South Korea

South Korea officially the Republic of Korea (Hangul: 대한민국) and commonly referred to as Korea, is a sovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name Korea is derived from the Kingdom of Goryeo, also spelled as Koryŏ. South Korea shares land borders with North Korea to the north, and oversea borders with Japan to the east and China to the west. Roughly half of the country's 50 million people reside in the metropolitan area surrounding its capital, Seoul.

This map postcard came from Sehan Kim (27 July 2015) Direct Swap Postcrossing.

SW DL-281 Cheongamjeong in the Gwonchungjae Historic Site, Bonghwa County

Bonghwa County 봉화군is a county in North Gyeongsang Province.  It lies inland, at the northern edge of the province  and it is ringed by the Taebaek and Sobaek Mountains. Because of this mountainous inland location, Bonghwa has a colder climate than most of the province, with an average annual temperature of 10 °C (50 °F). Bonghwa has a population of approximately 34,000 and 83% of the county area is natural forest.

Gwonchungjae Historic Site, also known as 'Dakshil', is located in Bonghwa County.  This is the historic site of Chungjae Gwon Beol (1478 ~ 1548), an important civil minister during the period of rule by King Jungjong of the Joseon Dynasty.  'Cheongamjeong' was personally built by Chungjae Gwon Beol and 'Seokjeonjeongsa' was built by Cheongam Gwon Dong-bo the eldest son of Chungjae. These buildings are preserved here. The surrounding area is filled with rich pine forests and beautiful rocks.  In 'Taengniji', a book of geography, Lee Jung-hwa, a scholar of the positive school of thinking during the middle years of the Joseon Dynasty, recorded this area as one of the most remarkable scenic spots in Korea.

 

This postcard shows Cheongamjeong and was sent by J Kim (12 September 2014) Swap-bot.

SW BC-081 Bulguksa (불국사) South Korea

Bulguksa (불국사) is located on the slopes of mount Toham (Jinheon-dong, Gyeongju 경주 city, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea). The temple is considered as a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art in the Silla kingdom. It is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and contains seven National treasures of South Korea, including Dabotap and Seokgatap stone pagodas, Cheongun-gyo (Blue Cloud Bridge), and two gilt-bronze statues of Buddha.

The temple is classified as Historic and Scenic Site No. 1 by the South Korean government. In 1995, Bulguksa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Seokguram Grotto, which lies four kilometers to the east.

During its peak, Bulguksa Temple contained 80 buildings. In 1972, the last of the restoration works were completed to the nearly 24 buildings that now stand on the Bulguksa Temple grounds.

This postcard was sent by Jun H. Kim (8 May 2014) Swap-bot.