South Korea is a country swathed in green, prodding its stony fingers skyward, and the Koreans are a people obsessed with nature, and with mountains in particular. Wherever you travel, you'll see Koreans out in the open air, clad in the latest adventure fashions, pushing ever onward and upward.

With China looming to its west and Japan nudging it from the east, it's no wonder the country has played unwilling host to centuries of war games. But no matter how many times its neighbors try to swallow it, South Korea manages to survive intact.

The South Koreans have turned their hand to just about any art form you can name. Traditional music is similar to that of Japan and China, with an emphasis on strings. The two main forms are the stately chongak and the folksier minsogak. Seoul is not just a city but also a showpiece of modern and traditional architecture; don't miss the city gates and the Chosun-era Gyeongbokgung