Busan

Mongolian citizens need a visa for South Korea. Apply for a C-3-9 tourist visa at the Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC) in Ulaanbaatar: a single-entry visa valid for 3 months, stay up to 90 days. The visa fee is waived for ordinary passport holders; you pay only the centre's 57,000₮ service fee. Proof of funds such as bank statements is required.

Tip: Get the visa first, then buy the ticket, and nothing is at risk. K-ETA is for visa-exempt nationalities — Mongolian citizens don't need it.

From 2026 Korea no longer uses paper arrival cards: within 3 days before your flight, enter your passport, flight and hotel at e-arrivalcard.go.kr. It is free — beware of look-alike sites that charge a fee.

Hospitals in Korea are expensive, so travel insurance is a must. Cards work almost everywhere, but markets and small eateries need cash — get some won in Ulaanbaatar or from a bank ATM after landing.

Tip: For summer holidays, Chuseok and Seollal, book Haeundae hotels early.

Take the Busan–Gimhae Light Rail (BGL) to Sasang for ₩1,600 with a T-money card, then change to metro Line 2. The light rail and the metro are charged separately. Haeundae is a little over an hour by metro.

Limousine buses leave from outside the terminal: the Haeundae/Gijang line costs ₩9,500, the Seomyeon/Bujeon line ₩7,500; roughly hourly. No changes, so it is easier with big suitcases or children.

There is a taxi rank outside arrivals; hail one with Kakao T and you won't need to explain the address in Korean. Save your hotel's address in Korean script on your phone.

If your phone supports eSIM, install an Airalo or KT/SKT tourist eSIM before the flight — it works the moment you land, with no airport queue.

Tip: Install Naver Map in Ulaanbaatar and switch it to English before you go.

The arrivals hall at Gimhae has KT, SKT and LG U+ counters: show your passport and get a tourist SIM or eSIM. The counters may not be open yet when the early-morning flight lands, so an eSIM is more reliable.

A rechargeable tap card for the metro, buses, taxis and shops; buy it at convenience stores (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven) and top it up with cash. A one-zone metro ride costs ₩1,600 by card, two zones ₩1,800; transfers to buses are discounted.

Unlimited rides on metro Lines 1–4 for a day cost ₩6,000, three days ₩13,000. Not valid on the light rail, the Donghae Line or buses — worth it only from the fourth metro ride of the day.

The metro doesn't reach Haedong Yonggungsa, Gamcheon village or Taejongdae — take a bus or taxi. Board buses at the front and tap your card, then tap again at the rear door when you get off. From Haeundae, the Donghae Line train is the fast way to Gijang and Osiria.

Visa and Mastercard work in most shops, restaurants and taxis. Withdraw cash from bank or convenience-store ATMs marked 'Global ATM'. Few places in Korea exchange tugrik, so bring US dollars and change them at the exchange booths in Nampo or Haeundae.

Spend over ₩15,000 in one purchase at a 'Tax Free' shop and you can reclaim VAT. For purchases up to ₩1,000,000 the shop deducts it on the spot when you show your passport (up to ₩5,000,000 per trip); the rest is refunded at the airport.

Pick live fish, shellfish and octopus downstairs and the restaurants upstairs cook them for you — sashimi (hoe), grilled fish, stew. Ask the price before you choose and watch the weighing.

Tip: Go early in the morning — freshest and least crowded.

Dwaeji gukbap — Busan's famous pork soup with rice; milmyeon — cold, thin noodles (summer); ssiat hotteok — sweet seed-filled pancakes (Nampo); eomuk — fish cake; Gijang shellfish and eel. With children, fried chicken and gimbap are everywhere.

Tip: No tipping in restaurants; side dishes (banchan) are free and refilled on request.

Gimbap, ramyeon and ready meals at GS25, CU and 7-Eleven are cheap and open 24 hours. Street food at Gukje Market and BIFF Square, and 'bunsik' snack bars in Haeundae and Seomyeon — tteokbokki, sundae, twigim.

Police 112, ambulance and fire 119 — free, 24 hours. The 1330 Korea Travel Helpline answers in English 24 hours a day and can connect you to the police or ambulance with three-way interpreting.

Swim only in flagged, lifeguarded areas; swimming is banned when the red flag is up. When a typhoon arrives in late summer or early autumn, flights and ferries may be suspended — follow the official alerts that come to your phone.

Pusan National University Hospital has an international healthcare centre for foreign patients. Dong-A University Hospital and Haeundae Paik Hospital have emergency departments. For minor ailments a pharmacy (약국) is enough. Call your insurer's assistance line first.

Young people don't sit in the pink (pregnancy) or senior seats on the metro. No loud phone calls, queue properly, and stand on the right on escalators.

At temples such as Haedong Yonggungsa keep quiet and don't photograph in front of people praying. People live in Gamcheon village: no photos into homes or windows, no noise, no litter.

Wait for the eldest to pick up their spoon before eating; never stand chopsticks upright in rice. Pour drinks for elders with both hands. In jjimjilbang and saunas the nude bathing areas are separated by sex — wash before entering.

Google Maps gives almost no walking or driving directions in Korea — use Naver Map or KakaoMap. Both have English menus and show metro and bus routes with real-time timetables.

Kakao T — hail a taxi and see the fare estimate. Papago — the best Korean translator, reads menus and signs with the camera; showing your phone in a restaurant is normal.

e-Arrival Card — the online border card. The Visit Busan site — festivals, beach season and sightseeing news. The 1330 helpline can also be reached by chat on Kakao Talk.

Take the light rail or the limousine bus to the airport. The direct flight leaves Busan late at night, so leave your bags at the hotel or in a metro locker and enjoy the day. Plan to be at the airport 2–3 hours before an international flight.

VAT not deducted in the shop is refunded at the TAX REFUND kiosks in Gimhae's international terminal — carry the receipts and the goods together. The T-money balance can be refunded in cash at a convenience store, or keep the card for your next trip.