Staying in Seoul for three days or more
A short-term Climate Card. Four rides a day already beats single fares, and buses and bikes are included.
GETTING AROUND
The Seoul subway is not as scary as it looks
More than twenty lines, but only a handful of things actually confuse people — from choosing a card to the express-train trap
TRANSIT CARDS
Which card should you buy?
The first decision, and it depends entirely on how far you are going
Also visiting Busan, Gyeongju or elsewhere
T-money. It works nationwide, including taxis and convenience stores.
Your foreign card keeps getting declined
WOWPASS. One card covers exchange and transit, so you are never stuck without cash.
The Climate Card is changing right now
The 30-day pass that Seoul residents used ends on 1 September 2026 and becomes the K-Pass-integrated Climate Card Plus, which only registered Seoul residents can get — so it does not concern visitors. The short-term passes (1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days) continue unchanged. Since March 2026 you can buy them with an overseas-issued card at the new machines in 273 stations on lines 1–8, for roughly a 3.7% fee. Foreign visitors use the physical card, not the mobile version.
기후동행카드 단기권 / Climate Card
1 day 5,000 · 2 days 8,000 · 3 days 10,000 · 5 days 15,000 · 7 days 20,000 KRW
Unlimited Seoul subway, Seoul city and village buses, and Ttareungi bikes
Anyone staying inside Seoul and riding four or more times a day — at 1,550 won a ride, four trips already pays for it.
It does not cover the Sinbundang Line, wide-area buses, airport buses or GTX, and you pay extra if you exit outside Seoul. Note the validity starts from the day you buy it, not the day you first use it.
Seoul city guideT-money
Card costs 2,500–4,000 KRW plus top-up
Subways, buses and taxis nationwide — even convenience store payments
Anyone leaving Seoul for Busan, Gyeongju and the like. It simply works everywhere.
Topping up with cash at a convenience store or station machine is the most reliable. Leftover balance can be refunded at a convenience store for a 500-won fee.
T-money officialWOWPASS
Card costs 5,000 KRW plus top-up
Currency exchange, payments and transit (T-money built in)
Travelers whose foreign cards keep getting rejected. Feed foreign cash into a kiosk and it loads as won, at a better rate than airport counters.
You can only top up at a kiosk, so check the locations in their app first.
WOWPASS officialKOREA TOUR CARD
Card costs 4,000 KRW plus top-up
Same as T-money, plus discounts at attractions and duty-free shops
Foreign visitors who want the partner discounts
For transit alone it is identical to T-money — worth it only if you will actually use the partner discounts.
Korea Tour CardTOP-UP & CASH
You bought the card and now it will not load
Why the machine refuses you, where to get cash, and what each ride costs
Topping up a physical T-money card takes cash
Both the convenience-store counter and the station reload machine take cash. Arrive with only a card and there is no way to load a T-money. The safest move is to get some cash the moment you land. (Climate Cards and single-journey tickets now work differently — see just below.)
T-money is a stored-value card that holds a balance on its chip, not a card linked to an account — so the reload terminals were built around a bill validator. There is no card slot at all.
Changed March 2026
Climate Cards and single-journey tickets now take foreign cards
Since 17 March 2026, 440 ticket machines across 273 stations on Lines 1–8 accept overseas-issued credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard and so on) as well as Kakao Pay and Naver Pay. This solves getting stuck at a machine with no cash. An average 3.7% service fee applies.
It covers buying a Climate Card, loading the short passes (1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days), and single-journey tickets. The 30-day pass and physical T-money top-ups are not included yet.
- There is no card slot — just a bill feeder and a flat pad you rest the card on.
- No coins. It takes 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 won notes only.
- Many machines give no change — the full amount you insert gets loaded, so insert only what you want.
만 원 충전해주세요.
Man-won chung-jeon-hae-ju-se-yo.
Please top up 10,000 won.
Where to get cash
A “Global” ATM
ATMs that accept foreign cards carry a Global / PLUS / Cirrus sticker; ones without it simply cannot read your card. Look in airport arrival halls and inside convenience stores.
Airport exchange counter
Right there on the arrivals floor. Convenient, but the rate is mediocre.
WOWPASS kiosk
Feed in foreign banknotes and get a won-loaded card with T-money built in. If your foreign cards keep getting declined, this one card solves it.
| SubwayBase fare covers 10 km; add 100 won per 5 km after that | 1,550 KRW |
|---|---|
| Trunk (blue) & branch (green) bus | 1,500 KRW |
| Village bus (small green) | 1,200 KRW |
| Wide-area bus (red)Connects the outer capital region, so it is priced differently | 3,000 KRW |
| Night bus (N routes)Runs only from midnight to early morning | 2,500 KRW |
Adult fares with a transit card. Youth and children pay less. Paying cash costs more and gets no transfer discount.
As of August 2026
WHAT IT JUST SAID
You tapped and the gate did not open
Find what the machine said — what it means, and what to do about it
These are the phrasings confirmed in Seoul and the metro area. Bus announcements differ by city — Daegu and Changwon use entirely different words. If what you hear differs slightly, match by situation instead.
승차입니다
Seung-cha-im-ni-da
You've boarded.
What's happening · All good — your fare went through. Seoul buses used to just beep; since 2019 the reader says it out loud because riders could not tell whether the payment had registered.
Do this · Just walk in and take a seat — but remember you must tap again when you get off.
하차입니다
Ha-cha-im-ni-da
You've tapped off.
What's happening · Your tap-off registered. This is the sound that keeps your transfer discount alive.
Do this · Step off. If you did not hear it, the tap did not register — hold the card on the reader again.
카드를 다시 대주세요
Ka-deu-reul da-si dae-ju-se-yo
Please tap your card again.
What's happening · The reader could not read your card — a red card-with-X image appears alongside it. Usually you lifted it too fast, or your wallet is too thick.
Do this · Take the card out, hold it flat against the reader for about a second until it sounds.
한 장의 카드만 사용해주세요
Han jang-ui ka-deu-man sa-yong-hae-ju-se-yo
Please use only one card.
What's happening · The reader picked up more than one card at once — you tapped your whole wallet and another transit or credit card inside got caught too.
Do this · Take just the one card you want to use out of the wallet and tap that.
같은 위치에 다시 대 주세요
Ga-teun wi-chi-e da-si dae ju-se-yo
Please tap again at the same spot.
What's happening · The read was cut off mid-communication. The words "same spot" matter: the next gate over has no record of what just happened, so moving there will not process correctly.
Do this · Do not move. Tap again at the very same gate.
잔액이 부족합니다
Jan-aek-i bu-jok-ham-ni-da
Insufficient balance.
What's happening · The balance on your card is less than the fare. This is the most common rejection.
Do this · Step aside and top up at a station machine or a convenience store. Physical T-money top-ups take cash.
사용할 수 없는 승차권입니다
Sa-yong-hal su eom-neun seung-cha-gwon-im-ni-da
This ticket cannot be used.
What's happening · The gate does not accept this as a valid ticket — a foreign credit card, a hotel key card, or a damaged card.
Do this · Foreign cards do not work directly at the gate. Buy a T-money card or a single-journey ticket.
이미 승차 처리가 된 승차권입니다
I-mi seung-cha cheo-ri-ga doen seung-cha-gwon-im-ni-da
This ticket has already been tapped in.
What's happening · This card is already recorded as having entered — you tapped twice thinking the first failed, or your group is sharing one card.
Do this · One card per person. Everyone in your group needs their own — otherwise buy a single-journey ticket.
이미 하차 처리가 된 승차권입니다
I-mi ha-cha cheo-ri-ga doen seung-cha-gwon-im-ni-da
This ticket has already been tapped out.
What's happening · This card is already recorded as having exited — usually from tapping twice on the way out.
Do this · Your exit is already processed, so just walk through. If the gate stays shut, show it to a station attendant.
승차게이트입니다. 하차게이트를 이용하세요
Seung-cha-ge-i-teu-im-ni-da. Ha-cha-ge-i-teu-reul i-yong-ha-se-yo
This is an entry gate — please use an exit gate.
What's happening · You tried to exit through a gate that only lets people in. At some stations each gate is one-way.
Do this · Look at the arrows above the gates and move to one whose green arrow points the way you are going.
승차처리가 안된 승차권입니다
Seung-cha-cheo-ri-ga an-doen seung-cha-gwon-im-ni-da
There is no entry record on this ticket.
What's happening · You are trying to exit but there is no record of you entering — your tap-in did not register, or you came in on a different card.
Do this · Go to the station attendant — the booth beside the gates will sort it out. This is not one you can fix yourself.
이용시간이 초과되어 정산하셔야 합니다
I-yong-si-gan-i cho-gwa-doe-eo jeong-san-ha-syeo-ya ham-ni-da
You've exceeded the time limit — please settle the fare.
What's happening · You stayed inside the paid area too long — from lingering in the station or getting lost underground.
Do this · Put your card on the Fare Adjustment machine near the gates and pay what it asks, then go through.
운임이 부족합니다. 정산하셔야 합니다
Un-im-i bu-jok-ham-ni-da. Jeong-san-ha-syeo-ya ham-ni-da
The fare is short — please settle it.
What's happening · You owe more than was charged for the distance you rode. Different from an empty card — this means extra fare is due on the way out.
Do this · Put the card on the Fare Adjustment machine, pay the difference, then return to the gate.
사용이 완료된 승차권입니다. 보증금을 환급 받으세요
Sa-yong-i wal-lyo-doen seung-cha-gwon-im-ni-da. Bo-jeung-geum-eul hwan-geup ba-deu-se-yo
This ticket is finished — please collect your deposit refund.
What's happening · Your single-journey ticket is used up. You paid a 500-won deposit when you bought it, and this is telling you to collect it. Not a problem — it is money owed to you.
Do this · Drop the card into the Deposit Refund Device just outside the gates and take your 500 won.
ROUTES
Just enter where you are and where you are going
We will tell you which line to take and where to change
From
To
Pick both a starting and an ending station.
Check a map app for exact times, fares and the last train — those are live.
Which map app to use
NAVER Maps
The map most people here use, with accurate transit directions and live arrivals. It carries English, Japanese and Chinese — the widest language support of the three.
KakaoMap
Similar to Naver, with better indoor maps — useful for finding exits in big stations. The app has English, but no Japanese or Chinese.
Subway Korea
Subway-only app with a clean map, train times and which car to ride for the fastest transfer. Available in English, Japanese and Chinese.
Google Maps will not give you directions
Korea restricts the export of map data abroad, so walking and driving directions in Google Maps either fail outright or come back wrong. Nothing is broken — the app simply cannot get the data, so waiting will not help. Search and place info are still fine; just move the routing to Naver Map or KakaoMap.
In the alleys, do not trust the blue dot
In dense alley districts like Seongsu or Hongdae the GPS jumps a block at a time. Stop watching the screen and navigate by the street-name plates on poles and walls, or by a landmark cafe. Switching apps does not help — every app drifts in the same spots.
SUBWAY LINES
Each line has its own personality
Colors, numbers, what they connect, and the trap each one hides
Line 1
Soyosan – Incheon / Sinchang
Seoul Station, City Hall, Jongno 3-ga, Dongdaemun
It is very long and splits toward Incheon or Sinchang at the end. Trains to different destinations use the same platform, so read the destination board. Express trains skip smaller stations.
Line 2
A loop around Seoul
Hongik Univ., Gangnam, Jamsil, Euljiro 1-ga, Seongsu
Because it is a loop, directions are labelled inner and outer rather than by terminus. Either way gets you there eventually, but the wrong one takes far longer — check the next-station sign on the platform.
Line 3
Daehwa – Ogeum
Gyeongbokgung, Anguk (Bukchon), Apgujeong
Line 4
Jinjeop – Oido
Myeongdong, Hoehyeon (Namdaemun Market), Dongdaemun, Hyehwa
Line 5
Banghwa – Hanam / Macheon
Gwanghwamun, Yeouido, Gimpo Airport, Olympic Park
After Gangdong the line splits toward Hanam and Macheon — check the destination if you are going past that point.
Line 6
Eungam – Sinnae
Itaewon, Sangsu, Mangwon, Gongdeok
Line 7
Jangam – Seongnam
Konkuk Univ., Express Bus Terminal, Nonhyeon
Line 8
Byeollae – Moran
Jamsil, Seokchon, Munjeong
Line 9
Gaehwa – VHS Medical Center
Gimpo Airport, Yeouido, Noryangjin, Bongeunsa
Express and local trains share the same platform and alternate. The express skips more than half the stations, so check whether yours is an express stop. At rush hour this is the most crowded line in Korea.
AREX Airport Railroad
Incheon Airport – Seoul Station
Incheon Airport T1/T2, Hongik Univ., Gongdeok, Seoul Station
The express and the commuter train are different services. The express needs a reserved ticket; the commuter train just takes your transit card.
Sinbundang Line
Sinsa – Gwanggyo
Sinsa (Garosu-gil), Gangnam, Pangyo
A privately run line with its own surcharge, and the Climate Card does not cover it. Fast from Gangnam to Pangyo, but for short hops inside Seoul another line is cheaper.
Gyeongui–Jungang Line
Munsan – Jipyeong / Seoul Station
Hongik Univ., Gongdeok, Wangsimni
Trains come every 10–20 minutes, long for a subway, so check the timetable. The line also splits partway.
Suin–Bundang Line
Cheongnyangni – Incheon
Seoul Forest, Apgujeong Rodeo, Seolleung, Suwon
Ui–Sinseol Line
Bukhansan Ui – Sinseol-dong
The trailhead for Bukhansan
Sillim Line
Saetgang – Gwanaksan
Links south Yeouido with Gwanaksan
GTX-A
Unjeong – Seoul Station – Suseo – Dongtan
Very fast trips to the outer capital region
Much faster than the subway but priced separately, and the Climate Card does not cover it. Rarely useful on a tourist itinerary.
BUSES
Read the buses by color
Buses reach where the subway does not, and the rules are few
Blue — trunk
Long routes linking outer districts with downtown; three-digit numbers.
Green — branch
Connects neighborhoods to subway stations; four-digit numbers.
Yellow — circular
Loops around the city center — handy between downtown sights.
Red — wide-area
Links Gyeonggi Province with Seoul, at roughly double the fare.
Small green — village bus
Small buses that climb into hillside neighborhoods; the cheapest fare.
Raise your hand
Standing at the stop is not enough — raise your hand as the bus approaches. Board at the front, exit at the rear.
Tag on the way out too
Tap both when boarding and when getting off. Skipping the exit tap kills your transfer discount and can raise the fare on your next ride.
Press the bell before your stop
Press the bell when your stop is announced and move to the rear door early — Korean buses pull away quickly.
The five-digit stop number
Every stop has a unique ID. Type it into a map app and you get live arrival times for that exact stop.
TAXIS
Change the payment setting before you ride
What is left after the last train — and the problem is payment, not price
Kakao T defaults to automatic in-app payment, but registering a card here usually expects a domestic card plus Korean identity verification — so foreign cards often fail at that step, and the ride then ends in a payment error. Switch the payment method to “pay directly” before your first ride: you settle in the car, with no registration and no verification.
- 1
Enter your destination first — the payment row only appears once the app knows where you are going.
- 2
On the call screen, the row beneath the destination and vehicle type is the payment method — it shows a card name, or “register a card”.
- 3
Tap that row and choose direct payment — depending on the version it reads 만나서 결제, “Pay directly”, or “Pay to the driver”.
- 4
Leave the vehicle type on 일반 (regular). Deluxe, Black and Venti cost substantially more for the same trip.
- 5
In the car, hand your physical card to the terminal beside the driver, tap your T-money, or pay cash.
여기로 가주세요.
Yeo-gi-ro ga-ju-se-yo.
Please take me here.
- Late-night surcharge
- Roughly +20% from midnight to about 4am
- Hardest time to get one
- 11pm–1am in Gangnam, Hongdae and Itaewon
- Tipping
- None. Pay exactly what the meter says
If Kakao T will not work for you
Uber (UT)
Operates in Seoul in partnership with local taxis. English interface, and foreign cards work in-app — the most reliable fallback if Kakao T sign-up fails.
Hail one on the street
An empty taxi shows a red 빈차 light. Raise your hand. Do not try to pronounce the destination — show the Korean address on your map app screen.
Ask your hotel to call one
Front desks do this constantly, and asking costs nothing.
International Taxi at Incheon
English-speaking drivers and a fixed fare into Seoul. Book at the airport counter.
FAIR FARES
It comes down to the meter
Korean taxis are mostly honest — trouble nearly always takes one specific form
Overcharging clusters around a handful of tourist spots, and what happens there is nearly always the same one thing: the driver names a price instead of starting the meter. Know that and the rest follows.
A regular taxi must run the meter
Watch for the meter starting the moment you get in. If the driver names a figure instead — "50,000 to Myeongdong" — that is not haggling, it is against the rules. Do not negotiate it down; get out and take the next taxi. Even a discounted flat price beats the meter only in the driver's favour. Stepping out is enough, and you owe no argument.
The one exception is a fixed fare booked in advance at an official counter — like the International Taxi at Incheon, which publishes its rates and takes bookings at a desk. That is not the same as a driver quoting a flat price at the kerb.
기사님, 미터기 켜주세요.
Gi-sa-nim, mi-teo-gi kyeo-ju-se-yo.
Driver, please turn on the meter.
The black taxis are not a scam
Standard taxi
Orange in Seoul; silver or white elsewhere, with a white roof light.
The base rate — this is the one you want for almost every trip.
Deluxe (Mobum) taxi
Black body with a yellow roof light, marked 모범택시 / DELUXE TAXI on the side.
Not a scam — a legitimate premium grade. But the base and distance rates run well above a standard taxi, and being surprised by the total is the thing that actually happens to people.
Always take the receipt
The receipt carries the vehicle number and the operator's details. It is what makes a disputed fare or a forgotten bag traceable — without it there is effectively no way to identify which car you were in. Paying by card prints one automatically; with cash you just ask.
영수증 부탁드립니다.
Yeong-su-jeung bu-tak-deu-rim-ni-da.
Receipt, please.
WATCH OUT
Everyone runs into these once
Things you can skip entirely if you know about them first
Express trains skip your station
Lines 1, 9 and the Gyeongui–Jungang mix express trains in. On Line 9 they alternate on the same platform, so boarding the wrong one carries you past your stop. If the board says express, check its stop list first.
Line 2 says inner and outer, not a destination
Because it is a loop, the platforms are labelled inner (clockwise) and outer (counter-clockwise) rather than by terminus. The wrong one still gets you there, but it can add half an hour. Read the next-station sign.
Got off by mistake? Re-enter within 15 minutes
If you overshoot or need the toilet, tapping back in at the same station within 15 minutes counts as a transfer instead of a new fare — transit cards only, once per journey, on Seoul Metro lines plus 9, Ui–Sinseol and Sillim.
Transfers expire after 30 minutes
The discount applies only if you board the next vehicle within 30 minutes of tapping out (60 minutes between 9pm and 7am), for up to five consecutive rides.
Single-journey tickets hold a 500-won deposit
Buying a paper-style single ticket adds a 500-won deposit. Feed the card into the refund machine outside the gates at your destination to get it back — a lot of people simply forget.
Check the exit number first
Big stations have a dozen or more exits, and surfacing on the wrong side means a long walk back. Note the exit number from your map app and follow the signs before you leave the gates.
Some transfers are a 10-minute walk
At big interchanges like Jongno 3-ga, Express Bus Terminal and Wangsimni the connecting corridors are long. Map apps already include that time, so a short hop can legitimately take a while.
The last train is earlier than you think
Most lines stop around midnight, and toward the end of a line the last train can leave before 11:30pm. After that it is a night bus or a taxi, so check the last-train time before a late night out.
Seats you leave empty even when they are
The priority seats at each end and the pink pregnancy seats stay empty even in a crush. Sitting there draws real disapproval.