Home > Visitor Information > Inside of Korea   ■ Cellular phones For mobile phone service, the CDMA system is used in Korea. If you want to use your GSM cellular phone, you should check with your local wireless service provider prior to arriving in Korea. Alternatively, cell-phone rental services are available at Incheon International Airport. This service must be ordered in advance. Online-reservation is possible on www.Tour2Korea.com. ■ Climate Seoul belongs to the Temperate Zone featuring four distinctive seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The yearly average temperature of Seoul is 12.2 degrees Celsius. Temperatures in Seoul show large seasonal variation, reaching as high as 38.4 degrees Celsius in the summer and dropping as low as minus 19.2 degrees Celsius in winter. Influenced by the North Pacific high-pressure system, Seoul has hot and humid summers with average temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius from June through September. ■ Currency The unit of Korean currency is the Won (￦). Coin denominations are ￦10, ￦50, ￦100 and ￦500. Banknotes are ￦1,000, ￦5,000 and ￦10,000. As of 2 June, 2009, the exchange rate is approximately USD 1 to KRW 1,248.70. - Currency exchange: Foreign banknotes and traveler's check can be exchanged at foreign exchange banks and other authorized moneychangers. - Credit cards: 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. - Traveler's check: 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. - Banking hours: Monday to Friday 09:00a.m. -16:00p.m. ■ Electricity Outlets for 220 volts are dominant in Korea. Always check your power supply before using your equipment. You can buy it at a convenience store or a duty free shop, but it is good to prepare your owns before you leave to Korea, just in case. ■ Language The official Korean language is Korean. Street signs, transportation signs, and travel information in Korea are usually provided in both Korean and English for visitors' convenience. ■ Public Transportation Public transportation in Korea is remarkably efficient and inexpensive. The subway, with eight lines and one national railway line, and local buses cover the entire area of Seoul. Taking a bus or the subway to a local destination costs less than USD 1. Taxis are widely available and constitute safe transportation. Taxis can be hailed on the street or requested by phone. Interpretation service can also be requested by phone. The basic fare of a regular taxi is KRW 2,400. (USD 1.92). The basic fare of a deluxe taxi, which can be identified by its black color and "deluxe" on the doors, is KRW 4,500 (USD 3.6). (Exchange rate = USD 1 to KRW 1,248.70 as of 2 June, 2009) ■ Telephone There are three types of public telephones in Korea: coin-operated phones, card phones, and credit card phones. Card telephones can be used to make international calls as well as local and intercity calls. Telephone cards come in KRW 2,000, 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 denominations and are on sale in convenience stores close to telephone booths. There are also credit card phones, which you can use with major credit cards. A local call costs KRW 70 for three minutes. To make an international call, first, dial one of the international dialing codes (For regular phone: 001 / cell phone: 00700) then the country code, area code, and the phone number. ■ Time Difference Korean time is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +9). ■ Tipping & VAT Tipping is not customary in Korea. Sometimes, expensive restaurants and luxury hotels may add a service charge of 10%. Value-Added Tax (VAT) is mostly included in the retail price. However, in hotels and some big restaurants, the price may not include VAT. More information on traveling Korea - Korea Tourism Organization - www.visitkorea.or.kr - Korean Information Service - www.korea.net - Seoul Metropolitan Government - www.seoul.go.kr - Seoul Tour - www.miceseoul.com - Travel info service (Just call 1330) When you need English assistance or travel information, just dial 1330. A bilingual operator will offer you detailed information on tourist sites, transportation, restaurants, etc. In Korea: 1330(Land line), Area code+1330(Cell phone), From Abroad +82-Area code-1330