 million in 2010. Most non-Korean tourists come from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The recent popularity
Korean wave
The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...
of popular culture
Contemporary culture of South Korea
The contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...
in these countries has increased tourist arrivals. Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
is the principal tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
for visitors; popular tourist destinations outside of Seoul include Seorak-san national park, the historic city of Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
and semi-tropical Jeju Island
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
. Traveling to North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
is not normally possible without a special permission, but in recent years organized group tours have allowed groups of South Korean citizens to visit Kumgang-san.
International and Domestic tourism
The majority of the South Korean tourist industry is supported by domestic tourism. Thanks to the country's extensive network of trains and buses, most of the country lies within a day's round trip of any major city.International tourists come primarily from nearby countries in Asia. Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
together account for roughly 75% of the total number of international tourists. In addition, the Korean wave
Korean wave
The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...
has brought increasing numbers of tourists from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
International tourists typically enter the country through Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul national capital area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world...
, near Seoul, which was found to be the world's best airport in 2006. Also international airports in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
are frequently used.
Governmental support
Through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and its constituent Korea Tourism OrganizationKorea Tourism Organization
The Korea Tourism Organization is a statutory organization of the Republic of Korea under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and is commissioned to promote the country's tourism industry.-Overview:...
, the South Korean government regulates tourism within South Korea. The Korea Tourism Organization aims to attract 10 million inbound visitors to South Korea for the year 2010.
Tourist attractions
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
and Buyeo
Buyeo County
Buyeo County is a county in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Buyeo-eup, the county's capital, was the site of the capital of the Baekje kingdom from AD 538 to 660, when it was called Sabi....
.
Some natural landmarks include the peaks of the Baekdudaegan
Baekdudaegan
The Baekdudaegan is a mountain range and watershed-crest-line which runs through most of the length of the Korean Peninsula, from Baekdu Mountain in the north to Jirisan in the south. It is important in traditional Korean thought, a key aspect of Pungsujiri philosophy and practices...
, particularly Seorak-san and Jiri-san, the caves of Danyang
Danyang County
Danyang County is a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.-Symbols:*county tree: Yew tree*county bird: Magpie*county flower: Royal Azalea-Geography:...
and Hwanseongul, and beaches such as Haeundae and Mallipo.
Apart from Jeju island, there are many smaller islands. Excursion ferries are quite common along the south and west coasts and also to Ulleung-do Island, off the east coast. Limited tourism mainly by South Koreans to the Liancourt Rocks
Liancourt Rocks
The Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo or Tokto in Korean or in Japanese, are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan . Sovereignty over the islets is disputed between Japan and South Korea...
(Dokdo) has grown in recent years as a result of the political status of the rocks.
Many local districts hold annual festivals, such as the Boryeong
Boryeong
Boryeong, commonly known as Daecheon, is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at , on the coast of the Yellow Sea. It lies on the Janghang Line railroad, which connects it to Seoul via the Gyeongbu Line. It is also connected to the Seohaean Expressway...
Mud Festival and the Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival.
Travel abroad
Since the economic rise of the 1980sMiracle on the Han River
Miracle on the Han River refers to South Korea's highly accelerated export-fueled economic growth, including rapid industrialization, technological achievement, education boom, exponential rise in living standards, rapid urbanization, skyscraper boom, modernization, successful hosting of the 1988...
, South Korean visits to other countries have grown steadily. In 2006, South Koreans spent more than 10 trillion won ($11.1 billion) on overseas tourism. The majority of South Korean travelers visit the neighboring countries such as China and Japan, but many also go to places in Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, and Oceania.
Inter-Korean tourism
Since the late 1990s, a limited number of tourists from South Korea have been permitted to visit certain cites in North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. The most prominent example is the renowned mountain Kumgang-san, near the DMZ.
Visits to Mt. Kumgang-san were suspended by the South Korean government after the shooting death of a South Korean tourist in July 2008. Since April 2010, North Korea is now permitting companies to run tours from the North Korean side, making it appear increasingly unlikely that tours will be resumed from the South.
Events
South Korea has hosted many international events, including the 1988 Summer Olympics1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
(jointly hosted by Korea and Japan), the 2005 APEC conference, and the 1993 Taejon Expo
See also
- KTOKorea Tourism OrganizationThe Korea Tourism Organization is a statutory organization of the Republic of Korea under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and is commissioned to promote the country's tourism industry.-Overview:...
(Korea Tourism Organization) - Korean culture
- Contemporary culture of South KoreaContemporary culture of South KoreaThe contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...
- Tourism in GyeongjuTourism in GyeongjuTourism in Gyeongju is a major industry and defining feature of Gyeongju, South Korea. Gyeongju is today a major cultural site and tourist destination for South Koreans and foreigners with about 8 to 9 million visitors annually...
- List of Korea-related topics
External links
- http://www.gokorea.co.uk, the Korea Tourism OrganizationKorea Tourism OrganizationThe Korea Tourism Organization is a statutory organization of the Republic of Korea under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and is commissioned to promote the country's tourism industry.-Overview:...
’s London office website for info on travelling from the UK to Korea - Tour2Korea, the Korea Tourism OrganizationKorea Tourism OrganizationThe Korea Tourism Organization is a statutory organization of the Republic of Korea under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and is commissioned to promote the country's tourism industry.-Overview:...
’s website - Ministry of Culture and Tourism