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Getting Around Korea

Subway, bus, taxi, and KTX tips for travelers

T-money card

Korea’s universal transit card works on every subway, bus, and most taxis in the country. Buy one at any convenience store (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) for around 4,000 KRW empty. Recharge with cash at convenience store counters or subway station machines — most have an English mode.

A T-money card is by far the easiest way to get around. You tap on entry, tap on exit, and transfers between subway and bus are discounted automatically within 30 minutes.

Subway

Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, and Daejeon all have subway systems. Seoul’s is one of the world’s largest and most efficient — almost everywhere worth visiting is within a 5-minute walk of a station.

Stations have English signage and announcements. Trains run from about 5:30 am to midnight.

Best maps

Google Maps is unreliable in Korea due to old mapping restrictions. Use these instead:

  • Naver Map (free) — best overall, English mode available
  • Kakao Map (free) — similar coverage, slightly different routing
  • Both work for walking, transit, and driving directions

Taxis

Hail a regular taxi on the street, or call one through KakaoT (free, English mode in the app). All taxis have meters; tipping is not customary.

Common fare types: - Orange/silver taxis: standard rates - Black “Deluxe” taxis: roughly 80% more, larger and English-speaking drivers more common - International taxis: pricier but specifically for foreigners, drivers speak English/Japanese/Chinese

KTX & intercity trains

KTX is Korea’s high-speed rail network. Seoul to Busan in 2.5 hours, Seoul to Gyeongju in 2 hours. Book on the official Korail website (English available), at any station, or via the Korail Talk app.

For destinations without KTX, regular trains (ITX, Mugunghwa) and intercity buses are reliable and cheap.

Buses

City buses are color-coded: - Blue: cross-city main routes - Green: short neighborhood loops - Red: express to suburbs - Yellow: downtown circulars

Tap your T-money card on entry and again on exit. Bus numbers are in the apps above.