Korea Local BestieSubway cheat sheetsave this pageTap in, tap out,
don't leave the station.지하철 이것만 알면 돼
The best subway in the world has one weakness: nobody explains it to visitors. Here's the page I'd text you before your first ride. Bookmark it; it works on the platform.
1. The card교통카드
Say "티머니 카드 주세요" and then "만 원 충전해 주세요" (top up ₩10,000). The card works on subway, bus, taxi and at the till of every convenience store. Top-ups are cash only at station machines; many stores take card for the top-up.
Unlimited Seoul subway and bus for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days (about ₩5,000 / 8,000 / 10,000 / 15,000). Worth it if you ride more than four times a day. Sold at station customer-service rooms on Line 1–8 and some convenience stores; it does not cover AREX express or Shinbundang line.
Apple Pay transit and most foreign Google Pay setups don't work on Seoul gates yet. Get the plastic card; it's the simplest thing in your trip.
Convenience stores refund up to ₩20,000 of balance (₩500 fee) but not the card price. Or keep the card: it's the best ₩2,500 souvenir and still works next trip.
2. Five rules이것만 지키면 됨
Forget to tap out and the next tap charges you the maximum fare and a confused look from the gate. Buses too: tap when you get off and transfers within 30 minutes are free.
Changing lines happens inside the gates ("환승" signs, colour-coded). If you accidentally go through an exit gate, you'll pay again. Walk the corridor; some are long (Express Bus Terminal, Jongno 3-ga).
Pink seats are for pregnant women even when empty. The seats at each end of the car are for the elderly; sit there and someone's grandmother will tell you about it. Everything else is fair game.
No phone calls, no speakerphone, no loud groups. Eating is technically fine but nobody does it. Backpack on your front in rush hour. Let people off before you get on; Koreans queue at the door markings.
Every meeting point in Seoul is "station name + exit number". The planner and the taxi card on this site use them. Exits are numbered clockwise; the yellow signs inside the station list what's near each one.
3. The lines that matter이 노선만 알면 됨
Circles the city; you'll live on it. Hongdae, City Hall, Euljiro, Dongdaemun, Konkuk, Seongsu, Jamsil, Gangnam, Sinchon.
Gyeongbokgung, Anguk (Bukchon/Insadong), Jongno 3-ga, Express Bus Terminal, Sinsa (Garosu-gil), Apgujeong.
Hyehwa, Dongdaemun, Myeongdong, Seoul Station, Samgakji. The Myeongdong exit 6 crowd is real at 19:00.
Seoul Station, City Hall, Jonggak, Jongno 3-ga, Dongdaemun. Trains run far out of the city; check the destination board.
Gwanghwamun, Yeouido/Yeouinaru (Hangang Park), Gimpo Airport, Olympic Park. Deep stations with long escalators.
Itaewon, Hangangjin (Hannam), Noksapyeong (HBC), World Cup Stadium (Haneul Park).
Gimpo Airport to Gangnam via Yeouido and Express Bus Terminal. The red "급행" express skips stations and saves 20 minutes; it's also the most crowded train in Korea at 8am.
Incheon Airport to Hongdae and Seoul Station. All-stop train (일반, T-money, ~₩4,750 to Hongdae) or Express (직통, ~₩11,000, nonstop 43 min to Seoul Station).
4. Exits for the good neighbourhoods어디로 나가면 되는지
| Go to | Station · exit |
|---|---|
| Hongdae홍대 걷고싶은거리 | Hongik Univ. 9 main street · 3 Yeonnam park · 6 book street |
| Bukchon / Insadong북촌·인사동 | Anguk 2 Bukchon · 6 Insadong · 3 Changdeokgung |
| Gyeongbokgung / Seochon경복궁·서촌 | Gyeongbokgung 5 palace · 2 Tongin market · 3 Seochon |
| Myeongdong명동 | Myeongdong 6 main street · 3 toward Namsan · Euljiro 1-ga 5 Lotte |
| Euljiro / Ikseon을지로·익선동 | Euljiro 3-ga 4 nogari alley · Jongno 3-ga 4 Ikseon · 6 pocha street |
| Seongsu성수 | Seongsu 3 4 cafés & pop-ups · 1 shoe street · Ttukseom 8 Seoul Forest |
| Hannam / Itaewon한남·이태원 | Itaewon 1 2 main street · 3 mosque · Hangangjin 3 Hannam |
| Yeouido river여의도 한강 | Yeouinaru 2 3 straight into the park · Yeouido 3 The Hyundai |
| Gangnam / Garosu-gil강남·가로수길 | Gangnam 10 11 main strip · Sinsa 8 Garosu-gil · Apgujeong Rodeo 5 |
| Jamsil잠실 | Jamsil 1 2 tower & Seoul Sky · 3 lake · 4 Lotte World |
| COEX / Bongeunsa코엑스 | Samseong 5 6 COEX · Bongeunsa 7 library side · 1 temple |
Exits are checked against the station maps in October 2026. Stations change exits during construction; the yellow boards inside always win.
5. Airport, both ways공항 가는 법
Going back: at Seoul Station you can check in bags for some airlines (Korean Air, Asiana) at the City Airport Terminal before taking the Express. Check your airline; it's a quiet luxury.
6. Times첫차·막차
18:00–19:30rush, avoid Line 2 and 9
There is no night subway in Seoul. After midnight: night buses (N-numbered, ~₩2,500) or taxis. Check the last train in Naver Map; the app shows "막차" times per direction and will route you home before it leaves.
7. Say it이 말만 하면 돼
