About Republic of Korea

Climate

Korea's climate is regarded as a continental climate from a temperate standpoint and a monsoonal climate from a precipitation standpoint. The climate of Korea is characterized by four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. The average temperature during the conference is between 8°C and 19°C which will be perfectly pleasant and comfortable.

Food

Eating out is one of the great pleasures of visiting Korea, a country famous for its diverse native dishes. Korean cuisine is nutritious, well balanced and low in calories as it involves a wide variety of vegetables and fermented foods. Bulgogi (Marinated, barbecued beef) and Bibimbap (Boiled rice mixed with vegetables) are the most famous.

Money & 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 USD 1 to KRW 1,200.10 as of March 14, 2018.

• Currency exchangeForeign banknotes and traveler's check can be exchanged at foreign exchange banks and other authorized moneychangers.
• Traveler's checksAccepted, 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 hoursMonday to Friday 09:00 - 16:00
• ATM operating hours08:00-22:00

Credit Card

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.

Liability and Insurance

The organizing committee will take no liability for personal injuries sustained by, or for loss or damage to property belonging to conference participants, either during or as a result of the conference. It is, therefore, advised that participants arrange their own personal health, accident and travel insurance. Emergency call numbers in Korea are 112 for police and 119 for fire/rescue and hospital service.

Time Zone

Korean time is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+9).

Telephone Call

A local call costs ￦70 for three minutes. For international call, first dial the international dialing code (001, 002 or 00700), then the country code, followed by the area code, and then the phone number. You can rent a cellular phone at the Incheon International Airport and Gimhae International Airport. For the details, please visit the airport website.

1330 Korea Travel Phone

Korea Travel Phone 1330, operated by the Korea Tourism Organization, is Korea’s leading tourism information hotline, providing a variety of information on travel in Korea to both Korean and foreign tourists. Korea Travel Phone 1330 is becoming an increasingly useful service. Please click here to visit the website for more information.

Business Hour

Government office hours are usually from 9:00am to 6:00pm on weekdays and closed on weekends. Banks are open from 9:00am to 4:00pm on weekdays and closed on Saturday and Sunday. Major stores are open every day from 10:30am to 8:00pm including Sundays

Electricity

The standard electricity supply is 220-volts AC/60 cycles. Most hotels may provide outlet converters for 110 and 220 volts. It is advised to check with the hotel beforehand.

Emergency Calls

International SOS Korea provides a 24-hour emergency service for participants.

• - 1339 : For medical emergencies/First aid patient
• - 119 : Emergencies for fire / Rescue & Hospital service
• - 112 : Police