The Korean Peninsula extends southward from the northeastern part of the Asian continent between latitudes from 33 to 43 degrees North, and longitudes from 124 to 131 degrees East. The standard meridian of the peninsula is 135 degrees, 9 hours ahead of GMT. The Amnok and Tuman Rivers border both China and Russia to the north, and Japan lies just across the East Sea. Since 1945, as a result of the Cold War,the peninsula has been divided into two parts: the democratic Republic of Korea, or South Korea, and communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea.

Koreans, like many other Asian peoples, are descendants of Mongolian Tungus stock. However, they differ from their neighbors, the Japanese and Chinese, in that they are a homogeneous ethnic group with their own language, culture, and customs. Korean people are characterized by their generosity, warmth, and kindness, and are renowned as one of the hardest working people in the world. The following data show main figures of Korea (as of the end of 1999).

Korea's climate is regarded as a continental climate from a temperate standpoint and a monsoon climate from a precipitation standpoint. The climate of Korea is characterized by four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Spring : Spring lasts from late March to May and is warm. Various flowers, including the picturesque cherry blossom, cover the nation's mountains and fields during this time. It is the best season for visiting Korea.

Summer : Summer lasts from June to early September. It is a hot and humid time of the year.

Autumn : Autumn lasts from September to November, and produces mild weather.

Winter : Winter lasts from December to mid-March. It can be bitterly cold during this time due to the influx of cold Siberian air. Heavy snow in the northern and eastern parts of Korea makes favorable skiing conditions

The Korean language is classified as a Ural-Altaic language, a group which also includes Mongolian, Hungarian, and Finnish. The Korean character system, Hangeul, is completely different from Japanese. "Hangeul" was developed by a group of scholars under the patronage of King Sejong in 1443 of the Joseon Dynasty

Traditional Dance : Korea's traditional dance, like its music, can be classified into either court dances or folk dances. The slow, gracious movements of the court dances reflect the beauty of moderation and the subdued emotions formed as a result of the strong influence of Confucian philosophy. In contrast, the folk dances, mirroring the life, work and religion of common people, are exciting and romantic, and aptly portray the free and spontaneous emotions of the Korean people

Traditional Painting : Korean artists have an inclination toward naturalism, in which subjects such as landscapes, flowers or birds are rendered in ink and colored pigments on mulberry paper or silk. In the middle Joseon Dynasty, noble artists established new style in Korean painting. Folk Paintings, which described the joys and sorrows of people's lives, became popular.

Women's hanbok is comprised of a wrap-around skirt and a jacket. It is often called chima-jeogori, 'chima' being the Korean word for skirt and 'jeogori' the word for jacket. Men's hanbok consists of a short jacket and pants, called 'baji', that are roomy and bound at the ankles. Both ensembles may be topped by a long coat of a similar cut called 'durumagi'. Hanbok worn today are patterned after those worn during the Confucian-oriented Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Yangban, a hereditary aristocratic class based on scholarship and official position rather than on wealth, wore brightly colored hanbok of plain and patterned silk in cold weather and closely woven ramie cloth or other high-grade, light weight materials in warm weather. Commoners, on the other hand, were restricted by law as well as finances to bleached hemp and cotton and could only wear white, pale pink, light green, gray or charcoal colors

Traditional Korean house is called 'Hanok'. Hanok sought to create a living space based on the coexistence of nature and humans. Accordingly, the natural aspects of a traditional Korean houses range from the structure's inner layout to the building materials which were used. Another unique feature of traditional houses is their special design for cooling the interior in the summer and heating the interior in the winter. Since Korea has such hot summers and cold winters, the 'ondol gudeul,' a floor-based heating system and 'daecheong,' a cool wooden-floor style hall were devised long ago to help Koreans survive the frigid winters and to make the sweltering and humid summers bearable. These primitive types of heating and air-conditioning were so effective that they are still in use in many homes today.

Korea is considered paradise when it comes to food. It has it all: Korean, Western, Chinese, and of course such fast food restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King as well as foreign restaurant chains Bennigan's and Outback Steak House. These days Korean cuisine is characterized by a wide variety of meat and fish dishes along with wild greens and vegetables. Various fermented and preserved food, such as kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage), jeotgal (matured seafood with salt) and doenjang (fermented soy bean paste) are notable for their specific flavor and high nutritional value. Among these choices the most reasonably priced food can found at street vendors. Korea is unique in that not only does it have street carts to buy food from, but at night the streets are transformed with small tents that pop-up selling reasonable priced food and alcohol. At street carts, you can choose to eat standing beside the cart or have your food wrapped-up to bring home. Seasons also have unique specialties; bingsu is a refreshing iced treat in the summer whereas warm soup, gimbap, hotteok and bungeo-ppang are enjoyed in the fall and winter.