Korea Travel Guide_Korea Population

As of 2010, the population of the Republic of Korea stood at 48,580,000 with roughly 486 people per square kilometer. Conversely, the population of North Korea as of 2010 was estimated at 24,051,218 

 Historically, the threat of rapid population growth posed serious social repercussions on developing countries. Yet such fears of swelling growth hardly raise much cause for alarm on the peninsula. With the advent of successful family planning campaigns and changing attitudes, there are signs that the population growth has curbed remarkably in recent years. The baby boomers of Korea’s industrialization period are now coming into their golden years, with the number of senior citizens (those ages 65 and up) reaching 5.42 million (as of 2010) and making up roughly 11.3% percent of the entire population. 

[Source : Statistics Korea]


But recently, Korea's birth rate has ranked as one of world's lowest. 
According to UN in 2009, Korea's birth rate marked the 2nd lowest in the world after Hong Kong and now the government is running a campaign to boost the birthrate. 

Seoul Travel guide_Seoul Subway Map

http://www.smrt.co.kr/program/cyberStation/main2.jsp?lang=e

Korea travel guide_Custom Allowance

Korea Customs Service: http://www.customs.go.kr

A written baggage declaration must be submitted to a Customs officer upon entry. Passengers must clear Customs through either the green, white, or red channel. Passengers who have no articles to declare should use the green channel. If a passenger declares non-duty-free articles voluntarily, the declared amount will be accepted and the clearance procedure will be expedited.

Duty-Free Articles • Visitors' (non-residents) goods which will be taken out of Korea upon departure. (The total quantity of the goods should be declared for duty exemption).  • Goods which were declared upon departure from Korea and are being brought back. • 1 bottle (not over 1 liter) of alcoholic beverages and 200 cigarettes (50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco) • 2 ounces of perfume • For further information on goods subject to declaration and prohibited goods, please contact the Customs Information Office at Incheon International Airport.

Guidelines for Currency Regulation

Passengers entering Korea who are carrying foreign or Korean currency valued at over USD 10,000 must declare it to a Customs official. Departing non-residents of Korea who are carrying foreign or Korean currency (including traveler's or bank checks) valuing more than USD 10,000 must obtain permission from the bank of Korea or Customs, not including any amount carried into Korea and declared on arrival, which may be carried out without declaration to Customs. Residents of Korea must declare any currency or negotiable checks more than USD 10,000 upon departure. Please be aware that violators of these regulations are liable to be fined and/or otherwise penalized under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act.

from the Korea Tourism Organization page 

Korea Travel guide_Korea Visas and passports

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - http://www.mofat.go.kr Immigration Bureau  - http://www.immigration.go.kr Any foreign visitors wishing to enter the Republic of Korea must have a valid passport and obtain a Korean visa before their arrival. However, citizens of the 99 countries listed below are permitted to enter Korea for a limited time without a visa according to visa-exemption agreements (Table 1), or in accordance with principles reciprocity or national interest (Table 2). [Table1] Countries under Visa Exemption Agreements Country/Period(days) Country/Period(days) Country/Period(days) Europe Austria / 90 Belgium / 90 Bulgaria / 90 Czech Republic / 90 Denmark / 90 Estonia / 90 Finland / 90 France / 90 Greece / 90 Germany / 90 Hungary / 90 Iceland / 90 Ireland / 90 Italy / 60 Liechtenstein / 90 Luxembourg / 90 Malta / 90 Netherlands / 90 Norway / 90 Portugal / 60 Poland / 90 Romania / 90 Spain / 90 Slovak Republic / 90 Sweden / 90 Switzerland / 90 United Kingdom / 90 Asia and Oceania Bangladesh / 90 Israel / 90 Malaysia / 90 New Zealand / 90 Pakistan / 90 Singapore / 90 Thailand / 90 Turkey / 90 Americas Antigua and Barbuda / 90 Bahamas / 90 Barbados / 90 Brazil / 90 Colombia / 90 Costa Rica / 90 Common wealth of Dominica / 90 Dominican Republic / 90 El Salvador / 90 Grenada / 90 Haiti / 90 Jamaica / 90 Mexico / 90 Nicaragua / 90 Panama / 90 Peru / 90 St. Lucia / 90 St. Kitts and Nevis / 90 St. Vincent & the Grenadines / 90 Surinam / 90 Trinidad and Tobago / 90 Africa Lesotho / 60 Liberia / 90 Morocco / 90 Tunisia / 30 [Table2] Countries or Regions under principles of reciprocity and national interest Country/Period(days) Country/Period(days) Country/Period(days) Asia Brunei / 30 Hong Kong / 90 Japan / 90 Kuwait / 30 Macao / 30 Oman / 30 Qatar / 30 Saudi Arabia / 30 Taiwan / 30 United Arab emirates / 30 Yemen / 30   North America Canada / 180 United States / 90   South America Argentina / 90 Chile / 90 Guatemala / 30 Honduras / 30 Paraguay / 30 Uruguay / 30 Venezuela / 30     Europe Albania / 30 Croatia / 90 Cyprus / 30 Latvia / 90 Lithuania / 90 Monaco / 30 Slovenia / 90 Vatican / 30   Oceania Australia / 90 Fiji / 30 Guam / 30 Kiribati / 30 Marshall Islands/ 30 Palau / 30 Nauru / 30 New Caledonia / 30   Africa Republic of South Africa / 30 Swaziland / 30   Visa Type Tourist & Business Visas Visitors from countries not under Visa Exemption Agreements must apply for a visa extension if planning to stay for more than 30 days. Barring unforseen circumstances, visa extension will be issued 1 to 3 days from the day of application. Applicants require a completed application form, a recent passport-sized color photo and the application fee. Visitors are not required to show an outbound ticket. Visas may usually be extended for a period of up to 90 days. All visas including long-term visas are for a single visit (single-entry visa). For business visas, the intention of activities must be clearly stated on the visa application form. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Homepage: http://www.mofat.go.kr Work Visas Visitors may obtain work visas in their home country with the endorsement of the employer in Korea. If the visitor is already in Korea, he/she must obtain the work visa from an embassy or consulate in a country outside Korea. Work visas are usually valid for 1 year from the date of issue and take about 2-4 weeks to process. Work visa extensions are possible if a visitor remains with the same employer. Visitors with work visas must obtain a residence permit from the Immigration Office. Visitors engaging in remunerative activities without a work visa can be subject to fines and/or deportation. Application for Visas - Visa applications should be made at Korean embassies or consulates abroad. - It is required that visa applicants submit a passport, application forms, a recent  passport-size, color photograph, and such other documents as determined by the status of stay. - Visa fees are as follows: a. Single-entry visa for a stay of no more than 90 days : USD30 b. Single-entry visa for a stay of more than 90 days : USD50 c. Multiple-entry visa : USD80 d. Extension of Re-entry Permit : USD20 *For Citizens of the United States of America, the multiple entry visa fee is USD45 on the basis of   reciprocity since the mutual agreement in 1994. Visa Extension Extensions for tourist visas are possible in special cases such as accidents, health problems, flight cancellation, etc. Visitors may apply for a visa extension at a local immigration office. Applications must be submitted at least one day prior to current visa's date of expiration.

from Korea Tourism Organization page