CELLTRION

① Location and Weather

Seoul, the capital city of Korea, is situated on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul belongs to the Temperate Zone featuring four distinctive seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The yearly average temperature of Seoul is 12.2 degrees Celsius. Temperatures in Seoul show large seasonal variation, reaching as high as 38.4 degrees Celsius in the summer and dropping as low as minus 19.2 degrees Celsius in the winter.

According to the cost of living study by consultant William M. Mercer released in July 2001, living costs of Seoul ranked the 10th in the world. The survey covered 144 cities in the world and measured the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location. These include the cost of housing, food, clothing, and household goods, together with transport and entertainment.

② Cost of Living

Rank 2001	Rank 2000	City	Index 2001	index 2000
1	(1)	Tokyo, Japan	134.0	(164.9)
2	(5)	Moscow, Russia	132.4	(136.1)
3	(3)	Hong Kong	130.0	(141.5)
4	(4)	Beijing, China	124.4	(138.3)
5	(2)	Osaka, Japan	116.7	(143.6)
8	(13)	New York City, USA	100.0	(100.0)
10	(7)	Seoul, Korea	95.3	(107.9)
12	(11)	Taipei, Taiwan	92.9	(102.8)
13	(10)	London, UK	92.9	(106.9)
16	(15)	Singapore	86.4	(94.7)
19	(33)	San Francisco, USA	84.4	(84.4)

(Note: The City of New York is the base city with a score of 100 points)

③ Currency and Credit Card

Coin and Notes
	The currency of Korea is Won(\). Coin denominations are 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 Won, but 1 Won and 5 Won coins are rarely used. Notes are 1,000 won, 5,000 won and 10,000 won. Also Bank Checks of 100,000won used as notes, but when you use bank check, you must show your I.D. card or passport.

Money Exchange
Foreign bank notes and traveler's checks can be converted into Korean won at foreign exchange banks and other authorized money changers. The exchange rate is subject to market fluctuations. One U.S. dollar was equivalent to about 1,200 won as of January 2003. You may check daily exchange rate on the lower-left side of the main homepage of ‘Seoul Focus’ at http://english.metro.seoul.kr

Credit Card
Credit cards, including VISA, American Express, Diners Club, Master Card and JCB, are accepted at hotels, department stores, and the restaurants. * VISA: +82-2-524-9827 * Master Card: +82-2-398-2200 * Diners Club: +82-2-222-6100 * American Express: +82-2-552-7600 * JCB: +82-2-755-4977

④ Foreign School

There is no legal limitation preventing foreign children from attending a Korean school if they have an Alien Registration Certificate. However, most foreigners send their children to foreign schools. In Seoul, there are many foreign schools. Parents are advised to visit schools before making their choice.

⑤ Medical Insurance

Foreigners employed by a company that hires more than 5 employees are entitled to Workplace Medical Insurance. Spouses and children are also covered by this insurance. The employer should enroll them in a medical insurance program. Foreign employees are advised to confirm enrollment. Community Medical Insurance is only for the people who are not entitled to Workplace Medical Insurance.

⑥ Subway

Eight subway lines and a surface line of the government-run Korean National Railroad (KNR) merging with them serve Seoulites and visitors most effectively. Colored differently between lines, Seoul subway lines link the farthest parts of Seoul and its satellite cities and cross each other at various transferable stations, marked by the symbol.
In general, subway trains operate at intervals of 2.5 to 3 minutes during the morning and evening rush hours, and at intervals of 4 to 6 minutes during the non-rush hours.

Suggested readings on learning more about living and working in Korea

Lonely Planet Korea
By Martin Robinson, Andrew Bender, Rob Whyte, John Banagan
Edition: Paperback, 6th edition (April 1, 2004), 416 pages

Guide to Doing Business in Korea
American Chamber of Commerce in Korea
2001 Edition, 263 pages

Can be ordered at the following link:
http://www.amchamkorea.org/publications/otherpublications.jsp