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South Korea Transit 1 city
Seoul's Metro is enormous — more than twenty lines across the capital region — and among the best signed in the world for a visitor who reads no Korean.
How to ride
The full written guide for each city — fares, the interchanges that matter, rides worth planning around, and local etiquette. Tap a city to open its guide.
Seoul — the Metro
Seoul's metro is enormous, spotless, and gloriously cheap, with everything signed in English and Korean. Buy a rechargeable T-money card at any convenience store or station machine, tap in and tap out, and transfers between lines (and to buses) are free or discounted within a time window. The circular Line 2 strings together most of what you came for.
What it costs (indicative)
| Ride | Typical fare | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Metro ride (T-money) | ~1,400–1,600 won | By distance; free/discounted line and bus transfers |
| Incheon Airport (AREX) | ~4,150 won all-stop | Or the express (~11,000 won, ~43 min to Seoul Station) |
| Gimpo Airport | ~1,500 won | Lines 5 and 9 and the AREX reach it directly |
The interchanges that matter
- City Hall & Jongno 3-ga — the old-town core, where Lines 1, 2, 3 and 5 meet by the palaces.
- Seoul Station — Lines 1 and 4, the KTX high-speed trains, and the Airport Railroad.
- Dongdaemun History & Culture Park — the DDP, where Lines 2, 4 and 5 converge amid the 24-hour malls.
- Gangnam & Sadang — the big southern transfers on the Line 2 loop.
Rides worth planning around
- Palaces & Bukchon — Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung and Anguk for the grand palace, the hanok village and Insadong.
- Myeongdong & N Seoul Tower — Line 4 to Myeongdong for shopping and street food, and the cable car up Namsan.
- Hongdae & Gangnam — the Line 2 loop to Hongik Univ for indie nightlife, or Gangnam for the glossy side.
- Itaewon — Line 6 for the city's most international food and bars.
- Incheon Airport (ICN) — the Airport Railroad from Seoul Station, about 43 minutes on the express.
Etiquette & tickets
- The pink/blue priority seats at car ends are left empty for the elderly, pregnant and disabled, even when the train is packed.
- Keep it quiet; no calls, and no eating on the train.
- Stand on the right of escalators, and queue on the platform markings.
- Get a T-money card — it works on the metro, buses, taxis and in convenience stores.