1. Entry Formalities

Every foreign visitor entering Korea must present a valid passport. Participants from countries with a visa exemption agreement with Korea will be granted entry without visas in accordance with the said agreement. Others will normally enter Korea with visas. Visitors from countries requiring visas should apply at the Korean consular offices of diplomatic missions in their respective countries before their departure.
For Further information please visit following sites.

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: http://www.mofat.go.kr/
• Immigration Bureau: http://www.immigration.go.kr

2. Time
Standard Time is nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+9). Korea does not use daylight savings time.

3. Currency and Credit Card
The unit of Korean currency is Korean Won (KRW). Coin denominations are 10Won, 50Won, 100Won, and 500Won. Bank notes are 1,000Won, 5,000Won, and 10,000Won. Foreign currency and Traveler's checks can be exchanged into Korean Won at most banks in Korea including at the airport. The exchange rate is subject to market fluctuation.

Major credit cards, including VISA, American Express, Diners Club and MasterCard are accepted at most hotels, department stores, and restaurants.

4. Tipping and Taxes
No tipping is required at major tourist spots. Value Added Tax (VAT) is levied on most goods at a standard rate of 10%. In major tourist hotels, a 10% VAT plus a 10% service charge is added to the bills for rooms, meals, and other services.

5. Business Hours

6. Climate
Seoul belongs to the Temperate Zone featuring four distinctive seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The yearly average temperature of Seoul is 12.2 degrees Celsius. The average temperature of November in 2006 was 8.4°C, containing the lowest temperature of  -1.3°C and the highest temperature of 20.2°C. November is in between autumn and winter. Autumn is known for crisp weather, sunlight and the changing colors of tree leaves. Beginning in October, the continental air mass brings dry, clear weather. In winter, Seoul is geographically influenced by the expansion of the Siberian high pressure and prevailing west wind with temperatures dropping lower than other regions on the same latitude.

7. Electricity supply

The standard electricity supply is 220 volts AC/60 cycles. However, outlets for 110 and 220 volts are available at the hotel.

8. Seoul
Seoul is located at 126 degrees east longitude and at 37 degrees north latitude. The total area of Seoul is 605.52 square kilometers, or 0.6 percent of the entire country. The Han River bisects the city into two parts: northern part (Gangbuk) and southern one (Gangnam). Seoul has a population of 10.3 million. This accounts for about a quarter of the total national population.

Seoul is the capital of Korea with over 600 years of history. It is the heart of Korea's culture and education as well as politics and economics. Seoul is unique in that historical sites such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and modern cultural facilities coexist in harmony. Seoul is a world-class city with numerous amenities and shopping districts such as Myeong-dong and Apgujeong.

Meandering through the middle of the city, the Han River is important to Seoulites both as a cultural symbol and a source of commercial wealth. Thirteen citizen's parks contain natural education grounds and a full range of sport facilities.

For more information on Korea and Seoul please visit http://english.tour2korea.com/

• Subway: Seoul has one of the most well-developed subway systems in the world. Subway is the quickest, easiest and most convenient way to travel around Seoul. Fares are reasonable, station names and route maps are written in English. Subways also have the obvious advantage of not being slowed by Seoul's occasionally slow downtown traffic. Fares depend on whether you are paying by cash or T-Money (Transportation Card). Subways are around 900 - 1000 won per trip depending on how far you travel.
  
  
• Bus: The buses are categorized into four colors. Blue (arterial buses) are the routes which connect outlying areas with the downtown area and run along a north-south and east-west axis. The Green (local) buses operate within a specific district. These buses will also make stops at subway stations. These routes usually operate in local areas for passengers transferring to blue buses or subways. Then there are the Red (express buses) which links downtown Seoul with satellite cities. Finally, there are the Yellow (downtown circular) buses, which you might not see as often but these buses run short routes in major downtown areas. Buses are around 900 - 1000 won per trip depending on how far you travel.
  
  
• Taxi: Taxis are plentiful, clean, safe, and inexpensive in Korea. There are taxi stands in most busy city areas, and taxis can also be hailed on the streets. As well, certain taxis can be requested by phone though the fare for these special call taxis is somewhat higher than regular taxi. An increasing number of taxi drivers speak some English. The fare system is based on both distance and time. Fares are ￦1,900 for the first 2 kilometers and ￦100 for each additional 144 meters