Life's Theater

A word of caution if you are going to Korea - Koreans are an ethnocentric race, preferring to speak nothing out of their Korean language, with few translations of their road signs, street names and landmarks. Even hotels/tourist spots restaurant menus are predominantly in Korean.

I managed to find a handful of English phrases only in Lotte Hotel, which is considered "international" by their standards. If you ever find yourself with a query and approach them in English or Mandarin, chances are, that encounter would only be marred by your frustration in the face of the stupendous language barrier.

So, if you are going to Korea, do yourself a favor and learn some commonly used Korean phrases first, lest you become like me and have to resort to "sign language" to communicate your intentions or questions.