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[[File:SouthkoreamotorwayservicesHW3The 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.jpgTollgates are also good places to hitch.png|200px|thumb|left|Map Technically a hitchhiker shouldn't stand on the motorway side of South Korea showing a tollgate, but cars often pull up here anyway, and the tollgate staff rarely object to you standing on the motorway service stations]]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!
If you are a girl, you should be careful hitchiking in South Korea== Maps ==Google Map doesn't work much here. People may think you are a Russian prostitute (there is apparently a large number Just install KAKO map and to start hitchhiking just point out of them city in the country). You will probably have to explain to your driver why map, it gives you are standing on the side of the highway, best way to go by bus or metro and because of the shortage of English speakers, it may be extremely hard for then you to do thiscan enjoy hitchhiking.Toll gates are very good :)
== Border Crossing ==The border to [[North Naver Maps and Daum Maps are the most detailed maps of Korea]] is closed, but an offline map like Maps.The ferry crossing (from Busan) to [[Japan]] is quite easy, Me can really help out as all the customs and immigration people speak English. Ferries to several places in China leave from Incheonwell.
* [[Seoul]]* [[Busan]]* [[Daejeon]]* [[Gwangju]]* [[Jinju]]* [[Daegu]]{{nomadwiki}}
== Sleeping ==
Compared to some other Asian countries, it is not common for the local people in South Korea to invite travellers to their homes. A tent is useful. Finding a place to sleep just outside of cities can sometimes be difficult, as this is a densely populated country and often the outskirts of one city are simply the beginning of another city. However, there are rural places that are easy to reach from city centres, such as the mountains outside of Seoul. If you don't mind sleeping in the streets, city parks are very good option, being central with clean toilets nearby. The only problem is that Koreans love their early morning sports. In cities you can usually find a Korean sauna (jjimjilbang) with a sleeping room for a few dollars.
→Resources
It has a land border with [[North Korea]], but travel there is restricted. There are ferry services from Busan to [[Japan]], 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. Hitchhiking is easy here for foreigners, extremely easy if you are reasonably well dressed and clean shaven, but this is not essential. According to some hitchhikers, waiting times are minimal and there is less need to worry about position. The motorway service stations (휴게소, ''hyu-ge-so'') are easy to get lifts from, [[Media:, 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.
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 ===
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=== 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)]
experience summer 2018: Apart from Daegu which was impossible to get out of (trying to go to Gyeongju and the tollgate staff kicked me out of the tollgate and threatened to call the cops) all other areas were easy to hitchhike around, waiting time was around 10 minutes on average (solo man) when the spot was good. Most drivers who picked me up spoke a bit of english and were very excited to meet a foreigner.
Most were single men but once a woman stopped as well. Overall easy country to hitchhike through but being white definitely helped. Appearance matters A LOT in Korea. I always had a sign in Hangeul (the staff at petrol stations helped me write it everytime). Koreans are very friendly although many do not understand the concept of hitchhiking and people looking at you will not understand what you are doing. Best advice here is to '''have a sign in hangeul, look clean and make sure the spot is safe for them to pull over.''' '''contrary to what this page says I did not find that Koreans were very risk-taking, I had to change spots a lot because no one would stop if it was bad.'''
== Cities Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
{{IsIn|Eastern Asia}}
