South Korea Warnings Or Dangers

  Itaewon -- A lot goes on here
by acommon1
 
  • Itaewon -- A lot goes on here
      Itaewon -- A lot goes on here
    by acommon1
  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by Big-Damian
  • Watch out!
      Watch out!
    by schwein
  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by schwein
  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by schwein
 

Most Viewed Warnings Or Dangers in South Korea

51.

Other Stuff   Seoul

Other Stuff, Seoul

 21 Reviews  Recently, I visited Seoul on business and, despite a busy schedule, had time for sightseeing on a Friday night. This visit was my first to Seoul - my work usually takes me to Japan. I am embarrassed... 

 See All 90 Warnings Or Dangers in Seoul

52.

Health & Well-Being   Seoul

Health & Well-Being, Seoul

 13 Reviews  For those readers who may be abstaining from alcohol I'd like to say: good luck! Korea is a drinking country. They consume over FOUR BILLION (285 ml) bottles of soju here a year (that's over 1.5 per... 

 See All 90 Warnings Or Dangers in Seoul

53.

Shopping & Money   Seoul

Shopping & Money, Seoul

 10 Reviews  Getting money can be a big problem sometimes. Many ATM's don't accept foreign cards, even a VISA card logo does not guarantee your VISA will be accepted. Many banks don't offer the service. Usually... 

 See All 90 Warnings Or Dangers in Seoul

54.

Language Barrier   Seoul

Language Barrier, Seoul

 8 Reviews  Due to the imperfect nature of translating Korean writing into romanized characters, you will find a lot of confusing variation in place names. For instance "G" and "K" seem to be used interchangably... 

 See All 90 Warnings Or Dangers in Seoul

55.

Driving et al   Seoul

Driving et al, Seoul

 13 Reviews  In addition to some of the various other rules you might see in Seoul or other areas, beware that buses are on a schedule and stop lights, signs and various traffic controllers do not apply to them.... 

 See All 90 Warnings Or Dangers in Seoul

56.

Protests   Seoul

Protests, Seoul

 6 Reviews  We experience the police preparing for a protest at City Hall, since we were staying at the Westin. I wish I was able to go see it but the next day we realize that there was almost 200,000 people at... 

 See All 90 Warnings Or Dangers in Seoul

57.

Weather   Seoul

Weather, Seoul

 2 Reviews  Bring an umbrella for any time of the year. Even in the summer it can provide you with shade. Alot of Koreans use them here. You can buy one here also. They are most useful. It's hot hot hot in the... 

 See All 90 Warnings Or Dangers in Seoul

Great Prices, Great Rooms
hotels.com We Know Hotels Inside And Out. Click or call now: 1-800-914-6835
Save money, Book now !
Booking.com Excellent choice, Low rates

Sponsored Links

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Not-So-Excellent Street Snacks

by jburron

I already made tips on Excellent Street Snacks I, II and III, so it's time for the other side.Actually, I have an aversion to anything from a 포장마차/po-jang-ma-cha (literally: covered wagon, where they make a tent-restaurant out of a truck). Some of the worst offenders are sold right on the street, as you'll read below.(i) 번데기/beon-dae-gi (steamed silkworm larvea); how anyone can eat this let alone wax nostalgic about it is beyond me. The smell is putrid and, let me remind you, you're eating a bug. But, it is a good source of protein.(ii) 오뎅/o-deng (oden in Japan) and that fish-on-a-stick; basically anything that has been sitting in hot water for a few days (with other people nibbling at their portion and then re-dipping it back in the communal bowl to warm it up) is off-limits for me. I have a story about all the things that...

Tip Photo
North Korean Attack

by jburron

Yes, it can happen. North and South Korea are still technically AT WAR. They only signed an armistice, not a peace treaty. There is no peace here.However, there are 37,000 US troops (some of whole I know and let me tell you, they are ready to go into action at a moment's notice) and about a 500,000 (maybe it's 700,000) strong ROK (Republic of Korea) army. That is against about 2,000,000 NK soldiers (but, from what we know, the NK troops are hungry, lack fuel and materiel and have some really old weapons).The good thing about having the US here is if anything happens the B-2 stealth bombers in Guam can get here in about 2-3 hours and the whole US army would be mobilized and brought to bear on NK. It would also be a UN issue which would leave NK with absolutely no friends on the planet.Since Kim Jong-il simply seems to want to perpetuate his rule there (and not bring it to a hasty end) I...

Tip Photo
Few Violent Crimes in Seoul - Korea

by jburron

Unlike many Western cities, Seoul (and the rest of Korea) has few violent crimes (and almost none involving firearms, as only police and military have them). Also, as a foreigner you're more likely to be attacked by another foreigner than by a Korean (unless, of course, you like to live dangerously and bad-mouth everyone you see). Most Koreans view foreigners with a mix or awe (star status) and fear (of the unknown).Foreign men can feel good knowing they are (i) larger than most Koreans and (ii) are not a second-class citizen because of their background, but, rather, seen as a different class (much as teenage kids will only pick on other teenagers, but rarely middle-aged people). (If you're ok-looking you may even get a stalker!)Foreign women are at a slight disadvantage. There is one side that says they are in the same category as men (having some sort of foreigner halo over them) but...

Like to Spit, Belch, Fart and Pee in the Street?

by jburron

Ok, Koreans are not as bad (as I hear, at least, as those in China who hock-a-loog wherever they may be and have their kids pee on the floor in the restaurants (ya, these are real stories). But, to those of us with genteel sensibilities it could be off-putting.It's usually 아저씨/a-jeo-sshi (middle-aged men, like me!) who are the worst offenders, but I've seen little girls (which is fine, they are kids) and older ladies (this is NOT fine, they can get Depends) drop their laundry and let a stream go. At least the little old lady at least was behind a pony (short) wall.The most memorable guy pissing was right outside my apartment building. The dude was hanging the hose and his friend said (in Korean, this was after I learned a bit) "Hey, don't do that here, a foreginer is right here!" As if I had never seen it before...c'mon, I had been in Seoul for over a year by then. I...

You Too Can Have Your Very Own Stalker

by jburron

If you've been in Korea long enough (from one week to one year) and you're an ok-looking white male you'll probably end up with a stalker at some point (heck, even I did!). A bud of mine got one within a week of his coming here (he was a strapping-good-looking Dutch lad) and another (a Taiwanese guy from the States) got one within a few hours of landing in Seoul (she was more like a girldfriend for him, but if he'd been here for more than a week it probably would have gotten out of hand).Anyhoo, I've found that stalkers are mostly found in Itaewon (where they seek out fresh foreginer meat) especially at The LimeLight, the 3-Alley Pub and J.J. Mahoney's. It starts with some light banter, she gets yout number (usually from your business card, after she gives you hers or asks for yours), and from there things tend to escalate. Next thing you know she's calling you at all hours and talking...

Watch Your Voltage!

by jburron

Korea's power is 220 volts, and the plugs are round with 2 round prongs, not flat ones like in North America. Some hotels and newer buildings have North American outlets but many of the older ones have the Korean ones.If you have electronics I'd advise you to first: check with the hotel staff or owner if you can safely plug in your North American devices (they may have no idea if they've not been outside of Korea or have had few foreign guests); second: if they say it's safe then give it a go (knowing that there may have been a language problem) or get your hands on a voltage converter (about 20USD at many stores) to be sure. Most serious travellers have one anyways, but I'd hate to see someone plug in their laptop or whatever and fry it because the power was incompatible.

Tip Photo
Typhoon

by Brighterstar

I was strained in Jeju without flight back to Seoul because of typhoon. During such times, wind is very strong and waves is high so certain places near the beach will be closed Typhoon usually occurs from July to early September.

Pharmacies, Clinics and Hospitals (pt.2)

by jburron

(I'm putting these in Warnings because most people only go to these places if something is wrong.)Clinics: Korea is full of surprises. The first time I got food poisoning here (it's happened twice in 18 months) I was escorted to a famous gastronomic clinic. (If you think you know what is wrong with you you can go straight to the specialist here: no referral needed!) Once there I noticed a few things different: leather couches, an aquarium (they call them fish banks here), nice music and numerous beautiful nurses and aids waiting to serve me/us.Maybe because I was a foreigner, or because I went with an older Korean gent who knew how to work the system, I was called up quickly and went into an interview room. To my astonishment the doctor was in there! He was sitting behind a desk waiting for me; no waiting with my pants down as he dashes from room to room--very cool.Most doctors here are...

Tip Photo
Mosquitos

by jburron

In most hotels these pests won't be a problem...but in my place, and many homes, there are so many cracks for them to get in through that I had to invest in a mosquito repellant thingy. (No idea what the real name is.) It heats an oil, creating a vapour that (apparently) is harmless to humans but takes care of the mosquito problem quite well.They cost about 7,000 won (USD 6) and last about 70 days if you have it on at night (10 hours)...I, however, just leave it on all the time (miss one night and you'll know why) so mine last about a month. A must unless you want to be eaten alive or just bugged all night by them (pun intended).

Tip Photo
Yellow Wind/Dust

by jburron

The Gobi Desert in Mongolia is apparently growing. The effects, however, are wide-reaching. As the winds flow west to east a yellow cloud moves across Mongolia and China. This cloud, although not all that appealing, is not as damaging as it becomes when it reaches Korea. You see, as the dust flies over the humid West Sea bacteria, mold and fungi inside it start to grow and when these organisms reach Korea they can be pretty ugly.Usually the worst Yellow Wind is in March. Luckily I haven't seen it too bad here for a a couple of years, but in March 2002 it was pretty bad...all the city was in a yellow haze and cars (and anything else that was stationary) got a coating of the dust. Schools are shut down and children and old people are recommended not to go outdoors on the worst days--but that didn't happen this year.More on this in the article link.

Safety Tips in South Korea

Top 3 Hotels in South Korea

Lotte Hotel Seoul  Seoul

 7 Reviews and 699 Opinions  We stayed here for a week. It is very nice but DO NOT have your laundry done by them, a piece of... 

 Hotels in Seoul

The Westin Chosun Busan  Busan

 4 Reviews and 150 Opinions  My wife and I have stayed twice at the Westin Chosun within the last three months. The rooms are... 

 Hotels in Busan

Youngpyung Resort  Kangwon-do

 0 Opinions

 Hotels in Kangwon-do

538 Hotels in South Korea
 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
Travel Highlights

The Place

Reviews and photos of South Korea attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for South Korea sightseeing.

Experience South Korea
Warnings Or Dangers: Cities in South Korea
  1. Seoul Warnings Or Dangers
  2. Busan Warnings Or Dangers
  3. Incheon Warnings Or Dangers
  4. Suwon Warnings Or Dangers
  5. Kyongju Warnings Or Dangers
  6. Sorak-sanmaek Warnings Or Dangers
  7. Jeju (city) Warnings Or Dangers
  8. Yongin Warnings Or Dangers
  9. Sokch'o Warnings Or Dangers
  10. Okp'o-dong Warnings Or Dangers
  11. Andong Warnings Or Dangers
  12. Koje-do Warnings Or Dangers
  13. Tanyang Warnings Or Dangers
  14. Kangnung Warnings Or Dangers
  15. P'aju Warnings Or Dangers
  16. Naejangsan-kungnip-kongwon Warnings Or Dangers
  17. Sobaek-sanmaek Warnings Or Dangers
  18. Ich'on Warnings Or Dangers
  19. Ulchin Warnings Or Dangers
  20. Osan Warnings Or Dangers

More Cities in South Korea

 

Popular Regions in South Korea

Soul-t'ukpyolsi Warnings Or Dangers  Jeju-do Warnings Or Dangers  Kyonggi-do Warnings Or Dangers  Pusan-gwangyoksi Warnings Or Dangers  Kangwon-do Warnings Or Dangers  Kyongsang-namdo Warnings Or Dangers  Kyongsang-bukto Warnings Or Dangers  Cholla-namdo Warnings Or Dangers  Cholla-bukto Warnings Or Dangers  Ulsan-gwangyoksi Warnings Or Dangers  Taegu-gwangyoksi Warnings Or Dangers  Ch'ungch'ong-namdo Warnings Or Dangers 

More Regions in South Korea

Questions and Answers

Angrylilazngrl profile photo

Q:  Hi all, I am traveling to South Korea from 4/15-4/21 for a friend's wedding on 4/19 in Seoul. The majority of the wedding... 

dreamybd profile photo

A: Have a nice trip and fun. Be sure to visit the two tourist kiosks to get maps and guides. One is next to the express bus terminal while the other is beside the main train... 

Read 2 Replies

postQuestion_button

Click here for best deals for South Korea

Save up to 50% off Hotels Everyday
Expedia.com Photos, Reviews and the Guaranteed Lowest Prices
Plenty of choices
agoda.com Save up to 75%, Don't miss! Live support, Instant confirmation.
Great Prices, Great Rooms
hotels.com We Know Hotels Inside And Out. Click or call now: 1-800-914-6835
Vacation Package Specialists
Expedia Vacations Save on flight + hotel packages. Click or call now: 1 - 800-713-8214

Sponsored Links