1. Seoul  

Since its designation as the capital of the newly founded Joseon Dynasty in the late 14th century, Seoul has maintained its status as the political, economic, and socio-cultural center of Korea. The city's high population density is closely related to the over abundance of higher education facilities. The 38 universities in Seoul together account for 21.7 percent of all universities and 23.9 percent of all university students in Korea. The prevailing belief that success in life begins with a graduation from a prestigious university in Seoul has drawn so much geographic attraction that the increasing number of students and graduates has inevitably fueled rise in housing costs, especially in areas near famous high schools and top universities.

2. Gyeongju

Having served as the capital of the Silla Dynasty, the rich cultural assets and properties found in Gyeongju make it the ideal representative of Korea's ancient history and culture.

The most valuable is a cave temple named Seokguram Grotto, located high on the ridges of Tohamsan in Jinhyeon-dong. The grotto is thought to have been constructed by a high-ranking official named Kim Dae-seong to honor the parents of his previous life. Similarly, Bulguksa - located on the western mid-slope of Tohamson - was also built by Kim, but this time for his living parents.

Jeju Island officially refers to a chain of 63 islands, of which 55 remain uninhabited. It is more commonly used to describe the largest of these, also the largest island in Korea. Jeju Island has developed into a top tourist destination thanks to its naturally blessed environment and unique culture. The tourism industry accounts for more than one third of the island's gross production. The unique scenery includes volcanic activities, geographical distribution of subtropical plants, and the distinct cultural characteristics created by isolation from other areas.

4. Pyongyang

A tradition-bound city of historical significance, Pyongyang is the capital of North Korea. With a history of being the capital of many dynasties, Pyongyang has long been one of the economic centers of Korea. Citizens of Pyongyang raise livestock and crops in the suburbs of the city to supply themselves with staple and secondary foods. There is also a wealth of underground resources such as coal, lime and other sources of power, making it an excellent location as the central industrial zone.

5. Demilitarized Zone

Korea's DMZ was established after the signing of the Armistice of the Korean War on July 27, 1953. At the signing, the front line between the two Koreas was marked as the Military Demarcation Line. Both Koreas have established their own borders 2 km from the MDL, resulting in a buffer zone that is 4 km wide and covers an area of 992 square meters. As the general public's access to the DMZ has been tightly controlled for more than half a century, the DMZ is seen as one of the most well-protected natural reserves in Asia. Although it serves as a reminder of the struggles and the sufferings of the Korean people, it paradoxically embodies a dynamic history of nature and life as it is a form of restoration in its one way.

6. Mount Geumgang

Mount Geumgang is one of the three sacred mountains, along with Jiris and Halla. Its Korean name "Geumgangsan," means "diamond mountain." One of the extraordinary findings on Mount Geumgang is the calligraphy engraved on the rocks. During the Joseon Dynasty, visitors had made it a customary practice to inscribe their names or improvised poems on the rocks at famous sites. The surviving inscriptions have become a symbol of the country's history.

7. Mount Baekdu

Koreans often compare the shape of the Korean Peninsula to a crouching tiger ready to leap upwards at any moment. Baekdudaegan (Baekdu Mountain range) is the backbone of this tiger, with Mount Baekdu as the tiger's head. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as the ancestral home for all Koreans and has been worshipped as a sacred and spiritual mountain.

Of the many animals that reside in the sacred mountain, Baekdu tigers are the most renowned. Also known as the Korean tiger or Siberian tiger, they are famous for their enormous stature and beauty of their distinct fur patterns. Though tigers are the most familiar animal to Koreans throughout history, the Mount Baekdu area is the only place in Korea that they can be found. Currently, North Korea has designated Mount Baekdu as a protection zone for tigers.

8. Hunmin jeongeum

Hangeul is one of the few written languages whose creators and time of creation are clearly recorded. So far, there is no other known case of a particular figure inventing a new alphabetical system as the official script of a nation.

King Sejong, the fourth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, devised Hangeul in 1443 and proclaimed its use in 1446. Hunmin jeongeum refers to a book in which the preface states a philosophy expressing the need for the Korean people to have their own writing system that expresses the language of everyday speech. Both phonetic and phonemic, the Hangeul language is composed of 24 basic letters: 14 consonants and 10 vowels, the combination of which produces almost all possible sounds. As well as the linguistic creation itself, the recorded philosophy behind the creation is another proud cultural achievement for Koreans.

9. The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty

The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty is a collection of books that chronically record the history of the Joseon period from the first monarch, King Taejo, to the 25th monarch, King Cheoljong. It is composed of 888 books in 1,893 volumes. Along with hunmin jeongeum, the Annals were collectively listed as a Memory of World Register by UNESCO in October 1997. Annals are accounts of history recorded by the incumbent king of the events that occurred during the reign of the previous king. Providing an invaluable source of historical information, they were compiled by state historiographers after the death of the previous king using a chronological format of year, month, and date.

10. Tripitaka Koreana

Tripitaka Koreana is the largest and the most comprehensive collection of Buddhist scriptures in woodblocks that was made in the 13th century. The production of the Tripitaka Koreana is closely related to the destruction of the original set of Goryeo Tripitaka and the national crisis. In 1231, the 18th year of King Gojong's reign, Mongolian troops advanced into the capital of Goryeo, destroying the Goryeo Tripitaka by fire. The ruling class of Goryeo believed that the way to defeat Mongolia was through spiritual help. The act of carving woodblocks became a way of invoking Buddha's help and thereby bringing about a change in fortune. Inspired and encouraged by these aspirations of the Goryeo people, the ministers at the helm of state affairs launched a project of carving the woodblocks of a new tripitaka in 1236. The Tripitaka Koreana was completed in 1251 and is today preserved at Janggyeong Panjeon (Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana), a treasure trove housing 80,000 blocks in two houses at Haeinsa.

11. Hanbok

Hanbok refers to the traditional Korean garment. Hanbok combined the dress styles of China with traditions of Korea to create the unique patterns in the Joseon Dynasty. The colors of hanbok were designed based on the Oriental philosophy of yin and yang and wu-xing (five elements: fire, water, wood, metal, and earth). The colors were a combination of white, blue, black, red, and yellow. Colorful silk was mostly used by the ruling class, whilst middle and low class wore white garments made of cotton or hemp. Though the tradition of wearing hanbok has declined, Koreans, especially female family members, continue to wear it at weddings and ceremonies.

12. Hanok

Hanok is the name given to a traditional Korean house. The history of hanok goes back more than 1,000 years. The term hanok, which literally translates to "Korean House," was used to distinguish Korean-style houses from the Western or Japanese houses that began to appear in Korea in the 20th century.

The "anbang" and "sarangbang" divisions within the hanok are partly based on ethical teachings of neo-Confucianism called "bubuyubyeol" (husband and wife should treat each other with decorum and formality). These values were recognized as the most significant proprieties in human relations and were embodied into the structure of a hanok by distinguishing the anbang and the sarangbang.

13. Kimchi

People from all parts of the world have long been making pickled vegetables using salt or vinegar. Kimchi, however, is different from these dishes because it is preserved in low density brine and mixed with other ingredients such as garlic, pickled fish and even oysters.

Before the invention of kimchi refrigerators, Korean housewives preserved kimchi in earthenware pots. During the winter season, these jars were buried under ground for preservation. However, since the invention of kimchi refrigerators in early 1990s, they have become one of the most essential household appliances in Korea.

Though it is merely a side dish, kimchi has become such a staple on the Korean table that Koreans are often identified by non-Koreans with the equation, "Korean = Kimchi." Such attachment has grown stronger in tandem with the nation's economic growth.

14. Bibimbap

The noun "bibim," meaning "mixture," is derived from the verb "bibida," meaning "to mix together." "Bap" means "boiled rice." Bibimbap, therefore, is the mixture of rice with a variety of ingredients. Though traditionally sesame oil was added on top as the main sauce for the dish, it has almost completely been replaced with red chili paste.

Some say bibimbap originated from the custom of partaking in sacrificial food and drink - a sacred rite or memorial service for ancestors is a custom integral to the Korean culture. Another origin is related to farming. It is said that farmers' housewives prepared meals that could be eaten outdoors without the necessity of table and numerous side dishes and thus came up with the idea of a bibimbap. Today, bibimbap is regarded as a type of fast food. Riding with the wave of modernization since the 1990s, it has become a convenient dish for modern customers, able to satisfy them with its simple and quick nature at a reasonable price.

15. Bulgogi

Bulgogi is made from thinly sliced grilled beef or pork seasoned with soybean sauce or soybean paste, green onions, garlic, salt with parched sesame, pepper and sugar.

Unlike steak, which is only a thick cut of meat, bulgogi is thinly sliced and seasoned with soy sauce. It has two distinct contrasting flavors: the salty taste of beans from the soybean sauce which has been fermented for two or three years, and the sweet taste of meat broth. Bulgogi is usually cooked in a large pan, mixing boiled rice with the broth from the meat. Another way of eating bulgogi is using lettuce to wrap rice, soybean paste, garlic, and kimchi along with the meat.

16. Korean ginseng

Korean ginseng, also known as "Goryeo insam," is a perennial herb in the family of Araliaceae. A plant with light green flowers that blossom in April, ginseng is grown wild in deep mountainous areas or also cultivated. Since the 1950s, it has been widely acknowledged in medical studies, to relieve fatigue, facilitate the growth of reproductive cells, and lower blood sugar levels.

The English word "ginseng" derives from the Cantonese "jenshen." It is currently called "renshen" in Chinese, which literally means "man root," referring to its shape of a man and his legs. While it is known as ginseng in the West, Koreans call it "insam." Since its trade to China and Japan around the 12th century, it has become a product conveying the image of Korea.

17. Taekwondo

Taekwondo is beyond a mere sport in that it is also an embodiment of martial arts philosophy. Behind the development of taekwondo lies the philosophy of traditional Korean martial arts which focuses on virtues such as: rendering loyalty to the nation with martial arts in cases of crisis; protecting the self and weak persons from outside attacks; and most fundamentally, cultivating the mind and the body. The teachings of taekwondo begin with the education of moral values and the sense of observing etiquette between masters and students or between seniors and juniors.

18. Pansori

Not dissimilar from the recitatio of ancient Rome, pansori is the song-style music of ancient Korea where a sori-ggun (professional singer) conveys a long story with singing, narration, and gestures accompanied by a gosu (drummer).

A pansori performance is made up three elements: the singer, who produces dramatic vocal music, alternating from characters of animals, ghosts, and even thunder; the drummer, who provides long and short beats as accompaniment to the singer; and last but not least, the audience. The audience plays a crucial role by not simply enjoying the music, but also partaking in the performance. Voluntarily producing short shoutings called "chuimsae," such as "eolssigu" (hurrah!) or "jotta" (whoopee!), these encourage the singer and make the performance more enjoyable.

19. Arirang

Originally, Arirang was the title of a specific folk song with the refrain: arirang arirang arariyo. But it has now come to refer to a genre of folk songs indigenous to Gyeonggi Province, known as "bonjo arirang" ("bongo" meaning "original").

Arirang became popular in the 1920s, likely linked with the success of the 1926 film "Arirang" directed by Na Un-gyu. Na had made a remake of the existing folksong Arirang for the soundtrack, as a result of which, the folk song spread across the nation with the success of the film. Professional artists started performing Arirang as a part of traditional Korean music, and soon, it became known as a major traditional Korean folk song representing Korea. Some call it the new folk song of Korea.

20. Gut

Gut refers to a religious rite where a "mudang" (usually translated as a shaman) sets offerings to a spirit on an altar, and sings, dances, prays for interference in the fortunes and misfortunes of human affairs. The ritual is another integral aspect of traditional Korean culture.

In Korea, shamanism refers to a belief in shamans who contact spirits to help people in crisis. It is believed that a person can become a shaman either by inheritance or by self-election. In northern regions on Korea, shamans are usually self-elected, whereas in the southern areas, they tend to inherit their position.

21. Filial piety

In an epigram in "The Analects of Confucius," in answer to Men Wubo's question "what is filial piety?" Confucius said, "give your mother and father nothing to worry about beyond your physical well-being." Filial piety ("hyo" in Korean) is defined as "a socially installed attitude or behavior of children reflecting their devotion and reverence for their parents." It is one of the core values of Confucianism and has established itself as one of the most cherished virtues in Korea and other East Asian societies - along with "chung" (loyalty to the nation).

In contemporary society, it has gained some negative connotations because of its strict rules of hierarchy. However, proponents of Confucianism argue that it is an interaction of mutual consideration by both parents and children, revealing maturity through self-restraint and consideration for others.

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