Soccer brings travelers to South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea -- This year's soccer World Cup jacked up interest in South Korea, which evolved in just a few decades from a war-torn, impoverished land into a global economic power with a rich historical heritage.

Even before South Korea co-hosted the one-month premier soccer event May 31-June 30, the Asian country was a destination for millions of Japanese, Chinese and other foreign travelers a year. The World Cup brought hundreds of thousands more, many of them from the West.

Outside 10 beautiful stadiums, many foreigners were taken by soccer-crazed Koreans and their hospitality. Visitors mixed freely with millions of red-shirted Koreans who filled the streets of Seoul and elsewhere to cheer their national team.

One prominent rendezvous point was around a giant bronze statue of Lee Sun-shin, a 16th-century Korean admiral said to have defeated a Japanese naval invasion. There, many foreigners sang and danced with Koreans while watching matches on jumbo screens.

Seoul, the capital of 12 million people, is a mix of old and new and surrounded by craggy mountains. Insa-dong in the city center is lined with hundreds of small shops that sell Oriental brushes and other antiques. Nearby Tapgol Park is a popular meeting place for old people to gossip and read newspapers.

Away from the bustling big cities, travelers to the countryside indulge in natural beauty and tranquility.

One major tourist attraction is Bulguk-sa, a seventh-century Buddhist temple near the ancient Korean capital of Gyeongju. Nestled in a steep mountain, it is one of 1,700 Buddhist temples in South Korea.

On a low stepping stone in front of a wooden prayer hall at the temple lie a pair of white rubber shoes. Inside, a gray-robed, shaven-headed monk is deep in meditation, sitting upright and cross-legged.

Bulguk-sa temple, an edifice of exquisite wood and stone, houses many national treasures. Its ceilings, doors and windows are decorated with carvings of the lotus and other Buddhist symbols.

Under a "Temple Stay in Korea" program, 1,000 foreigners stayed briefly at temples throughout the country at a low cost during the World Cup.

The South Korean portion of the World Cup was held in 10 cities, including Seoul, Gyeongju and Daegu. Those host cities are industrial, educational or transportation hubs linking the country.

South Korea is an Indiana-sized country with a population of 47 million. Rising from the ashes of the Korean War a half century ago, the country today has one of the world's biggest economies.