Travel & Transportation
Mastering Korea's Transit Options
Mastering Korea's Transit Options
January 31, 2024
You can get almost anywhere on the Korean Peninsula with minimal effort and for a very reasonable price via public or private transportation and free between USFK military bases where available. South Korea’s mass transit system is a nearly seamless combination of planes, trains, buses and taxis. Using these you will not have to worry about parking or security and safety of your POV.
Seoul is the central hub for domestic and international travel. As for US military base shuttles, they are not as robust as they used to be pre-covid pandemic, but there are still busses and shuttles around.
When it comes to International travel, keep in mind the fact you are in a foreign land makes any travel off the ROK International, so be prepared! Visit our Passport and Immigration & Visa pages for more.
A convenient way to get around in Korea cities or even between cities. Several cities operate subway systems with signs in Korean and English. The subway in the Seoul metropolitan area is run by the Seoul Subway System with lines connecting to to locations north and south of the city. Traditionally you would think of a subway as inner-city transportation, but the subways in Korea are almost like trains, because they go many places. As an example, it is very common for passengers to take the subway between Seoul and Songtan (Osan AB) or Seoul to Camp Casey. The subway in the Seoul metropolitan area is run by the Seoul Subway System. Lines connected to it from outside the city are controlled by Korean National Railroad. There are now 14 or 15 subway lines in or around Seoul, depending on how you count. There are blue lines, green lines, yellow lines, orange lines and a mixture of color lines, each with a line number (No. 1 Dark Blue Line) .
SUBWAYS - Korea Tourism Organization
Subway how-to information, maps, stops, fares
One of the most convenient ways to travel between cities in Korea is via trains. In Korea, you can travel to most towns by train. Railway trains are a great alternative to air travel. It offers many more options for destinations and traveling times than airlines.
There are two companies that operate railway trains in South Korea, KORAIL and SRT. Korean trains are classified based on their speed and the amenities offered on board, which includes the express trains KTX and KTX-Sancheon; regular trains ITX-Saemaeul and Mugunghwa; and KORAIL tourist trains. Ticket fares depend on the train type and distance of travel.
KORAIL
KORAIL is a national railway company that runs general and high speed trains. Type of KORAIL trains:
• ITX-Saemaeul
• Saemaeul
• Mugunghwa-ho
• High-speed KTX
Reservation for a KTX ticket:
1. Download KorailTalk app on your phone or check the website. (both provide the same service) *For the app, please change the language setting to English as seen in the picture.
2. Search the departure and arrival stations and check the schedule.
3 Click “select” on the class and check the timetable and fare.
4 Purchase a ticket with your credit card (If it doesn’t work, your bank probably blocks international usage or you might be using a VPN). The service for foreigners doesn’t give you a choice of seat, just gives a random seat. Purchase a ticket earlier at the station if you’d like to have an option to select your seat.
SRT
SRT only offers a high speed train service.
Reservations: Unfortunately, you can’t reserve a ticket without a credit card from a Korean bank. You can make a reservation at the train station through an agency, or ask a Korean for help. You can check the schedule and route of SRT on their website https://etk.srail.kr/hpg/hra/fr/01/selectScheduleList.do
Reference: Getting Around By Train
AREX - Airport Railroad Express
Don’t forget to try the AREX for a quick train ride from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station.
From Incheon Airport to Seoul: The Airport Railroad Express (AREX) operates two trains: the Express Train, running from Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 directly to Seoul Station; and the All Stop Train that stops by 14 subway stations along the way from Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 to Seoul Station. The fare is comparable to the cost of riding the bus, and much cheaper than taking a taxi. Incheon to Seoul should be just about 9,500 won (child 7,500 won), which is just around $7.98 and takes around 45 minutes on the express train. From Gimpo Airport to Seoul Station, the all-stop ride is a short 22 minutes and costs about 1,550 won, or around $1.30.
Airport Railroan Express (AREX)
Another convenient way to get around in Korean cities and around the country. Both express and intercity buses have extensive networks throughout the country, providing transportation from one city to another at reasonable prices.
Seoul City Buses
Express & Intercity Buses
Bus zones, numbers, stops, fares
The previously well-known New Kyong Dong bus (old Myong Jin) that ran in-between every base in Korea we paid $6-7 per ticket for, ended at the beginning of the covid pandemic in early 2020. It has not come back!
However, 4-5 months later in the summer of 2020, the Eight Army's 25th Transportation contracted out a government operated bus system between the Army bases in Korea. This included a run between Humphreys and Osan AB, because there are Army personnel assigned to Osan. As of this writing 15 Jul 2023, this bus system is still running, however, with very limited schedules, schedules that seem to change often, so we will not list them here.
To keep abreast of the latest checkout the Facebook pages of U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey and U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys (Camp Humphreys). The U.S. Forces Korea is a good page to check in on now and then, but the Garrison pages are usually more up to date with this kind of information. We also try to post the schedule changes, as we find them, on our Retiree and Veterans Support In Korea Facebook page.
Osan AB runs a shuttle bus between Osan and the Incheon Airport, as well as a bus between Osan and Kunsan. For the most current schedule and information on busses run from Osan AB, check their 51 FSS website at https://www.51fss.com/information-tickets-travel/
Incheon International Airport Shuttle Bus Schedule as of 15 July 2023
DEPART CHECKERTAILS
0540 1140 1510
DEPARTS TURUMI LODGE
0600 1200 1530
A taxi is very common form of transport in Korea. There are two types of taxi you need to be aware of: On-base base taxi's and Off-base only local, commercial Korean taxi's.
Exchange On-Base Taxi : Each military installation has a base taxi service operated by the Exchange, and also contracted commercial (downtown) taxi's who are allowed to operate on-base. These taxi's will deliver you where ever you wish to go on or off base to include the Incheon airport if you wish. There is an AAFES TAXI app you can download to your phone to order a taxi for pickup from anywhere on-base, and within their range of operations off-base. You can also call 1544-9080 from your Korea cell phone for the same service, although the app is the most efficient way. As mentioned, you can order a taxi pickup off-base, but, what these base taxi's will not do (are not allowed to do) is to pick you up if you 'wave' them down while off base.
Commercial Local Korea Taxi's Off-base : The off-base local Korean taxi's are not allowed on-base. If you take one from downtown, they will bring your to the base gate you ask for, if they understand you, where you must get out, enter the base and continue your travel another way. Many of the local drivers speak some English, or at least enough to get you to and from well-known locations. However, it would be wise to look for taxis with a “translation services available” sticker on the side. When downtown, they are a very convenient, inexpensive and easy mode of travel. There are two main types of local taxis in Korea: the “ilban” (basic) taxi and the “mobom” (deluxe) taxi. As of Jan 2023 most ilban taxi fees begin at around W3,200 (around $3.50), while the modom taxi's are around W5,000 (around $6.00). Rates start from the basic fare and go up either by the distance traveled or the time elapsed. Tipping the driver is not normally expected in Korea. However, it’s also customary to not expect small change after paying. On the other hand, drivers who often work around military bases are more likely to expect a small gratuity.
T-Money is a prepaid card that you can use for subways, buses, taxis and other miscellaneous purchases. You can get it recharged at subway stations, convenience stores, and Dragon Hill Lodge.
Visit our T-money Cards section in Driving in Korea
You will want a car to get around most US military installations in Korea. The Humphreys exchange-commissary complex is three miles from the walk-in gate. Osan AB is similar. Go to the Driving in Korea page (link below) to learn more about driving and navigational assistance.
Visit our Driving in Korea page
Your military ID card is a REAL ID, as listed on the TSA website https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification. However, some have found that certain airports in the U.S. are either not accepting them as REAL ID's, or the ID card cannot be scanned properly by the new TSA Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) system https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/credential-authentication-technology
It is highly recommended That during your next Passport renewal, you also purchase the Passport Card, which is a REAL ID. Visit our U.S. Passport page.
REAL ID deadline extended.
Due to circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security has extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline. The new deadline for REAL ID enforcement is May 7, 2025. Read the announcement.
Beginning May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States.
Ref: https://www.tsa.gov/real-id
