Traveling to South Korea is not a typical destination for most people given the distance of travel between North America and the Korean Peninsula. It would; however, qualify as the exotic trip for many who are in search of new and different places to spend their Career Break.

From the rugged mountains of the countryside to the cosmopolitan life of the capitol city Seoul, South Korea is a destination worth pursuing as a great vacation. Many people in the western world simply know of South Korea as a place far away where a father or uncle fought during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, but the South Korea of today is a modern, economically developed nation with a high standard of living. Also well-developed is the tourism industry, which is just waiting for adventurous tourists from North America and Europe to come and experience a different part of the world.

Given the costly nature of a trip like flying to South Korea, travellers should ensure that their worldwide travel insurance has been paid before they go. There would be nothing worse than spending thousands of dollars on non-refundable tickets for flights, events, hotels and other items only to have something go wrong like a medical emergency, an accident, or something at home requiring a traveler’s immediate return. This kind of incident would dramatically increase the traveler’s costs, as they would be faced with abandoning plans and purchasing new flight tickets, meals, and accommodations well beyond their expected budgets.

Seoul is the jewel of the Korean crown, and features everything from historic royal palaces to modern shopping (Korean Tourism Organization). Despite that; however, many tourists across the globe are now wondering if Seoul and the rest of Korea are safe destinations, given the obvious increases in political tensions between North and South Korea. To put international traveler’s minds at ease, www.Korea.net reports that 31,151 visitors arrived at Incheon Airport during March/April, which is higher than last year’s total, as 30,408 tourists came through the airport during the same time period when tensions were lower. The same official web site for South Korea has expressed that war is unlikely with North Korea, given the weakened state of the economy and armed forces of North Korea. It is business as usual in South Korea, other than a slightly colder spring.

Amongst traditional attractions, such as shopping and historical landmarks, South Korea features unique museums to satisfy any taste. Some of the museums mentioned by the Korean Tourism Organization include the Korean Museum of Embroidery, the Museum of Traditional Liquor, the Whale Museum, the Korean Furniture Museum, the Glass Museum and many others that travellers will not have seen anywhere else in the world. These many choices contribute to how South Korea has become an international destination of choice for sophisticated travelers since the darker years of the 1950’s. A career break including South Korea would certainly be a trip to remember.

Greg Beck is an avid travel writer who regularly contributes content to the wide travel community on behalf of the prestigious Direct Travel Insurance based in the UK. On occasion he likes to travel himself and especially likes music festivals where this year he will be travelling to Sziget in Croatia.