Korean time is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+9). Business hours for banks are generally from 09:00 to 16:00 on weekdays only. Banks are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. ATMs are widely available. Major department stores are open from 10:30 to 19:30, including Sundays, but smaller shops tend to open earlier and close later every day.
The unit of Korean currency is the Won (￦/KRW). Coin denominations are ￦10, ￦50, ￦100 and ￦500. Banknotes are ￦1,000, ￦5,000, ￦10,000 and ￦50,000. Currency exchange: Foreign banknotes and traveler's check can be exchanged at foreign exchange banks and other authorized moneychangers.
Diners Club, Visa, American Express and MasterCard are widely accepted at major hotels, shops and restaurants in the larger cities. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.
Accepted, but may be difficult to change in smaller towns. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take Traveler's check in US Dollars. The exchange of foreign currencies may be made at Incheon International Airport.
Value-added tax (VAT) is levied on most goods and services at a standard rate of 10% and is included in the retail price. In tourist hotels, this 10% tax applies to meals and other services and is added into the bill.
Tipping is not a traditional custom in Korea. A 10% service charge will be added to your bill at all tourist restaurants and hotels. It is also not necessary to tip a taxi driver unless he assists you with luggage or provides an extra service.
In Korea, electrical outlets are operated at 220 volt only. Overseas delegates bringing laptop computers and other electrical appliances are advised to check whether a transformer is required.
CDMA cellular systems are widely used in Korea. SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ provide a SIM card roaming service to allow you to use your GSM subscription in Korea. At Incheon International Airport, you can rent a special CDMA cellular phone which accepts your SIM card. Please check out the links below for more details.
• SK Telecom roaming service: www.sktroaming.com
• KT roaming service: roaming.kt.com
• LG U+ roaming service: lguroaming.uplus.co.kr
| English | Korean | Korean Pronunciation |
| How are you? | 안녕하세요? | Annyeong-haseyo? |
| Thank you. | 감사합니다. | Gamsa-hamnida. |
| Yes. | 예. | Ye. |
| No. | 아니요. | Aniyo. |
| I am sorry. | 미안합니다. | Mian-hamnida. |
| I enjoyed the meal. | 잘 먹었습니다. | Jal mwogeot-sseumnida. |
| Please give me some more of this. | 이것 더 주세요. | Igeot deo juseyo. |
| The check, please. | 계산서 주세요. | Gyesanseo juseyo. |
| How much is it? | 얼마입니까? | Eolma-imnikka? |
| It is ________won. | __________원입니다. | ___________won imnida. |
| 5,000 | 오천 | O-cheon |
| 10,000 | 만 | Man |
| 15,000 | 만오천 | Man-o-cheon |
| 20,000 | 이만 | I-man |
| 30,000 | 삼만 | Sam-man |
| Where is the restroom? | 화장실은 어디입니까? | Hwajangsil oedi-imnikka |
| Goodbye. | 안녕히계세요. | Annyeonghi gyeseyo. |
• For more information about Korea, Please visit the ⇒ Korea National Tourism Organization.