Passport & Visa

All visitors to the Republic of Korea must have a valid passport and visa. Visitors with roundtrip tickets from countries that have a special agreement with Korea may be exempt from the visa requirement and can stay in Korea Visa-free for periods up to thirty days or ninety days, depending on the type of agreement between the two countries. For more information, please contact the local Korean consulate or embassy in your country or visit the website at www.mofat.go.kr/english/visa/apply/index.jsp
 

Climate & Apparel

The climate of Korea is characterized by four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. It will be midsummer in August, when the IPPC 2010 will be held. The average range of temperature in late-August is around 27.

Taxes

Only foreign tourists can receive nearly 10 percent VAT refunds for purchases at Duty Free shopping outlets. Goods must be taken out of Korea within three months of purchase to be eligible for a tax refund.

How to Get a Tax Refund:
1. Purchase your items at shops with the sign "Tax Free Shopping" and receive receipts for your
    goods purchases.
2. When departing, you need to get a stamp issued from the customs officer by presenting receipts.
3. At the Cash Refund Office in the airport, you can receive VAT refunds.

Tax Free Shopping Outlets include department stores and shops in Myeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong areas. For more information, contact the Global Refund at +82-2-776-2170
 

VAT

A Value-Added Tax (VAT) is levied on most goods and services at a standard rate of 10% and is included in the retail price. At hotels, a 10% VAT is applied to rooms, meals and other services and is included in the bill.

Tipping

Tipping is not customary in Korea. Service charges are included in your bill for rooms, meals and other services at hotels and upscale restaurants. Koreans occasionally do tip when they are especially pleased with the service they receive.

Currency Exchange

The unit of the Korean currency is the Won (). Various notes and coins are used: notes include 1,000/5,000/10,000/50,000 won denominations, while coins include 10/50/100/500 won denominations. As of January 2010, the exchange rate is approximately USD 1 to KRW 1,150 and EUR 1 to KRW 1,620. Please refer to the information on exchange rate before you come to Korea because the exchange rate is subject to market fluctuations.
 

Business Hours

Banks, post offices, and public offices are generally open from 09:30 to 17:00 on weekdays but are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Most of the shops are open from 10:00 to 22:00 through the entire week.

Electricity Supply

The standard electricity supply is 220-volts AC/60 cycles. Most hotels may provide outlet converters for 110 and 220 volts.

Smoking Regulations

Smoking is prohibited in most public buildings. However, most restaurants have designated smoking areas.

Emergency & Useful Phone Numbers

Local calls
For local calls within the same area or city, just dial the telephone number. For another area or city, please dial the 'area code' before the telephone number. (E.g. For calls from Seoul to Jeju, please dial the area code for Jeju (064) before the telephone number)

However, the area code should be dialed when using a mobile phone.

International Calls
For international calls, first dial the international access code (001,002, or 008), the country code, area code and the recipient's number.

Emergency

Cell-phone Rental Service

Cell-phone Rental Services are available at Incheon International Airport. This service must be ordered in advance. Online reservation can be made at www.Tour2Korea.com. Click here for more information on cell-phone fees, rental locations and online reservations.

Time Differences

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

Liability and Insurance

The Organizing Committee of the IPPC2010 shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, injury or accident that may occur during the conference. Participants are advised to take out adequate travel and health insurance before leaving their respective countries.

Useful Websites