Everything you need to know about South Korea
South Korea brings mountain trails, royal palaces and busy port cities into a compact peninsula, with volcanic Jeju offshore. Explore its regions and cities, discover the history and traditions behind the places, then practise Korean for everyday conversations.
Read it, then make it stick
Geography of South Korea
Mountain ranges, river valleys and a peninsula bordered by three seas.
Know the shape of the country
Start with the 16 first-level divisions, including Jeonnam-Gwangju following the July 2026 merger. Then place the cities and explore six selected rivers and coastal waters. Each map plays here with clues connecting nearby places.
Places worth visiting
Essential ยท Royal palace
Gyeongbokgung
The main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Watch the changing of the guard, and enter free if you wear hanbok.
Spend time among Seoulโs palaces, then head south to the ancient capital of Gyeongju and the volcanic island of Jeju. Essential is our shortlist for a first trip, and worth a detour goes further. Select a pin to read about a place, then play the map and find them all.
Take Korean with you
Greetings and politeness
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on.
Keep going one country deeper
When you have had your fill of South Korea, the countries in white have a guide like this one, and every other has maps of its own.
Asia
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North America
Africa
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