There are subway/metro systems in several cities around Korea including Seoul and surrounding areas, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju. See the sections below for more information on each individual location.
Can’t make sense of it all? The best way to navigate the subway network of each city is with the following recommended apps which are available in English.
There are many different apps and some will be out of date. The following three apps you should be able to trust for accurate information:
These apps will let you select your starting point and destination, showing you the fastest route to get there, including which subway car to take for easy transfer access.
In the majority of cities the subway operates from around 5:30 am to midnight. In Seoul the subway runs until 1 am at night during weekdays. On weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and holidays the service in Seoul stops 1 hour earlier. There are no differences between weekday and weekend/holiday times in Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju.
We recommend checking the timetable with one of the apps above as times vary at each station and on each subway line.
Seoul and Surrounding Areas
At first glance the subway map for Seoul can be quite imitating. As of January, 2023, there are 23 lines and 1,218.4 km of track that connect 645 stations. This system expands far beyond the city borders of Seoul and connects with other cities such as Incheon, Suwon, Bucheon, Seongnam (Bundang), Goyang (Ilsan), Anyang, Uijeongbu and many more.
For an interactive English version of the map, please check Seoul Metro’s Cyber Station platform. It’s a smart idea to use this map or an app when traveling across Seoul due to the number of transfer points and possible routes.
Adults: 1,300 KRW (1,350 KRW without a transit card)
Students: 720 KRW (1,350 KRW without a transit card)
Children: 450 KRW (500 KRW without a transit card)
This standard fare covers a ride within 10 km inside of the network. After that you have to pay 100 KRW for every 5 km and after 50 km in total you pay 100 KRW for every 8 km.
Outside of the Seoul Metropolitan Region. From Pyeongtaek to Sinchang and Gapyeong to Chuncheon there is an additional surcharge of 100 KRW for every 4 km. The surcharge will be applied to your transportation card on exiting the station at your destination.
A’REX Airport Rail
Privately owned line integrated with the wider Seoul metro network.
KORAIL
Operator of Line 1, Bundang Line, Gyeongchun Line, Jungang Line
Seoul Metro
Operator of Seoul lines 1 – 9
Metro9 (Line 9)
Seoul’s first private line integrated into the metropolitan network
DX Line (Shin Bundang Line)
Operator of the Shin(new) Bundang Line which opened in 2011
U Line (Uijeongbu Light Rail)
First light rail line to open in metropolitan area
Incheon Transit Corporation
Operator of Incheon Metro Line 1
Busan
The second biggest city of South Korea also has the second largest metro network. The Busan subway has five lines (lines 1 to 4 and the Gimhae Light Rail Transit). The length of the network is 131.1 km (May 2015) and there are 129 stations in total.
Adults: 1,200 KRW (1,300 KRW at the ticket machine)
Students (13 to 19 years): 950 KRW (1,050 KRW at the ticket machine)
Children (6 to 12 years): 600 KRW (650 KRW at the ticket machine)
Busan is divided into two fare zones. If your ride goes through both zones, you will pay an additional 200 KRW as an adult, 150 KRW as a student and 100 KRW as a child.
The city published an interesting promotional video about their metro system.
Busan Transportation Corporation
Operator of Busan lines 1, 2, 3 and 4
BGL (Busan Gimhae Light Rail Transit)
Connects to Gimhae Airport. Also known as B&G Metro
Daegu
The city of Daegu has three metro lines. The metro system was opened in November 1997 and is currently 80 km long and has 89 stations. The third line which opened in 2015 is a driverless monorail.
Check out this alternative subway map of Daegu which has better readability of the English station names.
Adults: 1,100 KRW (1,200 KRW at the ticket machine)
Students (13 to 19 years): 770 KRW (1,200 KRW at the ticket machine)
Children (6 to 12 years): 400 KRW (500 KRW at the ticket machine)
In the future, Daegu plans to add three additional subway lines to the network and expand the existing Line 1.
Daegu Metropolitan Transit Corporation
Daejeon
The youngest subway network among the cities is in Daejeon. The Daejeon subway Line 1 was opened in March 2006 with 22 stations.
Adults: 1,100 KRW (1,200 KRW at the vending machine)
Students (13 to 19 years): 880 KRW (1,200 KRW at the vending machine)
Children (6 to 12 years): 550 KRW (600 KRW at the vending machine)
Similar to Busan, there are two fare zones. Traveling through both zones means that you have to pay an additional 100 KRW as an adult, 80 KRW as a student and 59 KRW as a child.
A second line in the form of a modern tram is currently in the planning stage.
Daejeon Metropolitan Express Transit Corporation (Korean)
Gwangju
This city in Southwestern Seoul has currently only one subway line. Trains operate on the 20 km subway line since April 2004. 19 stations are connected through the line.
Adults: 1,100 KRW (1,200 KRW at the vending machine)
University Students: 1,000 KRW (1,200 KRW at the vending machine)
Students: 800 KRW (1,000 KRW at the vending machine)
Children: 400 KRW (400 KRW at the vending machine)
Gwangju’s metro intends to extend their subway network with a second line scheduled to begin construction in the second half of 2016. The second line is going to be a near-surface subway, a very special and unique system.
Gwangju Metropolitan Transit Corporation
Disclaimer: The fares on this page are subject to change. We try to keep this page as updated as possible for the convenience of readers but cannot be held responsible for any incorrect information due to changes.
