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Subways

subway【 Photo: Seoul Metropolitan Subway Map courtesy of Seoul Metro】

Subways serve as a convenient mean of transportation, probably the most favored public transportation by both Koreans and international visitors. Subways are currently being operated in five major cities including Seoul Metropolitan Area, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon. Seoul Metropolitan Area subway system rank the top in terms of size and number as it centers the city from Line 1 to 9 with additional lines, such as Sinbundang Line, Gyeongchunseon Line, Gyeongui Jungang Line, Ever Line, etc., branching throughout the metropolitan area. In addition, the subway lines are color-coded for convenience, allowing anyone to use the subway system with ease.

Seoul Metropolitan Subway Map (Courtesy of Seoul Metro)

Seoul Subway Fares (as of July 31, 2017)

Seoul Subway Fares (as of July 31, 2017)
Basic Fare for 10 km Transportation payment equipped card (T-money) Single journey ticket
Adults (age 19 and older) 1,250 won 1,350 won
Teens (age 13-18) 720 won 1,350 won
Children (age 7-12) 450 won 450 won
  • Total distances exceeding 10 km: 100 won for every 5 km between 10 km to 50 km / 100 won for every 8 km when exceeding a total of 50km.
  • Children age of 6 and younger: Free of charge.
  • Fare systems differ for every region; please refer to information below. (as of July 31, 2017)
    - Seoul Metro website: www.seoulmetro.co.kr (Korean only)
    - Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation website: www.smrt.co.kr (English)
    - Metro 9 (Seoul Subway Line 9) website: www.metro9.co.kr (Korean, English)

Busan Subway Fares

  • When paid with transportation cards:
    Adults - 1,300 won for Section 1 / 1,500 won for Section 2
    Teenagers - 1,050 won for Section 1 / 1,200 won for Section 2
    Children – 650 won for Section 1 / 750 won for Section 2
  • Single journey tickets:
    Adults - 1,400 won for Section 1 / 1,600 won for Section 2
    Teenagers - 1,150 won for Section 1 / 1,300 won for Section 2
    Children – 700 won for Section 1 / 800 won for Section 2

    * Fare structure: Section 1 (within 10.5 km) / Section 2 (exceeding 10.5 km)
    - Busan Transportation Corporation website: www.humetro.busan.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Daejeon Subway Fares

  • When paid with transportation cards:
    Adults - 1,250 won for Section 1 / 1,350 won for Section 2
    Teenagers - 880 won for Section 1 / 960 won for Section 2
    Children – 550 won for Section 1 / 600 won for Section 2
  • Single journey tickets:
    Adults - 1,400 won for Section 1 / 1,500 won for Section 2
    Teenagers - 1,400 won for Section 1 / 1,500 won for Section 2
    Children – 600 won for Section 1 / 650 won for Section 2

    * Fare structure: Section 1 (within 10.5 km) / Section 2 (exceeding 10.5 km)
    - Daejeon Metropolitan Subway Corporation website: www.djet.co.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Daegu Subway Fares

  • When paid with transportation cards:
    Adults - 1,250 won
    Teenagers - 850 won
    Children – 400 won
  • Single journey tickets:
    Adults - 1,400 won
    Teenagers - 1,400 won
    Children – 500 won

    - Daegu Metropolitan Subway Corporation: www.dtro.or.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Gwangju Subway Fares

  • When paid with transportation cards:
    Adults - 1,250 won
    Teenagers – 900 won
    Children – 500 won
  • Single journey tickets:
    Adults - 1,400 won
    Teenagers - 1,400 won
    Children – 500 won

    - Gwangju Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation website: www.gwangjusubway.co.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Purchasing Transportation Cards

subway【 Photo: Ticket vending and reload device 】

In order to use subways, the first step is purchasing the right transportation card (or tickets) that meet your needs. Passengers can either buy a Single Journey Ticket or get rechargeable cards like T-money, Cashbee or M-Pass for multiple uses. Single Journey Tickets cards can be purchased using a ticket vending machine and will require a security deposit.

☞ Related Pages
- T-Money & Cashbee
- MPASS Card

Deposit Refunds

You can receive your deposit refund (500 won) for the Single Journey Ticket by returning the ticket to a deposit refund device at your final destination. Simply insert the ticket into the device, and collect your refund.

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【 Photo: Use the deposit refund device to receive your refund 】

Subway Lockers

Subway Lockers【 Photo: Subway lockers 】

Many of the subway stations in Seoul are equipped with storage lockers. In addition, the user’s guide of these lockers are offered in multiple languages. Locker fees and storage hours may vary depending on the terms and conditions of each facility.

- Basic storage time: 2-4 hours
- Fees (based on basic storage time): Small lockers 2,000 won / Medium lockers 3,000 won / Large lockers 4,000 won
* Fees may differ in each subway station. Additional fees applicable when basic storage time has exceeded.

Payment: Though it varies by lockers, there are many lockers that do not accept cash for payment. Most payments can be made with transportation cards (T-Money or Cashbee) or credit cards.

This page was last updated on July 31, 2017, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here.