SOUTH KOREA
Vacations and Sightseeing

Basic information
Official language	Korean
Capital	Seoul
Area	99.538 km²
Population	51,347,390  (2021)
Currency	won  (KRW)
Web	.kr
Code.	KOR
Tel.	+82

Vacations and Sightseeing

The main city to visit in South Korea is the capital Seoul. Some of the most important sights include the Jongmyo Shrine, which is an important shrine for Confucian ancestor worship. It is nicknamed the Parthenon of Asia.

There is also a beautiful palace the Changdeokung, with picturesque Biwon (secret gardens). The National Museum of Korea is also worth a visit. This museum has many art treasures of Korea, such as antique furniture, ceramics and paintings. You will get a good impression of the history of Korea in this museum. Gyeongbokgung is the largest palace complex in Seoul and is located in the north of Seoul. The palace dates back to 1394 and was destroyed during the Japanese invasion. The palace was rebuilt in 1867 and was the most important palace of the Joseon dynasty. It consists of 330 different buildings.

South Korea is also a fascinating destination in terms of natural beauty. There are three national parks, Odaesan, Seoraksan and Chuwangsan. The landscape of Seoraksan National Park, which is the most northern of the three, is known as the most beautiful landscape in Korea. There is also a Maritime National Park, which is Hallyeo in the southeast. You can take a cruise around the archipelago, which consists of more than 400 islands.

In the west of Daegu you can see the Mount Gayasan National Park. In the middle of that park is the Haeinsa Temple, where the Tripitaka Koreana is kept, which are 81,258 wooden printing blocks with engraved Buddhist scriptures. These date from 1252, were worked on for 16 years and are still in perfect condition.

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Sources

Elmar Landeninformatie

CIA - World Factbook

BBC - Country Profiles

Last updated March 2024
Copyright: Team The World of Info