A nation providing a beguiling mixture of the ancient together with futuristic, the commercial in addition to spiritual, warp-speed action that is urban serene rural isolation, Southern Korea is a good playground for worldwide pupils.
Its money town, Seoul, has expanded into among the world’s leading financial hubs, and Korea’s universities have actually in modern times experienced a boom that is similar. With an extraordinary 24 universities in Southern Korea rated among the top that is world’s universities within the QS World University Rankings® 2014/15 and 45 rated within the top 300 associated with the QS University Rankings: Asia 2015, Southern Korea is just one of the region’s major educational centers, supplying an ever more appealing research abroad choice for pupils all over the world.
Regardless of which South Korean university you determine to learn at, continue reading for the variety of the very best 10 things you can do in Southern Korea while you’re here, to make the much of your experience!
1. Explore the urban jungle of Seoul
Top universities in South Korea’s money: Seoul nationwide University (SNU, 31 st when you look at the global world positioning); Yonsei University (106 th ); Korea University (116 th ); Sungkyunkwan University (140 th ); Hanyang University (219 th ), Kyung Hee University (275 th ). For lots more universities that are top South Korea, look at the QS University Rankings: Asia 2015.
A dizzying metropolis with a population of 10 million – surpassing perhaps the loves of London, Berlin and New York – Seoul is amongst the 21 st century’s undisputed metropolitan powerhouses. If you’re visiting Seoul the very first time, the best spot to have a sense of its epic scale also to simply take in its sparkling cityscape at night, may be the iconic N Seoul Tower. Perched atop Namsan hill into the town center, the tower rises to a lofty 479 meters above ocean degree, supplying site visitors with stunning panoramic views throughout the town.
No matter how long plenty of fish sign in your program lasts if you’re studying abroad in Seoul, you can be sure this sprawling metropolis will keep throwing up new adventures and surprises. If you’re looking for a cultural top-up, get started with Seoul’s four UNESCO World Heritage internet internet web sites: Changdeokgung, a 15 th century palace built because of the Joseon dynasty; the imposing 18 th century Hwaseong Fortress; Jongmyo, the extant Confucian shrine that is oldest; additionally the Royal Tombs for the Joseon dynasty.
For retail treatment, check out the massive Dongdaemun Market, comprised of 26 departmental stores extending over 10 obstructs. Of course you need to look into Seoul’s nightlife, the Hongdae district around Hongik University is Southern Korea’s celebration that are central your choose from literally a huge selection of pubs, restaurants, boutiques and nightclubs.
2. See Gyeongju, money associated with the kingdom that is ancient of
Top universities near Gyeongju: Pohang University of Science and tech (POSTECH, 86 th on earth ratings); Yeungnam University (135 th into the Asian ratings); Kumoh National Institute of Technology (unranked); Handong Global University (unranked).
The ancient town of Gyeongju is referred to as вЂthe museum without walls’. It gets rather overrun by swarms of tourists throughout the summer time, with eight to nine million individuals visiting the area every year. But there is however an extremely valid reason for this – Gyeongju is an extraordinarily well-preserved slice of Korean history which will dazzle you using its beauty.
The capital that is former of ancient kingdom of Silla, Gyeongju contains a myriad of architectural and historical treasures, including three UNESCO World Heritage web internet web sites: Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Temple, and Gyeongju Historic Areas. If you’re a past history buff, check out the Gyeongju nationwide Museum, which houses over 16,000 items.
Did you know…? The kingdom of Silla ended up being one of several longest-sustained dynasties in Asia’s history. One of several previous three kingdoms of Korea (the others Goguryeo that is being and), Silla retained its autonomy for almost 1,000 years until its dissolution in advertisement 935.
3. Sing your heart down at a вЂnoraebang’
It might now function as domain of drunken hen evenings while the periodic embarrassing office party in numerous Western nations – but karaoke happens to be massive all around Asia considering that the 1980s, and nowhere much more compared to South Korea. The noraebang (meaning room’ that isвЂsong is a national institution – supplying private booths for which young Koreans let down steam by doing battle regarding the microphone.
You’ll find noraebangs all over Southern Korea, as well as if you’re dubious to start with we guarantee you won’t keep Korea without developing your very own repertoire that is personal of hits and cringeworthy classics. Exactly exactly What better method of overcoming your inhibitions and breaking the ice together with your classmates that are new?
4. Get religious having A korean temple stay
Along with getting yourself a world-class education, learning in Southern Korea can be an opportunity to experience a brand new tradition. In the event that you actually want to be immersed, even limited to several days, there is absolutely no better method to do therefore than residing in a normal temple that is korean. Devote some time call at one of the main blissfully secluded retreats that are mountainous by Korean Buddhist monks, that are ready to accept site visitors.
Temple stay was developed as the opportunity for foreigners to know about Buddhist culture – so be warned, this won’t become your holiday that is average lounging by a pool! Visitors reside just as the monks do, that involves getting out of bed before dawn, getting involved in spiritual services, meditation, chanting and prostration, staying with a vegetarian food diet, and keeping silence for big intervals. It may maybe perhaps not be everyone’s cup tea, but if you’re prepared to take to one thing brand-new, a temple stay is going to be an event which will stay with you for life – and also you never know, it would likely also replace the means you appear during the world.
Do you know…? Temple remains in Korea had been popularized as soon as the country hosted the soccer World Cup in 2002, with Buddhist monks proposing the concept being a way that is alternative accommodate site site site visitors. Over 100,000 people now be a part of temple remains in Korea every year.