Korea is an exotic land of contrasts and harmony. Its modernity is comfortably blended with its 5,000-year-old heritage. Korea is thus an alluring destination for overseas business travelers and vacationers.

Korea is a uniquely appealing country endowed with a history and cultures thousands of years old. Its situation as a peninsula off the northeast coast of China, with Japan to the east across the East Sea, allowed Korea to absorb Chinese influences, to foster its own indigenous cultures, and to contribute to the cultural origin and development of Japan. The name of Korea comes from the early dynasty name of Goryeo, which means "high and clear." This name symbolizes the country's rugged mountains, clear blue skies and rushing streams, which have earned the nation the nickame of "Switzerland of Asia."

During the centuries when the rulers of Korea shunned foreign contacts, the monarchy was spoken of as the Hermit Kingdom. Later the country was called the Land of the Morning Calm, from the Korean "Joseon", the title of the last dynasty under the Yi family rulers. Today, in Korea's modern era, the mist of morning calm has dissipated and the nation might well be known as the Land of Cultural Contrasts.

The Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) is an Asian nation of the Far East and located on a peninsula between China and Japan. The Korean peninsula extends southward from eastern Manchuria and Siberia to within 210 kilometers of Kyushu, Japan's major southern island. The distance between Japan's island of Tsushima and Korea's island of Geojedo is only 49.5 kilometers.

The northern border (1,369 kilometers) of the peninsula extends along the boundary of China (Manchuria) and touches the Russia to the east.

Russia's 16.5-kilometer border with Korea is only 121 kilometer from Vladivostok, It's major eastern port city. Most of this northern border is formed by two large rivers, the Amnokgang which flows westward into the Yellow Sea and the Dumangang which flows into the East Sea.

The East Sea and the Korean Strait separate the Republic of Korea from Japan while the Yellow Sea lies between Korea and China. The Korean peninsula is about 1,100 kilometers from north to south and varies from 210 to 322 kilometers wide. The total area of the peninsula is 222,196 square kilometers (85,789 square miles), an area somewhat less than that of Great Britain.

Its coastline extends some 17,000 kilometers with over 3,300 offshore islands, of which approximately 300 are inhabited. Tides at the port of Incheon are the second highest (9.27 meters) in the world, exceeded only by the tides of Canada's Bay of Fundy.

The Korean peninsula varies in terrain. Everywhere mountains rim the horizon and ridges follow each other in endless succession. The spectacular Diamond Mountain, called in Korean Mt. Geumgangsan, runs the full length of the East Coast. Lashing tides off the East Sea have chopped a rugged shoreline into rocky islets and sheer cliffs. Plains form the central region and slope gradually to the Yellow Sea along the west coast.

In distant geological times, the Korean peninsula was lifted up and tilted so that the eastern side is higher and the slopes are steeper than the land to the west and south. The east coast is fairly straight and is often precipitous and mountain slopes plunge into the East Sea. The west and south coasts are extremely irregular with many coves and bays. When the land sank the tops of hills and mountains remained as islands. This has resulted in many beautiful and picturesque beaches on the peninsula.

Two major mountain ranges run as a spine down the peninsula close to the eastern coastline. These are Hamgyeongsanmaek in the north and Taebaeksanmaek in the south. Mt. Seoraksan (1,708 meters), which is located in a national park that is renowned for the beauty of its wilderness, is the highest peak of the T'aebaeksan Range. This area is one of Korea's more popular tourist attractions especially during the colorful autumn season. Branching westward from the Taebaeksanmaek Range is the Sobaeksanmaek Range with the popular peak of Mt. Songnisan and Beopjusa Temple. The Sobaeksanmaek Range terminates in the south with the great Jiri Massif. Jirisan(1,915 meters) is the highest peak on the mainland of the Republic of Korea.

Unlike Japan, Korea experiences few earthquakes and has very few volcanoes. Probably the most historically famous volcanic mountain with its crater lake called Cheonji is Mt. Baekdusan (2,744 meters), which in Korean means the "Ever-white Mountain." Considered by Koreans to be sacred, it's located on the northern border (of North Korea) and is the highest peak of the peninsula. In the southern extremities of the peninsula the highest peak is the volcanic cone of Mt. Hallasan (1,950 meters), located on the island of Jejudo, 140 kilometers south of Korea's coastal mainland. Mt. Hallasan also has a crater lake, called Baengnokdam, at the summit, though it is not as deep as that of Mt. Baekdusan. Korea has an abundance of metamorphic and sedimentary rock as well as granite. Limestone is also common which has resulted in numerous caves throughout the peninsula. Some caves are so massive that they were called the underground "Diamond Mountain." All of these caves are adroned with stalactites and stalagmites around ponds and streams.

The many rivers with their sandbanks are mostly shallow, short and swift, providing little room for navigation. For Korea's size there are a comparatively large number of rivers on the peninsula. Many foreigners tend to think of Korea as a land of mountains and valleys. To Koreans, however, it is a land of rivers and mountains. There are very few natural lakes. The two longest rivers on the Korean peninsula are the Amnokgang and Nakdonggang which have a combined length of 1,315 kilometers.

Even today, the political boundaries of the Korean provinces correlate with the major rivers. Historical capitals such as Seoul, Pyeongyang and Buyeo developed along major rivers as port cities. The introduction of railroads and modern highway system has made river traffic obsolete as a means of transportation. Yet, the rivers continue to be extremely important for agriculture and industry.

Hangang River has two main branches, the north and south, which join about 35 kilometers upriver from Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea. Within the Korean peninsula, the Hangang is the largest in water volume and has a length of almost 514 kilometers. The Hangang flows through Seoul and finally into the Yellow Sea where it is joined by the Imjingang River.

The peninsula's second largest river system is the Naktonggang, however, it has a longer river flow than the Han-gang. Whereas the Hangang is the major river in the northern regions of the Republic, the Nakdonggang is the river of the southeast. Its delta is on the western outskirts of Busan. The Nakdonggang originates in the Taebaeksanmaek Range, only 19 kilometers from the eastern coast, and flows 525 kilometers before reaching the sea.

Another important river basin is located in the southwest and drained by the Geumgang River, which originates on the northern slopes of Mt. Jirisan. After flowing 401 kilometers, it empties into the Yellow Sea.

Viewed as a whole, the configuration of the peninsula somewhat resembles a tiger (the tip of the paws is the Russian boundary in the north). Korea has been recently described as a "modern frontier" and this description has relevance in its physical geography, as well as its political and economic development. In its physical features, the Korean peninsula is referred to as a transitional zone between the continental landmass of northeast Asia and the arc of island rimming the ancient bedrock of northern Asia.

Visitors to Korea find it to be an extraordinary country of simple grandeur and amazing contrasts, a country rich in history and culture, a country of varied and often spectacular landscape.

The best time to come is spring and fall, as the weather is clear and bright. In spring, the hills are aflame with the azalea blooms against the light green of new growth. The Koreans thoroughly enjoy their kaleidoscope of autumn colors.

Korea has the same latitude as Washington D.C., and Athens and is 484 kilometers nearer the equator than London or Paris. The fact that the peninsula extends as an appendage from the Siberian landmass of Asia is one important factor. Air masses originating over Siberia dominate Korea's winter weather.

Koreans enjoy four distinctive seasons and variety of different types of weather. They experience a long dry cold winter (November-March), a short spring (April-May), a hot humid summer (June-August) and a short but lovely autumn (September-October). In winter, a high-pressure zone caused by the intense cold over Siberia dominates the weather. There is little precipitation and the skies are clear and cold. Average temperatures for mid-winter in Seoul are 1-3.4¡É (26¢µ) and in Busan 2.2¡É (36¢µ).

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Except for Ulleungdo, a small island in the East Sea and mountain ranges along the east coast, Korea does not experience much snow, as winter precipitation is very small. Seoul usually gets 5cm every year and a heavy fall is only 10-12cm. However, Ulleungdo may receive 210-240cm during the year because of the moisture picked up over the ocean. Total average precipitation for the entire year on the peninsula is usually under 1,270mm. Sixty percent falls during the summer months.

Korea is fortunate to have a pulsating winter climate marked by three cold days followed by four warmer days. After the cold air from Siberia stays over Korea for a while, it begins to warm up, causing differences in pressure that begin a new outpouring of heavy cold air form Siberia. This unusual feature of Korean winter helps to alleviate the severity of the winter season.

March sees the beginning of the end of the long cold winter season and by April the country is enjoying spring. In April most of the cold heavier air from the Asian continent has been displaced by tropical oceanic air. Weather during this period is unstable and unpredictable. Usually rainfall is sufficient to prepare seed beds for the annual rice crop. Early spring winds are gusty and often bring yellow dust from storms in the Gobi Desert.

As summer approaches moist, winds begin to blow from the south. Summer begins in June and the weather rapidly becomes hot and humid. In late June, the "monsoon season" or Asia's rainy season begins. As the land is hotter, the prevailing flow of air is from the ocean toward the land. This moist warm air brings the rain. From the northern inland regions to the southern coast, rainfall varies from 380mm to 1,140mm. Temperatures rise to higher than 32¡É (90¢µ) throughout the southern regions.

During the summer season, rain may fall continuously for many days. Rivers and streams swell with run-off water and flooding is not unusual. However, the seasonal rain is necessary for the success of the rice crops, and failure or tardiness of the monsoon rains will have a disastrous effect upon rice production.

Summer and early autumn are also a typhoon season for southern Asia. Typhooons do not seriously affect the Korean peninsula; however, as they pass nearby additional rain usually falls in the southern regions. With improved irrigation schemes, now rice crops are not often placed in jeopardy due to lack of water.

As the landmass of Asia cools, the Siberian high pressure begins to form in September and is soon carried southward to Korea, bringing dry cool weather and relief from the humid heat of summer. This change often takes place within a few days. Traditionally the Korean people enjoy the autumn season the most. Today many of the country's national holidays fall during the autumn months. In this dry sunny weather, the Koreans enjoy a kaleidoscope of fall colors in the mountains. The weather is clear and bright, resulting in an often heard Korean expression, "The sky is high and the horse is fat." This is the time for harvest and a time for all Koreans to be thankful.

Although the Korean peninsula has long been a political buffer zone between China and Japan, Korea has been able to preserve a homogeneously distinct culture and language. The Koreans are descendants of several Mongol tribes, which traveled into the peninsula during prehistoric times. By the beginning of the Christian era they had become a homogeneous people. Even today regional differences are minimal with the possible exception of Jejudo Island. Minority groups are nearly nonexistent, apart from 30,000 long-time Chinese residents, living mostly in Seoul.

Korea's proximity to China has permitted the flow of people and ideas in both directions and, although Koreans have borrowed from and contributed to the Chineses culture, they remained a unified race, speaking their own language, pursuing their own culture and maintaining a uniquely independent tradition. Koreans are proud of their long history, which spans more than 5,000 years.

There has been a cultural and inter-racial flow from Korea to Japan since ancient times. There is considerable historical documentation, which supports the fact that Koreans have contributed immensely to the Japanese racial stock, as well as to Japan's cultural and social development. This evidence spans a period of 2,000 years.

Koreans are usually smaller than Westerners but taller than the Japanese and southern Chinese. They are graceful, robust and noted for their endurance under the most adverse conditions. They carry themselves with the dignity of a proud race. Koreans might be considered the most friendly in Asia. They have a keen sense of humor, are quick to laugh but also quick to show anger in a somewhat "Irish" manner.

The family is the most important social unit in Korea. Family relationships have a powerful influence in Korean society at home as well as at work. Young people are still taught to show respect for parents and elders. Though Confucianism was a strong traditional force in the past, its ethical requirements still sway the thinking of the average Korean. Children must obey their parents and teachers, wives are at the command of their husbands and at work a hierarchy of juniors to seniors is rigorously maintained.

Education and academic scholarship are still considered important steps to top positions and social distinction, although now wealth has become an important factor in the class structure. Parents will go to extraordinary sacrifices to ensure that their children enter the correct elementary, middle and high school from a prestigous kindergarten, which they hope will lead to passing the entrance exams to one of the best universities.

The old class system has been invaded by a new "in-between" group of businessmen and skilled workers in the cities and towns. Many are willing to pay to provide their offspring with the education believed to be the prerequisite for success. As a result the literacy rate is one of the highest in the world, though modern education is a fairly new trend, as it did not really begin to develop until after liberation in 1945.

The population of the Republic of Korea is over 16.8 million(1999 est.). The annual growth rate had declined over 20 years by 1.25%. Due to successful family planning programs the present annual growth rate is 0.92%. Nearly a quarter of the population lives in Seoul. Many Koreans choose to work overseas and many emigrate. It is estimated that over four million Koreans now live abroad with the largest number in northeastern China and the United States.

Foreigners are now a familiar sight in the capital city but in the rural areas they are still an oddity. Koreans are neverthless friendly, helpful and extremely hospitable and will willingly share their home, food and time with you.

Koreans all understand, speak and write the same language which has been an important factor contributing to the spirit of national unity, which has characterized the Korean people. The grammar of the language resembles that of Japanese but here the resemblance ends. Both Koreans and Japanese use Chinese characters, along with their own alphabets, in their written language but spoken Korean bears no resemblance to either language. Linguistic ethnological sources support the view that the Korean language belongs to the Ural-Altaic language group of central Asia which includes Turkish, Mongolian, Hungarian and Finnish.

The political and cultural influences of China upon Korea over the centuries have left an indelible mark upon both the written and spoken Korean language. A large portion of the Korean vocabulary comes from the Chinese culture, especially its Confucian classics, though it has been assimilated phonetically into Korean. For centuries, however, there was no distinct Korean alphabet, and Korean could only be written using an awkward system of Chinese characters which was so difficult to learn that only a few educated scholars were able to write the language.

Sejong the Great (the 4th monarch of the Joseon Kingdom) ordered his scholars to devise a simple method of writing down spoken Korean so that even the common people would be able to express their thoughts in writing. They successfully produced a set of symbols consisting of 11 vowels and 17 consonants. (in 1933 it was standarized to 10 vowels and 14 consonants.) The alphabet called Hangeul, was introduced to the people in December 1443. Today it is acclaimed as one of the world's great literary achievements and the most remarkable phonetic alphabet ever produced.

This simple Hangeul alphabet can quickly be learned so that reading Korean is not difficult even for a foreigner. This phonetic alphabet has enabled Korea to have one of the highest literacy rates in the world. The ease of printing Hangeul and the development of Hangeul typewriters and computers have brought communication skills within the realm of all Koreans.

Traditionally during the dynasty period, books were written in vertical fashion from the right to the left side of the page. All old Korean books and many new ones, too, begin where Westerners would expect to find the last page. Foreigners do find the Korean language difficult to learn but those who make the effort are rewarded by the responsiveness of the Korean people and by the added pleasure a greater knowledge of Korea gives.

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The flag of the Republic of Korea is unique among the national emblems of the world. Its design does not symbolize geographical or political division. It also does not portray any great historical event, national aim or ideals of this country. Rather, the Korean flag symbolizes much of the thought, philosophy and mysticism of Asia. It encourages contemplation and philosophic interpretation of the varied meanings of the universe.

In the center of a white background is a circle divided equally with each part resembling a comma. The upper red comma represents the yang and the lower blue comma the yin, an ancient symbol of the universe that is in perfect harmony and balance. These two harmonious forces, both complementary and in opposition, express the dualism of the cosmos or the absolute: fire and water, day and night, good and evil, masculine and feminine, hot and cold, etc.

This red and blue swirl and sometimes the flag itself is called the Taegeuk. The central thought in the taegeuk form illustrates constant motion in the sphere of infinity where there is also balance. For example, the opposite of rain is drought. Crops must have rain but too much rain will cause a flood and hardship, thus there must be a balance.

The three bars at each corner also illustrate the concept of opposites and balance. The three unbroken bars represent heaven while the three broken bars represent earth. The three bars in the upper right hand corner symbolize water while the three bars in the lower left hand corner represent fire.

For the Korean people their flag of Taegeukgi is a source of pride and inspiration. During the Japanese occupation period beginning in 1910 the Korean flag was outlawed in public places and for about thirty five years Taegeukgi were kept hidden until Liberation Day in1945. The Korean flag has been a symbol of this country's struggle for independence and freedom.