Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to the north, this is a very safe country with a rich history and landscape to explore. Arrive
with an open mind, apply liberal doses of patience, and you're sure to soak up loads of ex-
citing (and sometimes bizarre) experiences, form lasting friendships, and develop a great
deal of respect and affection for a place that has managed to preserve its identity against
almost overwhelming odds. Just remember that you're far more likely to be changed by
South Korea than you are to change it.
South Korea consists of the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, which juts out from Ch-
ina's northeast toward Japan's southern islands. Flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west and
the Sea of Japan (or the East Sea, as the Koreans would prefer everyone called it) to the
east, and bordered to the north by the tightly sealed Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that sep-
arates it from North Korea, South Korea is effectively an island itself. With a total area of
around 100,000 square kilometers (38,600 square miles), the country is about the same size
as Hungary or Portugal. Some 70 percent of the peninsula is covered by mountains, which
make for some inspiring scenery but also leave little land to cultivate or settle on; hence the
population is largely clustered in a few dense cities.
