Korea has its own cuisine, quite different from Chinese or Japanese. Rice is the staple food and a typical Korean meal consists of rice, soup, rice water and eight to 20 side dishes of vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs, bean-curd and sea plants. Most Korean soups and side dishes are heavily laced with red pepper.

Things to know: There is waiter as well as counter service. Most major hotels will offer a selection of restaurants, serving Korean, Japanese and Chinese cuisine or more Western-style food. Korean Food is an e-book available from Korea National Tourism Organization’s website (see Contact Addresses). The most common type of drinking establishment is the suljip (wine bar), but there are also beer houses serving well-known European brands. Koreans offer glasses of liquor to each other as a gesture of camaraderie. When someone offers you an empty glass you are expected to hold it out and receive a fill-up and then to drink it empty. Juniors pour for seniors.

National specialities:
• Bibimbap (boiled rice mixed with vegetables).
• Kimchi (Korean national dish, highly spiced pickle of Chinese cabbage or white radish with turnips, onions, salt, fish, chestnuts and red pepper).
• Bulgogi (marinated, charcoal-broiled beef barbecue).
• Grilled galbi (seasoned ribs).
• Haemultang (seafood stew).

National drinks:
• Yakju (refined pure liquor fermented from rice).
• Soju (like vodka and made from potatoes or grain).
• Korean beer: Cass, Hite and OB.
• Makgeolli and donggongju (milky liquor).
• Ginseng wine is strong and sweet, similar to brandy, but varies in taste according to the basic ingredient used.

Tipping: Although not a Korean custom, most hotels and other tourist facilities add a 10% service charge to bills.

Korea’s nightlife successfully blends the traditional with increasing external influences. Yong-Dong and Itaewon are areas of Seoul with nightclubs catering largely to visitors, many with cabaret evenings. Some hotels also have nightclubs but these tend to be expensive. Larger hotels have their own private theatre restaurants. Beer halls, many decorated along a European theme, are popular places to drink and meet friends. Visitors are expected to eat as well as drink. There are also many cinemas. Operas, concerts and recitals can be seen at the National Theatre and performances of Korean classical music, dances and plays can be seen at Korea House. For daily listings of events, consult Korea’s English-language papers. Several licensed state-of-the-art casinos operate at various locations throughout the country.

The country has a reputation as a shoppers’ paradise, with many shops providing special duty-free prices for foreigners. Fashion, antiques, medicine, herbs and spices, electronics and wedding clothes feature highly on Korea’s shopping itinerary. The best shopping districts and markets are in the capital, Seoul, and include: Namdaemun (Korea’s largest general wholesale market); Tongdaemun (one of Seoul’s oldest markets, good for bargains); Myong-dong (Korea’s fashion district); Insa-dong (antiques and art); Changanp’yong (one of the largest antiques markets in the Far East); Itaewon (modern shopping district particularly popular with foreign tourists); Noryargjin (fish market); Yongsan Electronics Market (largest electronics and computer market in Korea); Koyndang (Oriental medicine, spices and herbs market); Hwangkhak-dong (flea market, good for second-hand shopping); Ahyon-dong (the ‘wedding street’, featuring over 120 wedding boutiques); and Shinch’on (a shopping street popular with young people, good for accessories and fashion).

Favourite buys to look for are hand-tailored clothes, sweaters (plain, embroidered or beaded), silks, brocades, handbags, leatherwork, gold jewellery, topaz, amethyst, amber, jade and silver, ginseng, paintings, costume dolls, musical instruments, brassware, lacquerware, woodcarvings, baskets, scrolls and screens. Prices are fixed in department stores, but may be negotiated in arcades and markets. Major cities have foreigners’ duty-free shops where people can use foreign currency with a valid passport.
Shopping hours: Mon-Sun 1030-2000.

For visitors who purchase goods worth more than KRW50,000 at stores with ‘Tax Free Shopping’ signs or goods over KRW30,000 at outlets with ‘Tax Refund Shopping’ signs, 70 to 80% of the paid VAT (Value Added Tax) and SET (Special Excise Tax) will be refunded in cash at the airport. Only visitors staying less than three months are eligible. Purchases and receipts may need to be shown to the customs officer.