Introduction South Korea General Information Weather Transportation Visa Procedures General Information Location : Doğu Asya Capital : Seul Official Language : Korean (English is widely known and spoken) Population : Circa 51,5 milion Time Zone : Turkey time+6 Monetary Unit : Won (1 USD: 1000 Won (KRW) Traffic : Right Korean National Flag: Taegeukgi Korean flag, namely Taegeukgi, has its inspiration from the yin and yang in oriental philosophy. The circle in the center is divided into two equal parts: The upper red responds to the active cosmic forces of the yang; whereas, the lower blue section represents the passive cosmic forces of the yin. It represents the eternal motion of active and passive forces. The circle is surrounded by four trigrams, one in each corner, characterizing continual movement, balance and harmony. Each trigram symbolizes one of the four universal elements: heaven, earth, fire, and water. Korean National Flower: Mugunghwa The national flower of Korea is mugunghwa (Hibiscus syriacus, rose of Sharon) which comes into bloom from July to October every year. The flower’s symbolic meaning comes from the Korean word ‘mugung’ (immortality); and as its name the flower gracefully decorates the entire nation during summer and autumn. Korean National Anthem: Aegukga In Korean, Aegukga means 'a song expressing one’s love towards their country.' Korean national anthem was composed by Maestro Ahn Eak-tai in 1935, was adopted by the Korean Government in 1948 as the national anthem; and began to be used at all official ceremonies since then. Emergency In emergency cases these numbers below can be called. Emergency Call Police Department Tel : 112 Fire Department Tel : 119 Medical Emergencies : 1339 Turkish Embassy Republic of Turkey Seoul Embassy (+82) 3780 1600 Tourism Info 1330 Korea Travel Hotline and Complaint Center As one of the KTO’s services, 1330 Korea Travel Hotline and Complaint Center is helping information seeking people, who are visiting Korea or planning to visit Korea, in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. Dialing 1330 for Korea, +82 2 1330 for outside Korea is enough to reach this help desk for 24/7 through land lines and Skype as well. Weather In Korea four distinct seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) can be lived separately, and offer tourists different landscapes and varied activities and festivals peculiar to the season. Spring It takes place from March to May when the weather is warm, varying between 10-15 degrees. Landscapes of mountains and countrysides are enchanting. It worths to remind that for a Cherry Blossom experience, April is the most suitable month. Summer Kore enjoys being a peninsula with diverse beaches especiall during summertime, from June to August. The sunny days of 20-30 degrees are ideal to visit the islands and to take the advantage of the sun as well. Autumn As weather gets cool from September to November, average temperature can be observed between 10-15 degrees. Especially hiking in parks and trekking in mountains would offer exquisite landscapes with mesmerising colors. Winter By December to February, excellent opportunities for snow sports start. Proudly having orgnized The Winter Olympics 2018 is an indicator of how winter can be lovely in Korea. Transportation Airways Airports in Korea, in which international and domestic flights take place, are operated in accordance with the extreme convenience and respect to the international standards. The most prominent airports are international ones like Gimpo, Cheongju, Yangyang, Deagu, Muan, Gimhae, Jeju (with a traffic of 44 million passengers yearly); and domestic ones like Wonju, Gunsan, Pohang, Ulsan Gwangju, Sacheon, Yeosu. For transportation from airports to city centers, tour busses, shuttle busses, taxis, and rental cars can be used. Direct flights from Turkey: Korean Air (Sky Team), Turkish Airlines (Star Aliance) and Asiana Airlines (Star Aliance) Via flights from Turkey: Qatar Airways (Oneworld), Singapur Airlines (Star Aliance), Emirates (The Emirates Group), Ethiad (Ethiad Airways Parters), Aeroflot (Sky Team) Approximate duration of direct flight from Turkey to South Korea is 10 hours 50 minutes. INCHEON AIRPORT TRANSIT TOUR PROGRAM If you have a transfer at the Incheon Airport; instead of waiting for the next flight, you may discover the beauties of Seoul and have a taste of local culture. Free city tours, appointed by the support of Korean Tourism Organization, range from one hour to five hours, totally depending on your schedule and flight program. Free Transit Tour Package - Company: Incheon Airport (Mode Tour) - Reservation: On the web site of the airline or at the airport. Stop-Over Package - Company: Incheon Airport (Hana Tour ITC) - Reservation: On the web site of the airline or at HanaTour ITC. Ferries As a peninsula country surrounded by sea at three sides, ferries are important vessels for transportation between neighboring countries. There are regular ferry trips between Korea and China, Japan, and Russia. Along with neighbor countries, there are ferry trips from mainland to Jeju-do, one of the Korea’s most beautiful destination to visit all year-round and a designated UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. This voyage, which takes 1 hour 40 minutes to 5 hours depending on the departing port chosen, is ideal to watch sunrise or sunset over the ocean. Railways In case of absence of an assigned vehicle, one of the most suitable and comfortable ways of intercity transportation for visitors is trains which allows more exact travel plans. Korea trains are classified into seven categories, based on their speed and the amenities offered onboard: KTX express trains, including KTX-Sancheon, and the non- express Saemaeul, ITX-Saemaeul, ITX-Cheongchun, Mugunghwa, Nuriro and touristic trains. In Korea two main railway lines exist: the Gyeongbu Line connecting Seoul to Busan, and the Honam Line running from Yongsan Station in Seoul to Mokpo in the southwest. Other railway lines include the Jeolla and Gyeongjeon lines, which reach as far as Yeosu and Changwon on the south coast. For more info on railways in Korea, and on KORAIL Pass. (info.korail.com) Busses Seoul City Busses Seoul has organized bus travel schedule that offers the most convenient and readily available forms of transportation. Normal and express bus lines of Seoul are classified by color; such as blue, green, red, and yellow. The fare can be paid either by cash or card when boarding. However the most economic way is to have T-Money card or credit cards with the T-money feature. T-Money card can also be used in subways and taxis throughout the country; and be bought from stores with T-Money logo and subway stations. Express and Intercity Busses Express and intercity busses are popular solutions to travel from one region to another. Every city in Korea has at least one bus terminal, except for the cities like Seoul which have more than one. Both express and intercity buses have extensive networks throughout the country and prices of the tickets are considered to be very reasonable. Express busses use expressways and offer more speedy travel opportunity, whereas some of the intercity busses also provides non-stop trip. Luxury busses with additional comfort with wider seats are ideal for the travelers who seek maximum comfort. Subways Subways, connecting one point to another without hassle in traffic, are probably the most favored public transportation by both Koreans and foreign visitors. Subways are currently being operated around five major cities including, Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon. T-Money card, M-Pass card, and one-way ticket can be used in subways. Visitors with backpacks also may rent lockers in the stations for a small amount of fee to get freed from their loads if they will return to the departure station. Taxis Taxis are clean, safe, and above all, inexpensive in Korea. They can be found at taxi stands in most busy city areas or hailed on the streets. There are also call taxis that can be requested by phone. However, call taxis are slightly more expensive than the taxis you flag down on the street. There are three categories for taxis. Standard taxis are mid-size, sedan vehicles in orange, silver, or white colors. Deluxe taxis are black, and a bit expensive than the standard ones. Jumbo taxis carry 6-10 passengers and are ideal for big families or small groups. There is an exceptional category called special vans, which look similar to jumbo taxis in appearance; the fare is not calculated according to the distance but is determined by bargain. Visa Procedures Visa-Free Entrance For Turkish Nationalities According to the treatment made in 25.02.1979 between Korea and Turkey, citizens of these two nations can reside in other country, regarding touristic, transfer or business (except for permanent employment) purposes, up to 3 (three) months without visa. While entering the country, passport control officers approve 90 days visa. However, for the stays more than 3 months, Turkish citizens must apply for appropriate visa at the Embassy of Korean Republic in Ankara or the Consulate of Korean Republic in Istanbul. Re-entry Permission For the visas that are valid for more than 91 days, the entry must be done in following 3 months. After this period the granted visa will be invalid. Moreover, if foreigners do not have multiple-entry right, they have to re-apply to the Ministry of Justice for re-entry, even if they have a visa for more than 91 days. Entry Since January 2012, every passenger over 17 have to attend to fingerprint and facial recognition scans at the airport or the port they are entering Korea. Collected data is only used to prevent possible crimes and to increase public security. This mandatory process is not valid for foreign governmental employees, international organization representatives and the visitors invited by Korean government.