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Travel Guide: South Korea
South Korea Travel Guide: General Travel Guide Information about South Korea.
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Traveling enriches your mind. It opens your eyes to new ways of life, new values, morals, and customs and traditions. It teaches you how to interact with different people and eventually help you to understand different languages.
While it may take time to be fluent in a language other than your own, there are many ways to learn and use a new language. For an average traveler, whose stay in one country or city may only last for a week or two, brushing up on the basic words and phrases and using a phrase book may be enough for you to make your way around. If you are a student, it will be a good idea to enroll in a language class to fully comprehend the intricacies and nuances of the new language. On the other hand, if you are a business person, conducting business in the local language is sound business practice and good business etiquette. If this is the case, it pays to partner with a professional translation service provider to ensure that your documents are translated accurately in the fastest time possible.
If you are in need of a professional and reliable translation service company, and maybe an interpreter, World Interpreting, Inc. is one of the best. We are a member of long standing of the American Translators Association and have offices in several countries and major cities. We assure you of fast, accurate confidential and professional translation and interpretation services when you need them, any time and anywhere in the world. Your translation requirements, whether large or small, is backed by our lifetime guarantee. You can easily reach us via email. We have an online form, or you can email your documents to us at [email protected].
At World Interpreting, Inc. we do not only provide excellent translation and interpretation services. We also want you to experience the rest of the world and see the wonders of the different countries with your own eyes. We strive to bring the world closer to you with our new online offering – country guides. We will introduce to you each country, its history, demographics, economy, language and culture. We will expose you to some of each country’s top cities and landmarks. We will also give you a taste of and look at each country’s cuisines, folk art, clothing, literature, music and dance. We’ll also throw in some business etiquette and tips when doing business.
Have a look at our compact Country Guide to South Korea and other countries around the globe. We do hope you will enjoy traveling the world with us. Have fun!
South Korea Country Overview
Not everyone has the opportunity to travel the world. Some are contented with reading about faraway lands, while others watch documentaries and films about different countries. The advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web somehow bridged the distance between countries, making the world smaller. With the availability of various sources of information, people around the world who are interested in knowing about the peoples, ways of life and the countries’ profiles in general could find information on the Web. The presence of various social media portals allow people to connect with friends and relatives who are living in other countries as well as develop new friendships with different nationalities and exchange cultural information.
Still, there is the language barrier as people around the world, although getting closer through technology, speak different languages, and somehow the relationships that are developed online are still between and among those that speak a common language, that each one understands. That is why the need for translation and interpretation services is still essential, particularly in the business sector. And it is not just about simple interpretation and translation services. It is better if the service provider is a native speaker, who knows all the nuances of the language, as well as the traditions, customs and beliefs of a particular country.
This is the advantage of World Interpreting, Inc. We have been in the interpretation, translation and localization business for several years and we work with professional translators and interpreters who are native speakers, to provide the most accurate and fast interpretation and translation services to our valued clients across the globe. What matters to us is the quality of service that we provide, and we maintain 100% accuracy in all our projects, no matter its size. We also provide a lifetime guarantee for all our translations, as long as you continue using them. Not only that. While we bridge the communication gap, we likewise aim to bring the world closer to you. This is the main rationale why we endeavor to present you with our country guides, travel guides and city profiles. We and our sister companies also provide useful information focused on different fields of interest, for your general knowledge, for we firmly believe that knowledge is power. The interesting facts about the city and country that we collect would be of great help when you do get a chance to travel to a particular city or country, help you plan a better itinerary and not miss out on the best places to see and things to do in your particular destination. Likewise, whenever you need interpretation and translation services, we make it easy for you to connect with us, simply by going to our website and using our online form or sending your documents via email to [email protected] for an instant quote, which you would get within 15 minutes. We are available to serve you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever you are. We at World Interpreting, Inc. interpret and translate in more than 100 languages.
South Korea is called the Land of the Morning Calm. Why is this so, you might ask. According to historical records, it was in 1392 when a new dynasty was born and revived the name Joseon that the nickname was given to South Korea. This came about because the Hanja or the Korean name for Chinese characters, were translated into English as sun or morning calm. In today’s modern times, Korea as a whole is called Namhan, while Hanguk refers to South Korea. The official name of South Korea is Dae Han Minguk, which translates to The Republic of South Korea.
South Korea, one of the world’s most developed countries has a democratic form of government, with an export-driven economy. Seoul is the country’s capital and its largest city. It occupies an area that is 100,210 square kilometers or 38,961 square miles in size, which is home to more than 50 million people, according to 2012 estimates. As one of the countries with the largest economies, its GDP/PPP in 2011 was estimated to be $1.556 trillion, with a per capita of $31,753. Its nominal GDP was estimated to have a total of $1.163 trillion, giving a per capita of $23,749 in 2011. While the country is a bustling hub of activity that never seems to sleep, it is also known for its mesmerizing natural beauty with is strikingly expressive mountains, bodies of water and resplendent tranquility especially during the early morning hours, befitting its nickname of Land of the Morning Calm.
The whole country strives to be the one of the best in the world, since the ancient times. The Incheon International Airport, ably handling more than 30 million visitors annually has been consistently voted as the Best Airport Worldwide since 2005 up to the present. Several people past and present make South Korea noticed by the world. King Sejong the Great created the Korean alphabet in 1443, which is still in use today. Professor Hawng Woo-suk, a biochemical scientist who teaches biotechnology and theriogenology at the Seoul National University was the first to successfully clone a dog named Snuppy. Empress Myeongseong or Queen Min, introduced electric lights, telephones, automobiles and trains to South Korea and fully embraced Western ideas and inventions. Ban Ki-moon is the eighth Secretary General of the United Nations, succeeding Kofi Annan.
Inventing productivity tools is not new to South Korea. They invented Ondol or the underfloor heating system in 1000 BCE. They transitioned from the ceramic to metal cast type of movable type printing during the Goryeo Dynasty in 1234. They were the ones that invented the multiple rocket launcher, the Hwacha, which was able to fire multiple arrows using gunpowder in 1409 during the Joseon Dynasty. Invention was credited to scientists Choi Hae-san and Yi Do. Joseon Dynasty scientist Jang Yeong-sil created the first standardized rain gauge called the Cheugugi in 1450. It was also during the Joseon Dynasty that Gang Yun and Kim Gi-du invented the soft bulletproof vest called Myeonje Baegab late in the 1860s.
Modern day inventions South Koreans gave to the world include the MP3 portable player in 1988, the mobile phone with MP3 player capability in 1995 and LG Electronics introduced to the world LG KE850, the first fully touchscreen phone.
We should not forget that the martials arts form Taekwondo came from Korea. One of the world’s healthiest food, Kimchi is also from Korea. The thundersticks, those inflated plastic tubes that make loud clapping sounds, usually seen during sporting events are also a Korean invention.
Technology, history, culture, food, music, drama, fashion, shopping – these are just some of the things that lure visitors to the many destinations in South Korea, fitting the varied interests of different travelers. South Korea is a hot spot for developments and products related to IT, with conglomerates like Samsung and LG leading the way. The country’s animation and gaming industries are world-class and its performing arts are gaining grounds further afield, not just around Asia. In fact, some of the country’s exports are its celebrities, with multi-member group bands like Super Junior, Wonder Girls, Girls Generation, FT Island, CN Blue and SHINee; A-list actors like Bae Yong Joon, Ahn Sung Ki and Lee Byung Hun; and pop idols such as BoA, Rain, Lee Min Ho, Kim Hyun Joong, Jang Geun Suk, Gong Yoo, Ha Ji Won and Kim Sun Ah to name a few. The dramas and movies produced in South Korea have gained worldwide acceptance and are subbed in several languages. Dae Jang Geum, Winter Sonata, Coffee Prince, Goong, Boys Over Flowers, Jumong, Queen Seondeok, Secret Garden, My Lovely Sam Soon, Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon, Silmido, Shiri, Pieta, Tidal Wave (Haeundae) and The King and the Clown and the latest crop of sageuks (historical dramas), comedies, romantic and family dramas are some of titles of TVprograms and movies that are enjoying wide popularity out of South Korea.
Explore the world’s fascinating cities and countries with us. Learn about a country’s history, its culture, what their weather and geography is like; what their traditions are, and their economy. We will continue to bring you more country guides, such as this Country Guide to South Korea. We do hope that you would enjoy reading this and the rest of the country guides that would be regularly available. We always have great fun in writing them so let us explore the world together. Each page of our country guide contains a lot of information that would certainly add to your knowledge. There are so many fascinating destinations out there as this is our small way of helping you visualize the rest of the world even if you do not have yet the chance to physically visit one.
Come and explore South Korea, an old country with a very modern outlook; one of the world’s high-technology driven countries with a very high standard of living; that continues to give the world innovations in robotics, electronics, machinery, ships and automobiles, as well as the K-pop culture through their music and their dramas.
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