Korea

Visas

You should ensure you have 6 months validity on your passport.

South Korea

Unless you plan on moving to Korea for work, you probably won't need a visa.

• Citizens of Australia, US, NZ, Ireland, Singapore, Brazil and the UK can stay 90 days visa free.
• Canadians get a whopping 180 days.
• Saffas only get 30 days.

Check the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the latest info.

DMZ

You can visit the DMZ on a day-trip departing from Seoul. Most hostels will be able to either organise this or direct you to a travel agency that can take care of this. Some of these tours will include a visit to Panmunjom, the town in the DMZ which is under governance of both North and South Korea. you DON'T need a visa for this, however you need to take your passport.

North Korea

Unlike the DMZ, everybody needs a visa and you must get this before you arrive there. You can only visit on a guided tour. Check the info on Wikitravel North Korea or search on the Lonely Planet forums. Until recently it was only possible for Americans to visit during the Mass Games (August-October) but since Jan 2010, Americans can visit at any time of the year (only on a guided tour of course).

Getting there

Flights

If you want to book with a travel agency, No. 1 travel are pretty reliable and have offices in Nagoya and Osaka.

It's definitely worth searching independently for flights too on sites like Kayak.

Check out the following airlines:

• Asiana Airlines

  A budget airline based in Seoul. Excellent airline.

• Korean Air

  Top notch airline

• JAL

  Note that you can only book international flights online in Japanese. You have to call the bookings centre otherwise.

• ANA

Boat

• High-speed boat runs between Fukuoka and Busan. JR offers a deal on discounted shinkansen to Fukuoka + boat to Busan + KTR (Korean bullet train) to Seoul. Certainly more fun than going by plane, but also more expensive and takes longer.

Money

The currency is the won. Check out rates on XE.com

ATMs are pretty widely available across Seoul. Your Japanese card probably won't work but your foreign cards should be ok.

Loads of bureau de change around town. If you get stuck on a public holiday, try one of the big hotels downtown.

Places

• Seoul
• Busan

See also

• North Korea - Wikitravel
• South Korea - Wikitravel