By Lyudmila Mikheesku

I love to travel alone. I have already traveled to Korea by myself twice.

When I talked to Koreans I met while traveling there, many of them often asked me, “With whom are you traveling?” When I answer that I'm traveling by myself, they get surprised and ask me whether I find it dangerous to travel alone. What they say surprises me as well.

I believe Korea is a country safe enough to travel alone for five reasons.

First, at least in Seoul or other metropolitan cities, non-Koreans who cannot speak Korean can travel comfortably. In Seoul, for example, English is widely used as if it's the second official language. Along streets and roads, subway broadcasts, menus in restaurants or cafes, you can find many signs written in English. In Seoul, it seems to be rare to get lost just because you're unable to speak the Korean language. Not only service workers, but also ordinary people speak English, with some being very fluent. If a non-Korean visitor asks a question in Korean, it's common to see many Koreans answer them in English.

Secondly, Korea has a low crime rate and maintains good security.
In Korea, there's a relatively low risk of pickpockets or losing one’s belongings. Even late at night, I still feel safe to be on the streets. The country has never been attacked by terrorists. Although many overseas tourists worry about North Korea, I've never seen any South Koreans who are afraid of their neighbor in the North. It seems that only the Western media fear Pyongyang.

The third reason is the fact that Koreans are caring people who are willing to help others.
As far as I know, and based on my experience, when someone asks a Korean about directions, they're normally kind enough to explain and guide them in-person to the destination.

Whenever I pause to read a sign in a subway station, someone approaches me to ask if I need help, speaking English. I met many Koreans that way and I feel grateful to them.

If you're shy to talk to Koreans, find an information center near you. You can find many such centers, especially in large cities.

Another reason is that Korea has one of the highest penetrations of the internet and some of the fastest internet speeds in the world. From large cities to rural areas, and from subways to temples deep inside the forests, one can use the internet almost everywhere in Korea. What’s more, it's so fast! In Korea, I can contact my parents, family members and friends anytime, which makes me feel comfortable.

Last, but least, is the convenient public transportation.

In Korea, anyone can move anywhere by bus, subway or train at a relatively low fare. Thanks to convenient public transportation, I don’t feel the need to rent a car to drive by myself. I can even check the timetable for buses and trains on the internet.

Traveling somewhere new always makes me tremble with excitement and fear. However, I believe it's really safe to travel to Korea alone. I recommend you travel to Korea. It's a wonderful place!

Lyudmila Mikheesku is a photo editor at the Russian media company Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Translated by Yoon Sojung, Korea.net Staff Writer.