1

Cycling around Jeju-do and staying in a seaside minbak listening to the waves crash against the shore
Realizing that this country is far from conservative when you find out the coffee shop girls want to give you more then just coffee in a tea house dabang!
Climbing Halla-san
Taking in the sunrise from Seongsan Illchulbong on Jeju-do
Experiencing the morning sunrise from the monastery on Dolsando near Yeosu
Drinking with Korean men and seeing them stand up and give frequent speaches and yell Oi! while buying you beer and feeding you eel and all manner of things each of which is "good for man"
Eating a Korean BBQ with copious amounts of soju and winding up with a bunch of naked Korean women in a singing room and wondering why your wallet is empty the next morning
Attempting to speak some Korean with an ajumma (married or older women) who then thinks you are fluent who then speaks to you at 1000 miles an hour while you nod your head politely while interested onlookers stifle fits of laughter
Spending a night on Heuksando and Hongo and sampling some raw fish and soju
Experiencing the sprawling temple complex of Guinsa
Strolling around a temple in the evening and experiencing the multicoloured glowing lanterns during Buddha's Birthday
Getting a free bibimbap in a temple on Buddha's Birthday
Hiking in Jirisan and staying in a hut while unruly Koreans get smashed on soju and walk around and start offering you food
Hiking Worak-san, spending the night in a minbak and taking in the magnificent view from the summit while on the way down watching millions or gore-tex clad trendy hikers make their way up the hill
Going to a Korean sauna, not for the shy
Cycling around Gyeongju National Park
Sipping some tea at Boseong
Hadong tea festival
Walking around the magnificent gardens on Oe-do off Geoje-do
Hiking Wolchul-san from end to end
Hiking Maisan and stopping off at Tapsa and finishing off with a delicious meal taken off the BBQ
Hiking Naejan-san in autumn
OK I wouldn't advise all the above to friends and family but they are some of my experiences, many of which involve alcohol as Koreans tend to do everything with 100% effort which includes drinking.

2

Great post, thanks very much. A few more posts like this and I will have all I need.

Thanks again

3

Eating Bindaeddeok and drinking Makkeolli at a stall in Gwangjang Market- Seoul.

4

Scuba diving with the sharks in Busan Aquarium, and then seeing the spectacle of close to a million people rammed together on Haeundae beach.

5

National Contemporary Musuem is worth a visit and some tuned down for 1/2 a day in Seoul. The open sculptures are interesting.

6

See ssirieum (korean sumo)
Go to a traditional shaman and see their "knife dance" ( never did this, regret it now)
Go to a child's first year birthday party and watch the ceremony to predict their life
Go shopping in Dongdaemun all night
Go out partying in Itaewon all night
Go to Hongdae for clubnight once a month and join the swarming crowds, and party all night
Get your hair braided or eat kimbap and octopus on skewers and with the Nigerian dudes in Itaewon's African alley
Go to the teahouse with the little birds flying around in Insadong
Go to a traditional bathhouse and soak in a hot tub with an electric-current machine (under the water!!!!)
Pick an octopus out of a streetside fishtank and eat it live
See the talking elephant (for real ! Google it!) at Seoul's Everland amusement park...

7

Thanks for all the replies, they will come in very handy and will hopefully make it to the final list.

Thanks

8

Eating ssambap in Gyeongju.

Climbing Ulsan-bawi in Seorak-san park.

Viewing the "Buddha with a hat" statue at Daejosa on the hill above Imcheon.

9

Take a tour to the DMZ and Panmunjeon, you'll sure get goose bumps when a guy with a loaded M16 checks your passport and there are landmines on the side of the road.

10

1. Drinking Dongdong-ju at the Dragon's Cave in Busan (ask any ex-pat, most should be able to tell you how to find it)
2. Hiking up Beomeosa, and finishing at Kebapistan in PNU.
3. Shopping for t-shirts with ridiculous slogans
4. Everything in Gyeongju
5. Trip to Panmunjeom with the USO (you can only go on a guided tour-- might as well be with the USO)
6. Trip to North Korea with Koryo Tours (you can only go on a guided tour and Koryo is awesome!)
7. If you make it into North Korea, you MUST see the Mass Games
8. If you are staying in Korea for a period of time longer than a few weeks, you should be disappointed with yourself for not trying to learn more of the language (I know I was).
9. Shopping for ridiculous things at Artbox.
10. Walking under the PNU/Jangjeon subway stations in Busan to admire the awesome graffiti!!
11. Looking like an idiot as you wear an inflated orange garbage bag on your head and cheer on the Busan Lotte Giants.
12. The Traditional Folk Village in Suwon-- they have some amazing music, dance, horseback, and see-saw performances.
13. The wall in Suwon-- it's a UNESCO World heritage sight.
14. The city of Suwon, itself. They have dubbed themselves the "City of Beautiful Public Toilets". There are 32 beautiful public toilets scattered around the city. If you visit a tourist information booth in Suwon, the will provide you with a free guide to the city, which includes a map to all 32 beautiful toilets. It's a tour that I think the zaniest of travelers would love to take!
15. Buddha's birthday
16. Andong International Mask Dance Festival
17. Boryeong Mud Festival
18. Cherry Blossoms in April and the accompanying festivals
19. Norae Bangs
20. Cheap cheap cheap internet-- be a Korean for a night and spend all night playing games in a PC bang.
21. Zany birthday parties at Junco. Spidermand "rubs up" against you!
22. Penis Park
23. Any of Dong Ha's bars in Pusan (Soul Trane, Moe's, Crossroads, Vinyl Underground, Ol'55)
24. Trying dog soup
25. Being hand-fed weird raw seafood by an ajumma in a seafood market
26. Making facebook albums of all the matching couples you will see at Haeundae
27. Korea is CRAZY around World Cup time!
28. Movies at any time of the day or night
29. Seeing horror flicks on the big screen (example, Saw III)
30. Pusan International Film Festival
31. Pusan International Rock Festival (they got Andrew W K one year)
32. Kino Eye in Kyungsung in Pusan
33. War Museum in Seoul-- even the free part outside of the museum is ridiculously cool!
34. APEC 2005 building in Pusan
35. Busan Modern Art Biennial
36. Making tonnes of money for hardly working
37. Crazy amusement park rides that would never exist in USA/Canada because they are lawsuits waiting to happen (you know, the ride that bumps and spins and the riders do not have seatbelts)
38. Busan Sand Festival-- amazing sand sculptures every year, shooting golf balls into the ocean, sand wrestling
39. Boat cruise around Taejongdae
40. Interacting with the locals-- you never know what might happen with them!

11

Thanks for all the suggestions, they will come in very handy although number 36 on the post before this is a tad cynical and probably won't make it as a reason to come and see Korea.

Thanks

12

Actually, I think that number 36 is a big pull to Korea and a major reason that a lot of ex-pats stay for so long. I can think of a few people who are staying for just that reason! But it's true that there are so many more great things about Korea than what they pay their foreign English teachers. i mean, just look at the other 39 points on my list.