Environment

South Korea has its northern border with (unsurprisingly) North Korea. It faces China to the west across the West Sea/Yellow Sea, and Japan to the east across the East Sea/Sea of Japan. The line dividing the south from the north runs roughly along the 38th parallel. South Korea is a little bit bigger than Portugal, and most of the country, particularly the east coast, is covered in mountains - the highest is Hallasan at 1950m (6396ft).

Korea's history has been plagued by wars, all of which have taken their toll on the environment. When under the control of the Japanese, it was thoroughly logged and mined to support their war effort. However, South Korea is now reforesting with a vengeance. In the north of the country the environment is alpine, with plenty of beech, fir and pine trees. This is the only part of the country where native animals are hanging on: you might see black bear and deer. Along the south coast, things get a bit more tropical and the vegetation is lush. This is where Korea grows its ginseng supplies. The country is dotted with 20 national parks, including the very popular Soraksan, Hallasan and Chirisan parks.

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