Travel within Korea

Transport in Korea is quick, efficient and fairly economical.

Air

South Korea has two domestic carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, which between them cover most of the main cities flying from Seoul. The weakening of the won against the dollar make prices particularly reasonable. Note that fares are slightly more expensive Fri-Sun than Mon-Thurs. Flights to any domestic destination are usually an hour or under.

Toll-free information:
Korean Air: 080 1588 2001
Asiana Airlines:080 1588 8000

The new Incheon Airport near Seoul – the biggest in Asia - is in full operation now.

To get to Seoul, take the bus called "Airport Limousine" - which costs around 12-15,000 won. Journey time: around 1 hour to 90 minutes depending on your destination.

Save time by checking-in for your flight from the new Incheon airport at the City Air Terminal (CAT) near the COEX Building in downtown Seoul.
You can also take the airport limousine bus from here. Your luggage too is checked right through to your destination.

Rail

Seoul Train

Train services in Korea are operated by Korean National Railways and are reliable, quick and inexpensive. There is an extensive network and 4 types of trains, Korea Train Express (KTX), Super Express (Saemaul-ho), Express (Mugunghwa-ho) and Limited Express (Tong-il-ho). It is possible to travel first class, second class or standing.

The 300-kilometer-per-hour French-designed Korea Train Express bullet train service began operating on April 1 2004 and when the system is fully completed in 2010 will cut travel time from Seoul to Busan to 1 hour 56 minutes. At present the journey time is 2 hours 40 minutes by KTX and costs 45,000 won as opposed to 4 hours 10 minutes by Saemaul which costs 36,800 won.

The KTX runs on two lines from Seoul via Daejeon (20,600 won) and Daegu (40,000 won) to Busan and Gyeongju in the southeast and Seoul via Gwangju to Mokpo in the southwest.

Korean trains fill up fast and reservations will be necessary to secure a seat or a standing spot at busy periods.

KTX reservation & fare information in English: 1544-7788
Rail information in English: Seoul 02-392-7811
Ticket reservations: Korea Travel Bureau: 02-753-9870

The Korea Rail pass is now available in the following countries:
Japan, USA, Canada, China (Guangzhou), Singapore, Germany, Australia, Russia, Taiwan (Taipei) Thailand (Bangkok), Brazil (Sao Paolo), France (Paris) & Italy (Rome). Please consult your nearest STA office for further details.

Korean left-turn

Buses

Buses in Korea are fast, cheap and run on schedule. There are 2 types, Express buses and Inter-city buses which often have separate terminals. Express buses can be either first class (udung) or second class (chikhaeng). Express buses are non-stop except for rest stops of 10 minutes every 2 hours. Inter-city buses stop to pick up passengers.

The Seoul Express Bus Terminal (02-782-5551/2) is on Seoul city subway Line 3, south of the Han River. It has buses departing to Jeonju, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Ulsan, Incheon and Gwangju.

Dong-Seoul bus terminal (02-458-4852/4) on Seoul City Subway Line 2, near Kangbyon station, has buses to Jeonju, Incheon, Gwangju, Busan, Daegu and Daejeon.

T-money card

Subway/City Buses

To make your journey around the subway and buses in Seoul and other major cities easier, purchase a rechargeable pre-paid travel card or ‘T-Money Pass’.

They cost 1,500 won or 2,500 won for the deluxe from stations, convenience stores or newspaper booths and can be charged up in installments.

Ferry

Is a relaxed option for getting to Seogwipo on Jeju Island. The route is from Busan to Jeju Island - top

Taxis

There are 2 types of taxi operating in Korea. The general taxi and the black deluxe taxi (mobeom). Flag fall is 1,900 won for 2km in a general taxi and 4,500 won 3km for deluxe taxis.

There is a 20% surcharge between midnight and 4am for general taxis.
Some taxis will be operating a free interpretation service via phone to an interpreter who will pass on destination and price details to the driver. Look out for the yellow sign on the side of the cab.

It is possible to call a taxi by phone on 1588 8001 or 1588 9001

CallVan

Five people and goods can be delivered quickly and conveniently to customers' destinations. Try Yangwoo Yes Callvan service for under 1 ton of luggage and up to 5 people for a reasonable price in a 6-passenger commercial van. Yangwoo Yes Callvan will transfer you safely and speedily from your departure to destination. Yangwoo Yes Callvan's pride, the Call Center, will find you in the shortest amount of time anywhere in Korea after finding the status of the vehicle nearest you using our up-to-date telecommunication facilities. Click on the image for booking details.