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🇰🇷 South Korea

South Korea is no. 23 in our list of the 50 most visited destinations, with 16.4 million international arrivals in 2024. Below: visa rules for every passport, cash limits at customs and the tourist traps official travel advice warns about.

Rank 23 of 50 by international arrivals (16.4 million, 2024) · Source: UN Tourism

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Explore South Korea: things to do, shopping, food and getting around

Seoul, from the Korea Tourism Organization and the official Seoul travel guide.

Things to do

Places to visit

  • Gyeongbokgung Palace

    Seoul

    The first and largest royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, with Geunjeongjeon Hall and Gyeonghoeru Pavilion. Open 09:00–17:00 (November–February), 09:00–18:00 (March–May, September–October) and 09:00–18:30 (June–August); last entry an hour before closing. Closed Tuesdays. Foreign visitors aged 19–64 pay ₩3,000. Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 5.

    Source: Korea Tourism Organization – Seoul Travel Guide (PDF)

Shopping

  • Gwangjang MarketBudget

    Seoul

    One of Seoul's liveliest traditional markets, open since the early 20th century, with hanbok and vintage clothing shops on the second floor. The market is open 09:00–18:00 and closed Sundays; Jongno 5-ga Station (Line 1), Exit 8.

    Source: Visit Seoul (Seoul Tourism Organization) – Gwangjang Market

Cheap ways to get around

Nightlife

Food

Summarised in our own words from the linked pages, official tourism boards and transport authorities first; items marked "Not official" come from other guides. Prices and opening times change, so check the source before you go. Last checked 24 Oct 2026.

Common tourist traps and how to avoid them

Scams and risky spots named in official travel advice for South Korea, plus a few reported in public visitor reviews (labelled), in our own words.

  1. Thefts in crowded and foreigner-heavy areas

    How it works: Occasional thefts in crowds and areas popular with foreigners such as Itaewon.

    How to avoid it: Look after passports, cards and cash there.

  2. Nightlife assaults

    How it works: Assaults, including sexual assaults, have happened around bars and nightlife areas.

    How to avoid it: Take care alone at night and use legitimate taxis or public transport.

  3. Airport 'taxi' touts and flat fares at Incheon (visitor reports)

    How it works: Travellers on Reddit describe drivers approaching them right outside arrivals at Incheon Airport and quoting flat fares two or three times the metered price, or insisting a 'jumbo taxi' is needed for luggage. The airport itself warns that call vans posing as taxis often solicit illegally and overcharge.

    How to avoid it: Ignore anyone who approaches you inside the terminal. Queue at the numbered official taxi stands (the International Taxi has flat fares to Seoul), make sure the meter is running, or take the airport bus or AREX train.

    From visitor reviews, not official Incheon International Airport. Sources: reddit.com · airport.kr. Researched 23 Oct 2026; there is no official page to re-check, so this date is not updated automatically.

Official advice: FCDO: no areas advised against.

Emergency numbers in South Korea

  • Police 112
  • Ambulance & fire 119

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: FCDO travel advice – Safety and security · FCDO travel advice – Warnings and insurance · FCDO travel advice – Getting help (emergency numbers) · FCDO page updated 14 May 2026 · Last checked 2 Nov 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Customs rules for banknotes and other cash when you enter or leave South Korea.

Foreign Exchange Transactions Act / Korea Customs Service

Bringing cash in
Declare to customs if foreign currency, KRW and cheques together exceed USD 10,000; get a Foreign Currency Declaration Certificate.
Taking cash out
Carrying more than USD 10,000 out normally needs a declaration; non-residents may take out up to what they declared on their latest arrival (keep the certificate).
Local currency (KRW) in
Counts towards the USD 10,000 total.
Local currency (KRW) out
Counts towards the USD 10,000 total.
Foreign currency
No limit; declaration above USD 10,000.

Official source: customs.go.kr · Last checked 2 Nov 2026

South Korea visa rules by passport

The general rule for each passport, from official sources. Open a passport to see conditions and options that depend on where you live.

Visa-free110 passports
Embassy visa88 passports

Verified rules for South Korea: 198 of 198 passports; awaiting verification: 0; not yet covered: 0. A rule that is awaiting verification or not yet covered is not a negative visa decision: it only means we haven't confirmed it on an official source yet.

Nearby destinations

Official travel advice

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Plan your trip to South Korea

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 2 Nov 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.