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|pop = 50,062,000 (2009 est.)
|currency = International symbol ₩, pronounced Won (KRW)
|hitch = ? <rating country='kr' />
|avp = southkorea
}}
'''South Korea''' is a country in East [[Asia]].
It has a land border with [[North Korea]], but travel there is restricted. There are ferry services from Busan to [[Japan]], and from [[Seoul]] to [[China]], and from [[Donghae]] and [[Sokcho]] to [[Russia]].
Koreans are generally friendly, honest, and generous people who often drive big cars which are usually empty. Hitch hiking Hitchhiking is easy here for foreigners , extremely easy if you are reasonably well dressed and clean shaven, but this is not essential. I found I generally waited 15 minutes or less. The motorway service stations (hyu-gye-so) are easy According to get lifts from, they often have tourist information centres with free road mapssome hitchhikers, free internet access and excellent cheap food. Tollgates waiting times are also good places to hitch. Technically you shouldn't stand on the motorway side of a tollgate, but cars often pull up here anyway, minimal and the tollgate staff rarely object there is less need to you standing on the motorway side of the tollgateworry about position. Sometimes tollgate staff may even help you by asking drivers their destination, and asking them to give you lifts if they are going your way!
The motorway service stations (휴게소, ''hyu-ge-so'') are easy to get lifts from, they often have tourist information centres with free roadmaps, free internet access and excellent cheap food. Tollgates are also good places to hitch. Technically a hitchhiker shouldn't stand on the motorway side of a tollgate, but cars often pull up here anyway, and the tollgate staff rarely object to you standing on the motorway side of the tollgate. Sometimes tollgate staff may even help you by asking drivers their destination, and asking them to give you lifts if they are going your way! Write hitchiking signs in ''Hangul '' ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangeul Korean alphabet]); place names on road signs are generally in Hangul and English, so you can copy the ''Hangul '' from road signs. A map in Hangul is useful, and one in English if you can't read Korean.
Korean drivers may try to take you to bus or train stations (they mean well). Also many of them are completely incapable of reading paper maps, relying instead on satellite navigation.
South Korea is also the first country the couples from the [[Dutch]]/[[Belgium|Belgian]] tv-show [[Peking Express]] 2012 start hitchhiking in.
== Cities ==
__TOC__
* [[Seoul]]
* [[Busan]]
* [[Daejeon]]
* [[Gwangju]]
* [[Jinju]]
* [[Daegu]]
== Language ==
=== Some important phrases ===
{|
|-
| -- used with verbs, eg. '...-eh ga-juseyo' = take me to ..., please (lit. ...-at go please) or 'Mohm-chu juseyo' = stop please
|-
| Motorway service station || hyu-gyege-so
|-
| Gas station || ju-yu-so
=== Hitchhiking for females===
If you are a girl, you should be careful hitchiking in South Korea. People may think you are a Russian prostitute (there is apparently a large number of them in the country). You will probably have to explain to your driver why you are standing on the side of the highway, and because of the shortage of English speakers, it may be extremely hard for you to do this.
== Experiences ==
* [http://marcandoelpolo.com/viajar-a-dedo-corea-del-sur/ Information, tips and personal experiences of hitch-hiking in South Korea. A 980 km journey on 11 vehicles (only in spanish)]
{{IsIn|Eastern Asia}}
[[Category:South Korea]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[de:Südkorea]]