The main modes of transportation in South Korea are buses, taxis, and the subway.
- Buses
Blue: Express buses, typically running between the city center and the suburbs, connect the downtown area, the outer areas of the city, and secondary city centers.
Green: Local buses mainly connect bus routes with subway stations. These buses travel through smaller alleys and streets that are not covered by the express bus routes, making them ideal for city transfers.
Yellow: City loop buses, which operate on short routes, usually circulate within the city center or along a circular route. They stop at major subway stations, tourist spots, and shopping areas, making them convenient for sightseeing.
Red: Long-distance buses, typically traveling through two or more cities or districts, have fewer stops along the way. They generally have scheduled departure times, with buses leaving every 30 minutes to an hour.
Each bus seat is equipped with a bell, and there is also one at the top of the bus. Passengers need to ring the bell before their stop to alert the driver that they wish to get off at the next station.
- Taxis
Regular Taxis: These have a silver or orange exterior and are more affordable.
Premium Taxis: Typically black in color, these taxis look more upscale. They have a “Model Taxi” sign on the sides of the doors. The interior is more spacious, and the service provided is of a higher standard, offering a more comfortable ride. Naturally, the fare is higher as well. -
Subway
Currently, South Korea has subway systems in five cities: Seoul (including Gyeonggi Province), Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju.
Each subway line in Korea is categorized by color and number, and station signs are displayed with both English and Chinese characters for convenience.
Some subway stations in Korea have two different ticket gates based on the direction of travel. It’s easy to accidentally walk to the wrong ticket gate, so it’s important to pay attention to the direction you’re heading.
- Transportation Cards
You can purchase transportation cards at various convenience stores. Generally, convenience stores and subway station automatic recharge machines offer top-up services. Using a transportation card is cheaper and more cost-effective than paying with cash.
There are many types of transportation cards in South Korea, with T-money being the most widely used. It can be used throughout the country and is the most popular card among tourists visiting South Korea.
For subway travel, you can also buy a single-use transportation card from ticket machines at subway stations by selecting your destination and quantity. The fare includes a 500 KRW deposit. When you exit at your destination, you will hear a voice reminder to return the deposit. Simply place the single-use transportation card into the deposit refund machine to get your deposit back.
Bus and subway fares are based on the distance traveled. You must swipe your transportation card when boarding and exiting buses or subways, and repeat this step when transferring between different vehicles. The travel distance is recorded, and transfers between the subway and bus within 30 minutes are free of charge.
