Buddhists parading with lighted paper lanterns
Robed guards parading before a pagoda
Workers picking tea leaves in a green field
An elderly man painting Korean symbols
Pig heads and other pork products in a market stall
A pond reflecting two classic pagodas
People strolling along a restored creek in Seoul
A Buddhist monk displaying a hand-carved wooden tablet
Colorful eaves of pagoda roofs beneath a blue sky
A Korean pastor holding a cross and a candle
Two people in colorful costumes at a traditional celebration
Soldiers patrolling a snowy ridge along the DMZ
Rows of golden Buddha statues
1 of 13
Buddhist Lantern Parade, Seoul
Koreans carry colorful lanterns to celebrate the birthday of Buddha, the “awakened one.” No one knows the exact date or even the year of his birth, though tradition says it was some 2,500 years ago. Today, about a quarter of South Koreans identify themselves as Buddhists.
Photograph by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

South Korea Photos

See photos of South Korea (including Seoul, Buddhist temples, the DMZ, and more) in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

January 03, 2010

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Get a FREE tote featuring 1 of 7 ICONIC PLACES OF THE WORLD

Go Further