SOUTH KOREA GENERAL RISK ASSESSMENT
City & Country
Dates of travel
Students affected
South Korea
July 2016 to June 2017
Study abroad students going to
South Korea
Prepared by
Date
Sussex Abroad Office
11h April 2016
Before you go
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides travel advice by country. It covers safety and security, local laws and customs, entry requirements,
health and natural disasters along with a host of other useful information. We strongly recommend that students read the section related to their destination
prior to departure and before undertaking any trip to another part of the county/region.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-korea
Visa regulations:
Please check regulations relating to visas on the Republic of Korea Embassy website:
http://gbr.mofat.go.kr/english/eu/gbr/main/index.jsp
Passport visa regulations:
Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 3 months from the date of entry into South Korea.
Emergency number: For emergency assistance, call 112 for police (an interpretation service is available during working hours) and 119 for ambulance and
fire. The Korean National Police operates a 24-hour, 7 day a week central interpretation centre where foreigners can report crimes telephone: 112).
Vaccinations: Visit your health professional at least 4 to 6 weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures.
Country specific information and advice is published by the National Travel Health Network and Centre on the TravelHealthPro website:
http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/locations/malaysia/#Vaccine_recommendations
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Type
Crime/security:
Nature of the Hazards
Crime against foreigners is rare but there
are occasional isolated incidents. While
most reported crimes are thefts, there
have been some rare cases of assaults,
including sexual assaults, particularly
around bars and nightlife areas.
Procedures to minimise risks
Take extra care of passports, credit cards and money in
crowded areas and be careful in areas visited by foreigners,
like Itaewon. Take care when travelling alone at night and only
use legitimate taxis or public transport.
Political Situation
The level of tension on the Korean
peninsula can change with little notice. It
increased after the sinking of the South
Korean Navy Ship Cheonan and an
artillery attack against Yeonpyeong Island
in 2010, when DPRK carried out two
missile tests in 2012, after nuclear tests in
2013 and January 2016, and during
regular South Korean-US military
exercises.
If you’re in the border region, you should follow the advice of
the local authorities.
Travel
In 2012 there were 5,392 road deaths in
South Korea.
Watch out for motorcycles travelling at speed on pavements.
Drugs
Penalties for possession, use and
trafficking of illegal drugs can result in long
jail sentences and heavy fines. This
applies even to personal use of small
amounts of marijuana. British nationals
have been detained solely on the basis of
drug tests.
Don’t become involved with drugs of any kind. Carry some form
of identification at all times and make sure your next-of-kin
details have been entered into the back of your passport.
Health
In spring there’s a risk of tick-borne
disease across Korea.
The National Disease Control and Prevention Centre advise all
people taking part in leisure activities on grass to wear long
sleeved shirts/tops and trousers.
Natural Disasters
The typhoon season normally runs from
You should monitor the progress of approaching storms on the
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June to November.
Korean Meteorological Administration website and follow any
advice given by the local authorities. See the FCO tropical
cyclones page for advice about what to do if you are caught up
in a typhoon.
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