South Korea

Seasonal calendar — from climate data and curated definitions.

National holidays — closures and days off.

UNESCO World Heritage sites in this country.

• Changdeokgung Palace Complex

  1997Cultural

  ©

  Changdeokgung is a former royal palace in Seoul, South Korea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Historic Site of South Korea, it is among the best preserved of all Korean palaces. It and its neighboring palace Changgyeonggung have together been called the "East Palace".

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Jongmyo Shrine

  1995Cultural

  Jongmyo (Korean: 종묘) is a Confucian royal ancestral shrine in the Jongno District of Seoul, South Korea. It was originally built during the Joseon period (1392–1897) for memorial services for deceased kings and queens. According to UNESCO, the shrine is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century. Such shrines existed during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period (57–668), but these have not survived. The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

  2009Cultural

  ©

  The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (Korean: 조선왕릉) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site registered in 2009 that includes 40 tombs of members of the House of Yi, which ruled Korea between 1392 and 1910. The tombs are scattered over 18 locations across the Korean Peninsula. They were built to honor the ancestors and their achievements, and assert royal authority. Two other Joseon tombs, located in Kaesong, North Korea, were proposed but not submitted.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Hwaseong Fortress

  1997Cultural

  ©

  Hwaseong Fortress or Suwon Hwaseong is a Korean fortress surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It was built from 1794 to 1796 by King Jeongjo of Joseon to house and honor the remains of his biological father, Crown Prince Sado. Sado had been executed by being locked in a rice chest by his father, King Yeongjo. Located 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Seoul and enclosing much of central Suwon, the fortress includes King Jeongjo's temporary palace. The fortress and enclosed palace were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. It comprises among many other features a perimeter wall, four main gates, and two sluicegates over the Suwoncheon, Suwon's main stream, which flows through the centre of the fortress.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Namhansanseong

  2014Cultural

  ©

  Namhansanseong is a historic Korean fortress city in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fortress lies atop the mountain Namhansan and stretches 12 km in length. It served as an emergency capital city during the 1392–1910 Joseon period. The design is based on fortress architecture of East Asia, embodying aspects of four historical cultural styles: Joseon of Korea, the Azuchi-Momoyama Period of Japan, and Ming and Qing China.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong

  2010Cultural

  ©

  The Hahoe Folk Village is a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty, located in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The 'Ha' is short for river and 'hoe' means to 'turn around, return, come back.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites

  2000Cultural

  

  The Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites are the location of hundreds of stone dolmens which were used as grave markers, and for ritual purposes during the first millennium BCE when the Megalithic Culture was prominent on the Korean Peninsula. The sites were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. The Korean Peninsula is home to over 35,000 dolmens, accounting for approximately 40% of the world's total; the Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa sites are themselves home to over 1,000 dolmens.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes

  2007Natural

  ©

  The Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes is a World Heritage Site in Jeju Province, South Korea. It was inscribed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2007 because of the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System and the exhibition of diverse and accessible volcanic features which are considered to demonstrate a distinctive and valuable contribution to the understanding of global volcanism.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Gyeongju Historic Areas

  2000Cultural

  ©

  Gyeongju Historic Areas is a World Heritage Site in Gyeongju, South Korea that was designated by UNESCO in 2000. The protected areas encompass the ruins of temples and palaces, outdoor pagodas and statuary, and other cultural artifacts left by the Koreanic kingdom Silla.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
• Baekje Historic Areas

  2015Cultural

  The Baekje Historic Areas (Korean: 백제역사유적지구) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of eight monuments in three cities in South Korea: Gongju, Buyeo, and Iksan. They relate to the last period of the Koreanic kingdom Baekje, representing the period from 475 to 660 CE.

  Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)