The Korean peninsula is divided in two politically, and one could not find two opposites more striking than north and South Korea. The South is prosperous and tourist-friendly, the North is impoverished and isolated. South Korea is the repository and all thins Korean - temples, palaces, fortresses, battlefields, interestiing cities, and well-developed facilities. Seoul, a city of some 24,000,000 people, is one of the great cities of the world. Although a Republic, royal palaces abound and are treasured. Our cover picture shows lovely young ladies dressed in traditional gowns, visiting such a palace in Seoul.