- Useful Information about Korea
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- Introduction
- Korea is unprecedented in its rate of economic and technological development. Since the 1960s, the country has effectively carried out five-year economic development plans that set the Korean economy on a relentless course of exponential growth. From 1962 to 2005, the country's GNI surged from US $2.3 billion to a staggering US $786.8 billion today. The 1997 East Asian foreign currency crisis and the 2007 financial crisis have been but temporary set-backs for the Korean economy. For example the GNI stagnated at US $340.4 in 1998 but soon began to advance again, soaring to US $955.8 billion by 2007.
Referred to as the ¡°Land of the Morning Calm,¡± Korea has an ancient culture and a profound respect for human relations that make it stand out in the region. Located at a major crossroads of Northeast Asia, between Japan and China, Korea has a population of 48.60 million (2008) and a total land area of 100,032 §´ (2008). Its modern capital of Seoul is located on the majestic Han River.
- Years of rapid economic development propelled the country to be the world's 12th largest trading nation. Korea's industrial base shifted from agriculture to manufacturing and is now shifting to services and a knowledge economy. Korea is an undisputed global force in a number of industries, including automobiles, petrochemicals, electronics, shipbuilding, textiles, and steel. Korea 's GDP expanded 5.0% in 2007 and 2.5% in 2008. In absolute terms, the Korean GDP in 2007 totaled US$969.8 billion, making the country the 14th largest economy.
- Since 2004, Korean-made semi-conductors, automobiles, and wireless telecom devices have accounted for over 30% of the country's total trade volume. Exports of IT products have risen every year since 1998, reaching US $82.5 billion, or 29.5% of total exports, in 2005. Major IT export items include memory chips, mobile phones, LCD monitors, PCs, and satellite broadcasting receivers. Korea 's semi-conductor industry, in particular, has achieved tremendous growth over the past two decades and is the third largest in the world.
- Korea has been designated as the host country of the G20 Summit for 2010, an indication of its increasing global role. As such, it will be the first Asian country, and the first non-G8 country, ever to host the event. The decision to make the G8 Summit an annual event was made at the third G20 summit in Pittsburgh.
Korea's leading role in the new order of the world economy is clear as the first Asian country to host the event, and of course the role of Korean Ban Ki-moon as Secretary General of the UNited Nations. At the event in Pittsburgh, Korea stressed the need for international collaboration as a strategy for recovery from the current global recession. Since then, Korea has shown the speediest recovery from the recession among the OECD member countries.
Not only that, at the third C40 Large Cities Climate Summit Seoul 2009, the country became the first Asian country to preside over the round-table session, displaying its green leadership credentials as the country that proposed the Low Carbon, Green Growth strategy.
- Geography
The Korean Peninsula is located in the Northeast Asia.
It is bordered by the Amnok River (Yalu River) to the northwest, separating Korea from China, and the Duman River (Tumen River) to the northeast which separates Korea from both China and Russia.
The country itself is flanked by the Yellow Sea to its west and the East Sea to the east. There are several notable islands that surround the country including Jeju-do, Ulleung-do and Dok-do.
The Korean peninsula is roughly 1,030 km (612 miles) long and 175 km (105 miles) wide at its narrowest point. The land area is 99,200§´ (38,301 square miles), and it has a population of 48.6 million people (2008).
Because of its unique geographical location, Korea is a very viable piece of land and an international hub of Asia.
- Weather
Current Korea Weather Conditions
Korea has four seasons, with a wet monsoon summer in the middle of the year, and a cold winter from November to March. The island of Jeju off the southern coast is the warmest and wettest area in the country. The most ideal time to visit Korea is during the autumn months (September-November).
During this time, the country experiences warm, sunny weather, skies that are cobalt blue and spectacular foliage that is perhaps the biggest draw.
Winters are cold and dry and remain a good time if you are interested in winter sports as there are numerous ski resorts.
Spring (April-May) is also beautiful with all the cherry blossoms in bloom. However, it is very busy season thus one must book in advance to ensure that accommodation is available.
The summer months are muggy and hot, and rather crowded. This is also when the monsoon season begins, so many activities are subject to the fluctuations of heavy rain.
Four Distinct Seasons
Spring
- Spring lasts from late March to May and is warm. Various flowers, including the picturesque cherry blossom, cover the nation's mountains and fields during this time.
Summer
- Summer lasts from June to early September. It is a hot and humid time of the year.
Autumn
- Autumn lasts from September to November, the weather is mild. It is the best season for visiting Korea.
Winter
- Winter lasts from December to mid-March. It can be bitterly cold during this time due to the influx of the cold Siberian air. Heavy snow in the northern and eastern parts of Korea makes for favorable skiing conditions.
Average Temperatures and Rainfall
| City | Daejeon | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Centigrade(¡É) | Fahrenheit(¢µ) | Humidity(%) | Rainfall(mm) |
| Jan. | -1.9 | 28.58 | 68.9 | 29.5 |
| Feb. | 0.2 | 32.36 | 66 | 36.4 |
| Mar. | 5.4 | 41.72 | 63.8 | 60.5 |
| Apr. | 12.4 | 54.32 | 61.6 | 87.2 |
| May | 17.6 | 63.68 | 65.8 | 97 |
| Jun. | 22 | 71.6 | 73.2 | 174.3 |
| Jul. | 25.3 | 77.54 |
80.1 | 292.2 |
| Aug. | 25.5 | 77.9 | 79.8 | 296.5 |
| Sep. | 20.3 | 68.54 | 77.6 | 141.5 |
| Oct. | 13.8 | 56.84 | 73.7 | 56.9 |
| Nov. | 6.8 | 44.24 | 73.4 | 51.7 |
| Dec. | 0.7 | 33.26 | 71.8 | 30.1 |
Note: This is the mean value from 1971 to 2000.
- Currency
- Currency
- Koreas official monetary unit is the won(\). The Korean currency consists of a ten thousand, five thousand, and one thousand won note, and five hundred, one hundred, fifty and ten won coins.
- Currency Exchange Rate
- Recently, Exchange rate against dollar is about 1,400 Won. Exchange rates may change at any time according to the market conditions.
- Exchanging Money
- When you need to exchange your foreign currency into Korean won, visit a bank, exchange service center, or an authorized exchange location.
Business hours
- Banks : 9:30 am - 4:30 pm except Saturday, Sunday and Holidays
- Exchange service centers : 9:30 am - 10 pm, every_day
- Authorized exchange: 24 hours in hotels, and 9:00 am - 5:00 pm at other locations places.
Don't forget to take your receipt.
- Traveler's Checks
- Traveler's checks are economical because they will receive higher exchange rates and can be purchased at a cheaper rate. Travelers do not need to worry about damages if checks are lost or stolen.
Traveler's checks are used like cash at hotels, department stores, restaurants and shops, but it is better to exchange them for cash for the sake of ease. Visa, American Express, and Thomas Cook are accepted in Korea, and these checks can be exchanged into cash at banks or exchange booths.
- Credit Card
- Visa, American Express, Diners Club, Master Card and others are accepted at hotels, department stores, large restaurants, and stores
- Advice
- 1. Plan your travel, and exchange money carefully.
- 2. After exchanging your money, check the money and exchange rate with a calculator.
- 3. When you exchange your traveler's checks, you need to sign your name in the presence of a bank teller. Do not your checks to another person.
- Currency converter : http://finance.yahoo.com/currency-converter#from=USD;to=KRW;amt=1
- Others
- Time Difference
- When Indicating Korea Time: Present Time (GMT+9) / No daylight savings time
| City | Time | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro, S`ao Paulo | *13 | *16 | *19 | *22 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| New York, Montreal, Bogota, Toronto | *11 | *14 | *17 | *20 | *23 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Chicago, Houston | *10 | *13 | *16 | *19 | *22 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco,Los Angeles | *8 | *11 | *14 | *17 | *20 | *23 | 2 | 5 |
| Sydney, Melbourne | 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 |
| Seoul, Tokyo (Korea Time) | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 22 |
| Taipei, Manila, Hong Kong, Kulala Lumpur, Singapore | *24 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 |
| Bangkok, Jakarta | *23 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 |
| New Delhi, Calcutta | *22 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 19 |
| Teheran, Kuwait, Jeddah | *19 | *22 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 |
| Hamburg, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam | *17 | *20 | *23 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 |
| London, Madrid | *16 | *19 | *22 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 |
- *Previous day
- The current time in Republic of Korea is
- Electricity and Voltage
The standard voltage in Korea is 220 volts, alternating at 60 cycles per second.
The outlet has two round holes and is the same type used in France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Turkey, and many other countries. If you do not have a multi-voltage travel adapter, you can borrow one from your hotel¡¯s front desk. If you want to buy one in Korea, you can do so at a duty-free shop, convenience shop at Airport.
- 81 Expo-ro yuseong-gu Daejeon, Korea
- E-mail : aandm@naver.com / iamjihee83@naver.com
- Tel: 82 42 863 1419 / Fax: 82 42 865 8849
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