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The NewsWealth.com South Korea News Media Guide spotlights South Korean current events via major daily South Korean newspapers, South Korea news blogs, magazines, South Korean tabloids, and other South Korea news sources for multimedia coverage of South Korean breaking news plus top stories on showbiz celebrities, South Korea politics, sports events, the South Korea travel industry, South Korean newspaper advertising, medical tours, eco tourism, luxury camping, retirement in South Korea, investing in South Korea, business opportunities, accommodations, telecom services, immigration guidelines, expat employment, import & export, forex trading, money transfer rates, and more.

North and South Koreans speak and write the same language.  It is derived from the Ural-Altaic family, which also includes Turkish, Hungarian, Finnish, Mongolian, Tibetan and Japanese.  The written Korean language is called Hangeul, consisting of 10 vowels and 14 consonants.  King Sejong invented it in the 15th century.  Hangeul is considered easy to learn and write, contributing to Korea’s high literacy rates (98% over age 15).

Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution in Korea.  50.7 percent of Koreans follow a specific religious faith.  Followers of Buddhism and Protestants are in the highest numbers, followed by Catholics.  Other practicing faiths are Shamanism, Taoism, and Islam. Confucian tenets or Confucian doctrine is deeply embedded in many Koreans' lives, regardless of religion.

Seoul’s subway system is the eight-largest in the world.  The railway system includes over 4,000 passenger trains and 13,000 freight trains.  In 1998, the nation’s highways exceeded 2,000 km.  International airports serve 74 cities throughout the world.  Ocean liners, cruise ships, cargo ships and container ships are a frequent site at Korean ports.

MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION:  Hospitals in Korea are generally well-equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic equipment.  High quality general and specialty dental care is available in Seoul.  Western-style medical facilities are available in major urban areas of Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and a few other large cities.  However, not all doctors and staff in these major urban areas are proficient in English.  Most clinics in rural areas do not have an English-speaking doctor.  A list of hospitals and medical specialists who speak English is available at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul or on the Embassy's web site at http://korea.usembassy.gov/health.html.

Pharmacies are first-rate and most prescribed medications, except psychotropic medications, can be obtained with a prescription.  Travelers taking any psychotropic or controlled medications should bring a sufficient supply as well as a copy of the prescription for Korean customs clearance at the airport. Korean ambulances do not carry sophisticated medical equipment and the ambulance personnel do not have the same level of emergency medical training as in the United States.  However, ambulances operated by the fire department (dial 119) will respond very quickly and take patients to the nearest hospital.  For medical evacuation to points outside Korea, SOS International is located in Seoul (tel: 02- 3140-1902, web site: www.internationalsos.com

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC’s Internet site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx.  For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en.  Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.

Japan's surrender to the Allied Powers in 1945, signaling the end of World War II, only further embroiled Korea in foreign rivalries.

Seoul recently agreed to reopen its market to most U.S. beef cuts, lifting a five-year ban placed after the outbreak of the first mad cow case in the United States. The decision reached on April 18 is expected to permit U.S. beef shipments to arrive here around in mid May.

"We are very pleased that Korea has taken the decision," Vershbow said, "And this agreement is based on international scientific standards, which I think is the only policy for trading nations that they want to observe, that they want to have healthy economic relations with other nations."The Lee Myung-bak administration, however, faced mounting domestic criticism for rushing to the beef agreement despite lingering concerns over mad cow disease and feared impact on the local cattle industry

Resuming U.S. beef imports has been considered a key condition for Seoul gaining U.S. ratification of the free trade agreement

he number of physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and other health personnel and the number of hospitals and clinics have increased dramatically since the Korean War

In 1974 the population per physician was 2,207; by 1983 this number had declined to 1,509. During the same period, the number of general hospitals grew from 36 to 156 and the number of hospital beds tripled from 19,062 to 59,099

Rural areas had limited medical facilities, because in the past there was little incentive for physicians to work in areas outside the cities,

South Korea came into being after World War II, the result of a 1945 agreement reached by the Allies at the Potsdam Conference

Elections were held in the U.S. zone in 1948 for a national assembly, which adopted a republican constitution

It is customary to bring a small gift when visiting a South Korean home. It's better to bring a small token and not an ostentatious object that calls attention to you. Fruit, flowers, and chocolates are popular gifts for these occasions.

South Koreans generally sit, eat, and sleep on the floor, so you will be expected to remove your shoes upon entering a South Korean home and some schools and restaurants. Bare feet may be offensive to people of the older generations, so it's best to wear socks when visiting (be sure they're clean and free of holes! 

In addition to chopsticks, South Koreans regularly use soup spoons at meals. The chopsticks are used primarily for side dishes, while the spoon is used for soup and rice. Unlike in Japan, it's not appropriate to pick up your rice bowl while eating. All plates and bowls should stay on the table. Drinking customs in South Korea are also different than in Japan. Use both hands when pouring a drink for someone, because it shows respect. Though filling a companion's glass with beer or soju (similar to vodka) is appropriate, it's essential that the glass is completely empty before pouring. This may seem like a trivial concern, but will count for a lot in the eyes of your South Korean friends.

Family welfare is much more important than the needs of the individual.

Meeting Etiquette

Wait to be introduced at a social gathering.