Practical Information

1. Passport and Visa

Any foreign visitors wishing to enter the Republic of Korea must have a valid passport and, if necessary, obtain a visa before departure. People of 99 countries who want to visit Korea temporarily are permitted to enter without a visa according to visa-exemption agreements or in accordance with principles reciprocity or national interest. The website of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides information on which countries citizens require a visa. Please contact the Korean Embassy or Consulate in your departure country for further details.

2. Invitation Letter

An official invitation letter will be sent upon request. This personal invitation is intended only to facilitate travel and visa arrangements to the registered participants for the conference and Visa applications are the sole responsibility of participants.

3. Time Zone

Korea Standard Time is Greenwich Mean Time plus 9 hours (GMT +9) and does not have daylight savings time.

4. Climate

Due to its oceanic location, Busan enjoys a milder climate than many other parts of South Korea. Summer starts at the end of June, ending in early September. The average temperature of Busan from the end of June to the beginning of July is around 25˚C (77˚F).

5. Currency

The unit of Korean currency is the Won(₩). Coin denominations are 10, 50, 100 and 500. Banknotes are 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 50,000, the exchange rate is approximately US$1 to ₩1,100 as of November 2012.

• Currency Exchange: Foreign banknotes and traveler's check can be exchanged at foreign exchange banks and other authorized moneychangers. There are also money exchange services in all star-rated hotels. Office hours are 9 am to 4 pm from Monday to Friday. Banks are closed on Saturday and Sunday.

• Credit Cards: Diners Club, Visa, American Express and Master Card are widely accepted in the majority of hotels, shops and restaurants. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services that 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 bring Traveler's checks in US Dollars.

6. Electricity

The standard electrical supply voltage is 220 volts AC/60 cycles.

The type of electric plugs/sockets in Korea:

7. Tipping

Tipping is not a traditional Korean custom. A 10% service charge is added to the bill but tipping is not expected. It is also not necessary to tip a taxi driver unless extra services are provided.