Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Royal Asiatic Society and Korea Foundation offer tours and lectures for culture buffs, while
the more athletically inclined can join football, hiking, or even Ultimate Frisbee associ-
ations. Support groups exist for everyone from vegetarians to pregnant women, and the city
also hosts several very active international chambers of commerce. Services for all major
religions are freely available, though Christians and Buddhists may find themselves better
served than Muslims due to South Korea's limited Muslim population.
Seoul has three English-language newspapers—the
Korea Herald, Korea Times,
and the
Joongang Daily,
which is distributed with the
International Herald Tribune.
All are of lim-
ited journalistic merit and aren't in the habit of providing insightful political commentary
or scathing exposés—the local-language press does a far better job of that—but they have
classified and listings sections that are a good source of information on expatriate-orien-
ted goods and services. An ever-changing cast of free (or nearly free) magazines such as
Seoul, Groove,
and
10
cover the Seoul scene in exhaustive detail, with a particular focus on
culture, events, and nightlife. Most of these titles can be picked up in bars and restaurants
in Itaewon and Hongdae. The city also has an English-language radio station, TBS eFM,
which broadcasts local news and traffic information.
Health care is good throughout South Korea, but Seoul boasts the best medical services in
the country. In smaller neighborhood clinics, most support staff and more than a few doctors
can't speak any English, but the city has five major hospitals where 24-hour English ser-
vices are available. These include Yonsei University's Severance Hospital, which opened in
1885 and was the country's first Western-style medical institution, and the Samsung Med-
ical Center in southern Seoul, which has highly skilled specialists in areas like physical
rehabilitation and pediatrics. Costs can be high for services or treatments not covered by
national or private insurance, so be sure to ask. The Itaewon area also has several outlets
such as the International Clinic where English-speaking doctors can be consulted on minor
health issues.
