Trips to foreign destinations are one of the most sought after forms of entertainment and the basis of revenue generation of one of the most flourishing industries internationally-tourism. I as a professional lead a very hectic life and foreign trips for leisure are welcome escape from the hectic life. This time I am travelling to South Korea for the first time on March 01, 2018 and explore the heritage and culture of the country.
South Korea has an ancient cultural history dating back to 2333 BC when Dangun founded Josean dynasty according to Korean mythology. The Josean dynasty expanded into North Korea and Manchuria. The Han dynasty defeated Wiman Joseon and established the four districts in North Korea in 108 BC. This was followed by founding of the three kingdom era involving three states namely Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The three kingdoms under the three dynasties unified under the leadership of Wang Geon belonging to the Goguryeo dynasty in 936 AD. The unification under the Goguryeo and the flourishing of science and education in South Korea was intervened by Mongol invasion in the 13th century. The Goguryeo dynasty and the Mongols became allies till the Koreans drove out the Mongols in the mid 14th century. After a series of rise and fall of kingdom, historical battles Korea came under the domination of Japan. Japan passed the domination of South Korea to the United States of America after the former was defeated by the latter in World War II. Modern South Korea was actually the result of cold war between the Soviet Russia and the US. The United States was the head of the provincial government until the country declared itself as sovereign in October 1948. North Korea backed by Russia invaded South Korea which ultimately led to two countries split the Korean Peninsula into two demilitarised zone (bbc.com, 2018). Today with a rich and diverse history, ancient, medieval and modern, South Korea has several palaces, temples and gardens. This history of South Korea forms an integral part of the customs and laws in the country.
I came to know from the study of South Korea that democracy and right to express opinion form important parts of their laws and customs of the country. The country has suffered under foreign domination for centuries before it gained democracy. The people in South Korea are proud of their country and democracy. The tourists visiting South Korea must know that they should not hurt the patriotic sentiments of the people. The South Korean people do not perceive conversations about Japan positively even today because the country has been under exploitation and domination of Japan for a long time (customs.go.kr, 2018).
As far as social customs are concerned, Koreans are people with high social etiquettes. Being an eastern culture, the people follow strict social hierarchies. South Koreans greet each other usually by bowing and unknown people are not expected to express overt warmth like shaking hands. Age, educational qualifications and professions are considered as parts of social stratification and older people often ask their juniors about these. It is considered to be rude not to answer questions asked by seniors. The most common way of avoiding much conversation is to give short polite answers. The South Koreans are particular about removing shoes before entering houses. The love for rice and alcohol form a part of South Korean eating and drinking traditions (Marginson, 2016).
The religious traditions of South Korea consist of two main religions Buddhism and Christianity. The Buddhist symbols like Swastik which in turn shows Hindu influences are common in Buddhist temples. The South Korean people offer rice even to the dead using chopsticks. Formal behaviour forms a part of the religious behaviour of the people. As far the burial rites are concerned, the son of the deceased person is expected to control emotions which actually shows the influence of Confucian culture (Den Boer & Hudson, 2017).
The business tradition of South Korea follows the etiquettes and customs of the country. The business meetings are scheduled in mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Punctuality a is very important business behaviour and gifting is seen as a start of a business relationship. The business relationships in South Korea are based on contracts which are usually flexible. The business community is very strict about taking black money and bribes. This business tradition of South Korea has led to foundation of a very strong corporate sector in the country. The technological advancements, availability of resources and fast communication has boosted the tourism of the country making South Korea one of the most visited countries in the world (Kim & Kim, 2017).
The analysis of the customs, religion and business culture of South Korea shows that tourists visiting South Korea for the first time should respectful towards the culture of the country. They must abstain from using excessive western tradition like narrow hierarchical differences between people of different ages (Marginson, 2016).
The following are the motivations to travel to South Korea:
There are several motivations for the tourists to travel to South Korea. The country has both historical and natural heritages. The historical heritages of the country consist of temples, palaces, forts and museums. The tourists can learn about the South Korean tradition and its rich history from these forts and museums (Prayag & Del Chiappa, 2016).
The second motivation to explore South Korea is the diverse relief features of the country. The relief features of the country consist of mountains, hills, valleys, hot springs and islands. The tourists can enjoy marine sports like sea rafting in the beaches. They can enjoy mountain sports like trekking and hiking which are a part of South Korean entertainment (Wells et al., 2015).
The third motivation to travel to South Korea is South Korean cultures which find expression in festivals. The important traditional festivals of South Korea are Buddha’s birthday, Baekje Cultural Festival, Boryeong Mud Festivals and Andong Musk Dance Festivals. The modern festivals consist of Christmas and Pusan International Film Festivals. These festivals attract tourists from all over the world. Foods, drinks, merrymaking and enjoyment are part of these festivals which allow participation of people from foreign nations as well. These specific attractions like cultural heritage, natural heritage and festivals are the factors which tourists can enjoy in South Korea (Tom Dieck & Jung, 2018).
The following section would explore the positive and negative aspects of the tourism industry in South Korea which tourists should consider while visiting the country:
The tourism sector in South Korea is extremely advanced and developed. The Korean Tourism Organisation under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, South Korea is responsible for building the basic infrastructure of tourism in the country (english.visitkorea.or.kr, 2018). The infrastructure of the tourism market in the country is strong due to integration of KTO, private organisations and supporting industries like banking to enable online ticket booking. The infrastructure of tourism is strengthened by advancement in science and communication technology (Mudjanarko, Setiawan & Hasyim, 2017).
The super structure of tourism of South Korea is very strong owing to the technological advancements in construction and civil engineering industry. The country is served by wide networks of roads both regional and national highways to allow tourists to explore the country. There airports and ports allow the tourists travel to remote areas. The country is served by ports which tourists can reach by sea. The tourist destinations in the country have hotels, inns and lodges which provide accommodations and food to tourists. This shows that South Korea has a strong superstructure which supports its tourism industry (Jovanovi?, 2016)
The tourists should be careful about the negative aspects of South Korea. The country has considerable level of violent crime like murder. The legal system in the country is strict and crack down on crimes like drug abuse and prostitution. The country is experiencing rise in bribes in the government departments. Tourists should be aware of these crimes and abstain from indulging in them. They should also careful about diseases and illness related to change in environment between countries (Cowling et al., 2015).
The following section would explore the currency and visa requirements of South Korea which tourists need to consider while visiting the nation:
The currency of South Korea is Korean Republic Won or KRW and is issued by the apex bank of South Korea, Bank of Korea. Use of coins as currency also prevails in the country mostly, for smaller denominations. The bank notes issued consist of denominations of 1000, 5000, 10000 and 50000. The bank notes of 2000 also exists but is rarely used. The coins under use are of denominations of 10, 50, 100 and 500 (bok.or.kr, 2018). The currency of South Korea is an emerging currency is frequency exchanged with other international currencies like USD and GBP. The figure below presents exchange rates of KRW in comparison to USD, GBP and EU are 0.00094, 0.00076 and 0.00066 as on January 27, 2018 at 6.46 UTC. This shows that the tourists can exchange their resident currency with these international currencies as per the exchange rates and they must view the prevailing exchange rates while exchanging the currencies as these figures are subject to changes (Bénétrix, Lane & Shambaugh, 2015).
An important trend in the currency and transaction norms of South Korea is the increasing using of electronic currency in transactions in the place of physical currencies. As pointed out in the infrastructure and business customs of South Korea, the country is extremely progressive and has a strong banking sector. The nation is connected by the internet connections and ATM which encourage electronic transactions. The business customs of the country shows that the business corporations prefer business contracts with business partners. This custom has encouraged foreign financial corporations from North America, Europe and Asia enter the country’s market and boost its economy. The country is the headquarters to leading IT giants like Samsung and LG. These information and communication technology companies develop software and advanced electronic devices for which can support the electronic banking applications of these banks (Gabaix & Maggiori, 2015). This integration between the banks and IT companies has led to development of smooth hassle free online payment systems in the country. This developing of online payment is very helpful to tourists because it enables them to make transactions online and relieve from carrying currency in hard form.
South Korea owing to the partnering of multinational companies from diverse industries like banking sector and IT sector experiencing high usage of crypto-currencies. The government of South Korea has formed a bill to strengthen the Act of Regulation of Similar Reception the crypto-currency exchanges by regulating Similar Receiving Behaviours (news.bitcoin.com, 2018). The government mandates users including tourists to follow these norms. The government cracks down heavily on black and illegal money and tourists should abstain from using the money (koreabizwire.com, 2018).
The visa requirements of tourists heading towards South Korea are dependent on their country of origin. The people holding passports from one hundred and seventeen jurisdictions like the EU, Australia and the United States of America are allowed to enter without Visa. The diplomatic and service category passport holders from countries like China, Algeria and Iran may enter the country without visas. The visa laws of the country are strict on North Koreans and Sakhalin Koreans due to tense political and diplomatic relations (immigration.go.kr, 2018). The tourists must gain information on the visa requirements of the country as they subject to amendments.
The following is an itinerary for a one week visit to South Korea for which the tourists can opt:
9.00 am: Board Sedan to Bukchon Hanok Village. Charge 64733.74 won/day Pass through Gyeongbokgung, Samcheongdong , Insadong and Bukchon Hanok Villages.
9.30 am: Reach Bukchon Hanok Village can enjoy the old and historical style houses. Time taken for tour: 3 hours 30 minutes walking tour, parking facilities available.
2.00 pm: They can enjoy the traditional and tasty dishes of the country made from variety of ingredients like rice, fish and chicken at Wood & Brick Restaurant.
6 pm: Visit the Time Square Mall, Starfield Coex Mall and its aquarium
9 pm: Visit Club Cocoon (pub)
9.30 am: Board car to the National Museum of Korea on Yongsandong 6 Road. Opening time: 10 am Admission free. Entering children’s museum is chargeable.
(Source: telegraph.co.uk, 2018)
March 03, 2018(Day 3)
8.30 am: Board a car from hotel.
11.00 am: Palgongsan cable car ride. Fare: 9000 won adults/5000 won children Mondays closed except public holidays
1.30 pm: Donghwasa temple- Fare: 2500 won adults/teenagers 1500 won/ children 1000 won along The Gyungbu Highway.
2.00 pm: Have lunch
4.00 pm: DTC Textile museum no entry fee
6.20 pm: Daegu Dongseongno Street. Tourists can shop
8.00 pm: Seomun Market: Dishes available from Vietnam, Korea and other Asian nations.
10.00 pm: Board car and return to Seoul.
March 04, 2018 (day 4)
10.00 am: Daegu Modern History Streets: five different courses to experience rich history of the place. Opens at 9.00 am. Closed on January 1 and Monday, except public holidays.
11.00 am: Daegu Yangnyeongsi Museum of Oriental Medicine: American missionaries Chamness, Daegu’s Western style Gyesan Catholic Church and Daegu Yangnyeongsi Museum of Oriental Medicine
1.00 pm: Have lunch
2.00 pm: Daegu Dalseong Park: Picnic spot and has a zoo.
4.00 pm: E-World 83 Tower: Cafes, restaurants and great ambience for hanging out. Fare: 10000 won for adults/ 5000 won for children
6.00 pm: Anjirang Gopchang Town: Walking distance 445 m approximately
8.00 pm: Suseongmot Lake
10.00 pm Board car and return to Seoul.
9.30 am Board car $65/day distance from Seoul. Distance 194 km
3.00 pm: Reach Jeonju.
4.00 pm: Visit to the The National Jeonju Museum on the Hyojadong 2(i)-GA. Admission free. Separate exhibition charges. Duration of tour 1 hour.
5.00 pm: Ride back to Seoul
7.30 am: Board car
11.00 am Visit to Boseong is known for tea plantations, valleys and tranquil mountains. The tourists can enjoy the serene mountainous view and rejuvenate themselves.
12.00 Boseong Tea Museum of Korea-Tourists can learn growing green tea. They can also indulge in local delicacies like green tea noodles and green tea ice cream (tripzilla.com, 2018). Fare: adults 1000 won/Youths 700 won/children 500 won for 1 hour. Reduced rates for groups. Parking spaces available for free
2.00 pm: Have lunch
3.00 pm: Board car and return to Seoul.
Note for the tourist:
The rates and charges are subject to change without notice to tourists. The days of availability of facilities like zoos may change without prior notice. The tourists are hereby requested to contact the concerned authorities before planning their tours to Seoul.
Supplementary attraction:
The Demilitarised Zone or DMZ is one the most dangerous borders in the world which tourists can visit. They can get a view of North Korea in the Joint Security Area and see battle tunnels discovered in 1970s. They can get the feel of historical battles like the World War II in DMZ (washingtonpost.com, 2018). Rates applicable
|
Particulars |
Price (Won) |
Days |
Price for 7 days (Won) |
USD as on 02.02.2018 at 12.59 pm |
|
Transportation |
64733.74 |
7 |
453136.18 |
421.42 |
|
Accommodation (The JW Marriot Dongdaemun Square Seoul) |
22965 |
7 |
160755 |
149.5 |
|
Food and Drinks (Prost Pub & Grill) |
15000 |
7 |
105000 |
97.65 |
|
Entertainment |
10000 |
7 |
70000 |
65.1 |
|
Others(shopping) |
10000 |
7 |
70000 |
65.1 |
|
Total |
858891.18 |
798.77 |
Note: The above chart is just an estimation considering the mentioned accommodation and eateries. The rates of hotels and restaurants may vary and the tourists must check the rates prevailing at their time of visits. The exchange rates of South Korean won to USD vary according to the international currency exchange rates. The tourists must check the prevailing rates of conversions during their time of travel.
Conclusion:
The above study points out that South Korea is a wonderful tourist destination. The country has a rich heritage and tradition. The country has splendid valleys, mountains and beaches which tourists can enjoy. The economic development of the country, presence of roads, inland waterways, modern sea ports and airports lend a strong superstructure to the tourism industry of the nation. The infrastructure of the tourism under the leadership of KTO is supported by a strong networking of tourism companies. The emerging power of the Korean Won and flexible visa relationship with most of the countries enable tourists to easily get access to South Korea. The factors like switch over to electronic currency and a strong financial network has helped the tourists carry out transactions in the country easily. However, the tourists must be respect customs and laws of South Korea to enjoy trips through the country.
References:
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Analysis | This thin ribbon of land separates North and South Korea. Why should we care?. (2018). Washington Post. Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/mapping-the-dmz/
Bénétrix, A. S., Lane, P. R., & Shambaugh, J. C. (2015). International currency exposures, valuation effects and the global financial crisis. Journal of International Economics, 96, S98-S109.
Bizwire, K. (2018). ‘Black Money’ Scam Artist Arrested in Seoul – Be Korea-savvy. Be Korea-savvy. Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://koreabizwire.com/black-money-scam-artist-arrested-in-seoul/57385
Cowling, B. J., Park, M., Fang, V. J., Wu, P., Leung, G. M., & Wu, J. T. (2015). Preliminary epidemiologic assessment of MERS-CoV outbreak in South Korea, May–June 2015. Euro surveillance: bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles= European communicable disease bulletin, 20(25).
Den Boer, A., & Hudson, V. (2017). Patrilineality, son preference, and sex selection in South Korea and Vietnam. Population and Development Review, 43(1), 119-147
Gabaix, X., & Maggiori, M. (2015). International liquidity and exchange rate dynamics. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 130(3), 1369-1420.
Jovanovi?, V. (2016). The application of GIS and its components in tourism. Yugoslav Journal of Operations Research, 18(2).
Kim, S., & Kim, H. (2017). South Korea. In International Perspectives on Psychotherapy (pp. 139-157). Springer, Cham.
Korea, S. (2018). South Korea Travel Costs & Prices – Bullet Trains, Barbecue & Kimchi | BudgetYourTrip.com. Budget Your Trip. Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://www.budgetyourtrip.com/budgetreportadv.php?geonameid=&countrysearch=&country_code=KR&categoryid=0&budgettype=3&triptype=0&startdate=&endd
Marginson, S. (2016). The worldwide trend to high participation higher education: Dynamics of social stratification in inclusive systems. Higher Education, 72(4), 413-434.
Mudjanarko, S. W., Setiawan, M. I., & Hasyim, C. (2017). Concrete Technology to Support Sustainable Tourism Infrastructure. ADRI International Journal Of Civil Engineering, 1(1), 7-9.
Official Site of Korea Tourism Org.: Government. (2018). English.visitkorea.or.kr. Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_8_7_3_1.jsp
Prayag, G., & Del Chiappa, G. (2016). Antecedents of Heritage Tourists’ Satisfaction: The Role of Motivation, Discrete Emotions and Place Attachment.
Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN). (2018). Seoul-airport.com. Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://www.seoul-airport.com/
South Korea Imposes Six Conditions for Crypto Exchanges to Operate – Bitcoin News. (2018). Bitcoin News. Retrieved 27 January 2018, from https://news.bitcoin.com/south-korea-conditions-crypto-exchanges-operate/
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