Tuesday, February 19, 2008

10 Reasons To Visit South Korea


10 Reasons To Visit South Korea
By Paul'>http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Symonds">Paul Symonds


South Korea is a very interesting country, which I recommend visiting for a series of reasons. Below ten reasons to visit Seoul and South Korea.


1. Korean food - even though Korean food has some elements in common with other Asian cuisines, such as the use of soy and soy products (like tofu, soy sauce etc.), some spices and rice, it is entirely unique. There are ingredients, combinations of flavours and recipes that you will not find anywhere else, so, if you are a food lover and interested in experiencing new flavours it is worth visiting Korea. There are Korean restaurants around the world, but you will never find the same flavours and variety of Korean cuisine as in Korea itself.


2. Shopping - shopping in Korea is an amazing experience. In a city like Seoul you are able to go shopping at any time of the day and night. Also, the variety of shopping centres, markets, shopping areas and department stores is incredible and caters for every taste, need or pocket. Often shopping in Korea is part of a family day out, as many shopping centres are created near attractions such as amusement parks, aquariums and places of interest for tourists.


3. The kindness of Korean people - like in other Asian countries, interpersonal relationships in Korea are very important and so Korean people are usually friendly, very kind and willing to help their friends. Sometimes they might seem blunt comparing to westerners, but they are rarely malicious. The important thing, anyway, is to know some of their customs and etiquette in order to avoid cultural misunderstandings.


4. The Korean city of Kyongju - Kyongju is an old city, basically an open-air museum with a high concentration of the best-preserved Korean Buddhist art (sculptures, pagodas, temples and palaces). If you are interested in Asian architecture Kyongju is worth a visit, as Korean traditional architecture is unique. Kyongju is one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.


5. Korean traditional medicine - if you are interested in traditional Asian medicine, than it is worth experimenting traditional Korean acupuncture. Korean acupuncture is based on the same principles as Chinese acupuncture and some Korean practitioners study in China, but it is slightly different. Also, a typical Korean treatment is cupping, which was made famous in the west by Gwyneth Paltrow. Acupunctures practitioners in Korea are very good and they charge very cheap prices comparing to acupuncturists in the west.


6. Korean ginseng and green tea - Korean ginseng is considered to be the best in the world and, if you are a fan of this medicinal root, you can buy it cheaper in Korea. Also, Korean green tea is very good and great for health.


7. Korean sauna - Korean sauna is a great experience if you are a wellness fanatic. Korean saunas are rather different from any other spas around the world and quite cheap by western standards. In Korean sauna establishments you can find the traditional Korean kiln sauna, as well as steam rooms and dry saunas and you can have body scrubs and traditional Korean massage.


8. Korean Nore-bang - Nore bang is the Korean version of the Japanese Karaoke. If you love singing but you are too shy to do it in public, or you would like some background music and the songs texts, in Korea you can go to a nore-bang (literally sing room), with your friends or on your own. A nore bang is a place with individual private rooms for singing, so in privacy you can enjoy singing as you please.


9. Korean amusement parks - Korea boasts some great amusement parks, such as Everland near Seoul. Especially if you are travelling with kids, this will be a highlight in your trip to Korea, a country where you can find traditional Asian culture as well as the newest and most exciting entertainments.


10. Experiencing Korean culture as a whole - it is worth visiting South Korea, just for the opportunity to experience a culture that is so different from our western cultures. Korea, even if it is a small country, has its unique culture, where traditions and innovations, old and new coexist.


Asian travel - Seoul South Korea
Travel and culture Asia - China.


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Women Of Korea Are So Appealing


Women Of Korea Are So Appealing
By Kum'>http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kum_Martin">Kum Martin


The women of Korea often get quite a bad reputation. They are very ethnic looking, like the beauties of the rest of Asia, however they are often seen as being less appealing in general. The bad rap is usually because of the high rates of prostitution in South Korea most notably. However, the women of Korea should not be limited to the assumption that they are all cheap and easy.


Women of Korea are extremely beautiful. They have olive skin and beautiful dark hair. Their eyes are traditionally Asian shaped and they are usually in great health. It is rare that you will see an overweight Korean, which is one reason they are often seen as being beautiful. They are often not as hip on the styles of the world as women in the rest of Asia, but they do tend to gravitate toward the same styles Japan flock toward.


Korean women are often extremely smart as well. In most parts of Korea however, women just don’t have the same educational opportunities as women in other Asian areas. So, most of their intelligence is cultural. They know the ways of the world. They are fantastic cooks and can maintain a home like no other. In addition, they often have wonderful social skills. They are some of the best homemakers in the East and their homes are often spotless and well decorated.


Their domestic appeal, beauty, and maturity are reasons people find the women of Korea appealing in many ways. They tend to attract Western men most often and often want to get out of Korea by marrying men of the Western world.


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Fantastic Facts About South Korea's Sports

Fantastic Facts About South Korea's Sports
By Alejandro'>http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alejandro_Guevara_Onofre">Alejandro Guevara Onofre


Did You Know...


South Korea -one of the most modern countries in the Third World- is very successful in international sport. From 1976 to 2004, Korea has won 203 Olympic medals, including 72 golds. It has more gold medals than Cuba, Venezuela, Portugal and Nigeria combined.


The team from South Korea won the gold medal in the 4th World Junior Men`s volleyball Championship held in Manama (Bahrain) in 1987. Suk-Eun Kim, best player of the tournament, helped his team towards first position, the best result ever for an Asian country since 1981.


Seoul -the capital city of Korea- has hosted several international sports events including:


-The X Asian Games


-The VIII World Basketball Championship


-The XXIV Olympic Games


Like Jorge Antonio Bell Mathey (Dominican Republic) and Oswaldo Jose Guillen Barrios (Venezuela) , Dong Won Choi was one of the best baseball players in the 1980s. Under his creative leadership, Korea won the silver medal at the 1980 World Championship in Japan.


Un Yong Kim -former Korean politician and diplomat- received the 2000 Sports Grand Prix of the Korea Sports Press Union, in recognition of his contribution for the historic joint parade of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea on Olympic teams during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sydney. This great man of Korean sport has been honored several times in recognition of his efforts to national and regional sports movement.


South Korea won the second Olympic title of its history in women`s handball in Barcelona'92 (the first one was in Seoul'88). It defeated teams such as Austria, Spain, Germany and Norway. The team also won the gold medal at the 1995 World Cup. In 1998, Korea won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Thailand.


The Korean baseball players were participants in the second Olympic tournament in Atlanta (Georgia,USA).


This Asian country is well-known for its sportswomen in the world. Among these athletes are Kim Jin Ho (archery), Jang Ji-Won (taekwondo), Kim Hyun Ok (handball), Lee Bo-Na (shooting), Lee Eun-Sil (table tennis), Jang Mi Nam (weightlifting), Jin Sun-Yu (skating), Seok Eun-Mi (table tennis), Byun Chun-So (skating), Kim Hyung Mee (handball), Hyun Tung-Hwa (table tennis), Suh Kwang-Mi ( field hockey), Jang Young-Ja (table tennis), Sun-Hee Lee (taekwondo), Se Ri Pak (golf), Cho-Hyun Kang (shooting), Kim Soo Nyung (archery), Kim Hwa Soon (basketball), Lee Eun Kyung (archery), Bang Soo Hyun (badminton) and Hyun Sook Hee (taekwondo).


Yoo Nam-Kyu won a gold medal in men`s table tennis singles at the Olympics in Seoul.


The 1st World Youth Women`s Volleyball Championship was won by South Korea in a final against the People`s Republic of China.


Jae-Wang Kang was one of the best handball players in the 20th century. Under his exceptional play, South Korea won the silver medal in handball in the Olympics in 1988.


South Korea has won a gold medal in men´s basketball three times at the Asian Games (1970, 1982 and 2002).


The Peruvian women`s volleyball team was coached by Man Bok Park, who was born in South Korea. Immediately after Peruvian women`s team failed to qualify for the Olympic Games in 1972, the Peruvian Volleyball Federation appointed Man Bok Park as head coach of the senior national team. Man Bok Park said: " In four years time I intend to make Peru one of the top six in the world". In just a few months the Peruvian national team changed. He was expecting dedication and a banishment from their vocabulary of the word "vacation". He won the gold medal at the 1993 South American Championship, the silver medal at the 1982 World Championship, the silver medal at the 1986 Goodwill Games, the silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, the bronze medal at the 1986 World Championship and the bronze medal at the 1991 Pan American Games.


The Republic of Korea hosted the 27th Baseball World Cup in 1982. The Korean team beat Japan to clinch the first place. This was the first time in which a country other than Venezuela, Colombia or Puerto Rico had won the World Championship.


Yang Jung-Mo won the Olympic gold medal for freestyle wrestling at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada. However, he lost the chance to defend his title when South Korea boycotted the Olympics in 1980 in the USSR.


The 2003 World University Games took place in Daeju, Republic of Korea.


Korea -one of the world`s poorest countries in the 1950s- competed at the Asian Games for the first time at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, Philippines.


The Republic of Korea sent 9 sportswomen to the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer (Norway) in 1994.


Kim Hwa Soon is the best basketball player in the history of Korea. In 1984, she finally realized her dream of competing in the Olympic Games, helping the Korean team win a silver medal at the Los Angeles Games.


In the 1980s, Korea had famous volleyball players in Asia. They were Jang Suk Han, Jong-Il Yoon, Hee-Kyung Gae and Byung-Sun Lee.


Korean sportspeople have performed excellent in international events in sports such as archery, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing , kayak, cycling, equestrian, football, golf, gymnastics, handball, fencing, field hockey, judo, karate, shooting, softball, synchronized swimming, table tennis, volleyball, beach volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.


Yeo Woon-Kon was a member of the Korean team which won the field hockey tournament at the 2002 Asian Games. He also won the silver medal at the Olympics in Sydney.


The Korean youth team won the Asian Cup football in 1981 and qualified for the FIFA World Youth Cup in Sydney, Australia.


Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He studied political science and journalism.He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Futhermore, Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latina America.


He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). His favorite film is "Gorillas in the Mist". Some of his favorite books are "The Return of Eva Peron and the Killings in Trinidad" (by V.S.Naipaul), "Las Mujeres de los Dictadores" (by Juan Gasparini) and "Murder of a Gentle Land" (by John Barron and Anthony Paul). His personal motto is "The future is for those people who believe in the beauty o f their dreams" by Eleanor Roosevelt.


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How To Travel Around The Country Of Korea

How To Travel Around The Country Of Korea
By Matthew Lawrence




A lot of us usually get lost when we go to a different country. We usually hire a cab to take us to our destination; but let's face it; it's not at all cheap. I've looked up some of the traveling services available in Korea. Hope this helps you when you visit Korea.



• Domestic Flights



I learned that Asiana Airlines and Korean Air handle domestic flights. A domestic destination usually just takes about an hour from Seoul. They use Incheon International Airport and Gimpo Airport for the domestic travels. It is one way to travel easier from one city of Korea to another.



• Local and City Bus Services



Traveling using the local and city bus is the least expensive way to go around the city or to the towns of Korea. They have this intercity bus network that connects all cities and towns of the country. It is quite easy to use since the buses running from the city to the suburban cities are numbered according to their route. The fare ranges from $0.52 to $1.57 in US dollars or 500 to 1,500 won.



• Long Distance Express Buses



Unlike the local bus that has a regular stops within the cities; the long distance express buses has a certain stop that goes directly to your destination. This has more expensive deluxe bus seats, where you can have an access to a mobile phone and an ability to watch movies. The deluxe bus only has three seats. But don't worry, they also have the regular bus which is less expensive, this bus has four seats side by side. The long distance express bus connects you from one major city to another major city.



• Railway Services



They have this KORAIL (as what the Koreans call it), short for Korea Railroad. KORAIL operates three kinds of trains, the super-express, express, and the local. It is interconnected in a nationwide network of cities. The super-express train connects Seoul to the cities of Busan, East Daegu, Mokpo, Iksan, and Gwangju. But for most famous destinations in Korea, it can be reached thru a single or direct transfer using the express train. The local trains are the ones that have the frequent stops from within the cities.



• Subway Services



As for all the countries, the subway is the most convenient and easiest way to travel. The subway of Korea offers the safest, easiest, fastest, most comfortable means of transportation from the main cities of Korea. From Seoul it is linked to the other intercity or satellite cities in Korea. The train takes about 2 to 3 minutes of interval during the peak hours and 4 to 6 minutes in non-peak hours. The fare takes only about 900 won or $0.94 US dollars.



• Ferry Services



This is one way to travel where you can appreciate the beauty of Korea. It's the most pleasant way to see Korea. It will take you from one island to another; the routes are from Busan to Jeju-do Island, Pohang and Ulleungdo Island, and Mokpo and Hongdo Island.




I lived here in Texas all my life so I am very much familiar in the cities here. I love to travel a lot, and visit a lot of countries. I enjoy playing golf, and watching baseball. I hang out with my friends at the bars, at the clubhouse playing tennis, and sometimes at the casino. We play poker every Saturday night at my place. As far as I can remember, my parents and I traveled a lot and I have adapted their passion for traveling.



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