Asia > South Korea
South Korea packs a remarkable amount into a country the size of Portugal. Mountains cover more than two-thirds of the land, the cities are relentlessly modern and energetic, and the food alone is worth the airfare. In a generation, this was a country that went from poverty to economic powerhouse, and the confidence of that transformation is visible everywhere.
What makes Korea interesting for the traveler is precisely the tension between old and new. Buddhist temples sit in mountain valleys a short bus ride from twenty-million-person Seoul. Confucian values — respect for elders, intense emphasis on education, group loyalty — shape daily life even as Korean pop culture, cinema, and cuisine have conquered a global audience. The country borders only North Korea to the north, and the DMZ, just 50km from Seoul, is one of the most surreal places on earth: a Cold War border frozen in time, ringed by tourist buses.
Seoul is the obvious starting point — one of the great Asian cities, with palaces, night markets, street food, and nightlife all in close proximity. From there, travel is fast and easy. The KTX bullet train reaches Busan in the southeast in under two and a half hours; the ancient capital of Gyeongju is another stop along the way. Jeju Island, reachable by a one-hour flight or overnight ferry, offers a different Korea entirely: volcanic landscapes, warm beaches, and a local culture distinct from the mainland.
The coasts deserve more attention than most travelers give them. The southwest has a ragged shoreline of peninsulas and islands, the east coast has clean sand beaches backed by pine trees, and Busan's Haeundae beach is one of Asia's best urban beach scenes. The national parks — Seoraksan in the northeast is the finest — offer serious hiking through granite peaks and autumn foliage that rivals anything in Japan.
Destinations
- Seoul — the capital; palaces, markets, street food, nightlife
- Busan — port city; beaches, fish markets, temples
- Jeju Island — volcanic island; beaches, hiking, honeymooners
- Boryeong — west-coast beaches, summer mud festival, islands, and Seongju temple ruins
- Cheongju — central Korea; craft biennial, early printing museum
- Gongju — former Baekje capital; fortress walls, royal tombs, museum
- Gunsan — west-coast port with Japanese-colonial architecture and island beaches
- Danyang — mountain resort town with limestone caves and river viewpoints
- Samcheunpo — southern coast; dinosaur footprints, seafood
- Ulsan — industrial city; Hyundai country, some surprising corners
- Chonju — Jeonju; Gold Mountain Temple, mountain parks
