South Korea suggested itinerary

The Lonely Planet guide suggests an itinerary along the lines of:
Sokcho (Seoraksan) --> Samcheok --> Andong (Hahoe Folk Village) --> Gyeongju --> Busan

How do they expect me to get between these destinations, would it be with public transport or a hire car?
If with a hire car, do the hire car companies allow you to pick up in one location and return in another?

Public transportation between these places is easier. A rental car in Korea is really just a hassle, in my opinion.

From Sokcho, you can take a bus to Samcheok (bus; 11,100KRW; 3hrs). It runs three times a day.
From Samcheok to Andong is a little more difficult... You can take a bus to bus to Taebaek (태백); (5,400KRW; 1hr10min) and then take a second bus to Andong (14,100KRW; 3hrs).
From Andong to Gyeongju, the bus is 12,000KRW and just 1hr45min.
From Gyeongju to Busan, you can get a bus for 4,000KRW that takes just 1hr.

For bus schedules, you can check The Official Korea Tourism Site.

I agree with pskully above about taking public transport. I've taken buses all over the country and they've always been very comfortable and 99% of the time they leave on schedule.
The only difference I would suggest is instead of taking a bus from Sokcho to Samcheok, take a bus from Sokcho to Gangneung and then another from Gangneung to Samcheok. The bus from Sokcho to Samcheok will likely stop in Gangneung anyway, but the buses leave much more frequently (probably every 10-20 minutes) for both routes. That saves you having to plan around the Sokcho to Samcheok schedule and can just catch the next bus when you arrive at the Sokcho Bus Terminal, and get on another one within 10 minutes of arriving in Gangneung to get to Samcheok.

Jason

I second what has been said, buses all the way. I, by the way, did a similar Itinerary without knowing it is recommended in the LP guide. I do have to say though that I was not impressed by the folk village in Andong. I have a travel blog, and you can find pictures, tips and impressions of what I saw in these links:

Visiting Sokcho with a great tip on where to sleep.

Visiting Gyeongju

On Seoul

Feel free to get back to me if you have any more questions!

Federico
www.maitravelsite.com</a>

I do agree with JasonInJapan about stopping in Gangneung, but if you're especially pressed for time it seems that a direct bus Sokcho to Samcheok is a good option. However, if time is not a huge concern, I'd recommend making a brief stop (maybe a day?) in Gangneung before heading on to Samcheok. That's my plan, once the rain lets up (and I get some holiday).

@ fedarr Just an aside, I checked your link to "On Seoul", and I noticed that you have some pictures mislabeled. The first picture you have is a place building (Changdeokgung's Injeongjeon), and the second picture is the Cheonggyecheon walk, not the Han River. ^^

Thanks for the tips- captions adjusted!

Intercity bus- just ask around for the "shiway bus terminal" and then buy tickets for your next destination.

Korea has a great intercity bus network.