Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, is a metropolis undergoing vast transformation and becoming a serious player on the international scene - most evidently in the fields of sport and commerce.

The city has been battered by Japanese and Manchu invasions in the 16th and 17th centuries and razed by the Korean war, so the vast majority of its cityscape is modern.

Seoul has had a demoralising past but like the phoenix, it is emerging from its smouldering ashes to be reborn and is ready and primed for 21st century tourism. High-rises and 12-lane highways that could rival anything found in New York or LA are dotted around this vibrant city.

But these ultra-modern feats of architectural and engineering experimentation are beautifully offset by more traditional accents such as ancient pagodas, palaces, temples and pleasure gardens.

South Korea Traditions and Culture

South Korea has a similar culture to its northern counterpart, but the two countries have developed their own distinct contemporary cultural forms since the peninsula was divided in 1945.

Traditional and modern arts are actively encouraged by the South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which provides funding and various education programmes.

Korean forms of sculpture, metalwork, painting and ceramics flourished throughout the Korean peninsula and in modern times, Western - particularly influences from the United States have proved strongest.

Contemporary Korean culture is heavily dominated by technology - in accordance with the stereotype. Mobile phones with more features than uses are ubiquitous, while online games have fully pervaded the nations's collective consciousness. So much so in fact that today, South Korea has the highest penetration of high-speed internet access in households throughout the world.

Korean pop culture has become something of a phenomenon in recent times throughout Asia and even much futher afield, known popularly as Hallyu or "Korean Wave".

The cuisine is South Korea is diverse, but mostly consists of staples such as steamed rice, rice rolls wrapped in seaweed, dumplings, Korean-style barbecue beef and fermented vegetables.

South Korea Recommeded

Health and beauty tours are popluar with Japanese tourists and are definitely worth trying. Many saunsas are open 24 hours a day, with the more luxurious to be found downtown.

Little ones will also love to visit the Children's Grand Park, which has 30 adrenaline-pumping experineces for all ages and also a zoo with animals inlcuding lions, tigers, elephants and bears.

The Bukchon Museum is also worth a visit. A traditional Korean one-story wooden house, it is packed with various collectibles and offers a chance to experience some authentic Korean culture.

South Korea Weather

Korea has four distinct seasons - a wet monsoon, a summer in the middle of the year, a very cold winter from November to March and a temperate Autumn.

Seoul is beautiful all-year-round but Autumn is perhaps one of the best times to visit, as the weather is pleasantly mild and the colours in the forests are at their most vibrant and striking.

However as always, tourists would do well to keep an eye out for any weather warnings, as tempestuous weather is not uncommon in this part of the world.

South Korea Destination checklist

The official language spoken is Korean, so a phrasebook would not go amiss. Locals are always happy when tourists make an effort.

The currency in use is the South Korean Wan, the international dialling code is +82 and the country is nine hours ahead of GMT.