Getting Around Korea: T-money, Subways, Buses, KTX, and Taxis Explained

Disclaimer: This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Fares, refund programs and transport rules change, often several times a year, and they differ between cities. The figures below were checked in October 2026 against official sources and dated where they matter. For Seoul transport questions, call the Dasan Call Center on 120. For interpretation in English at any hour, call 1330. For refunds under the Modu-ui Card (K-Pass) program, call 031-427-4415.

This guide covers: why one rechargeable transit card does most of the work, what the subway and buses in Seoul cost in 2026 and how the distance surcharge works, the transfer rule that turns two or three rides into one fare, what replaced the Climate Card in September 2026 and how to get money back on a monthly commute, paying with a phone or a bank card, which buses go where, how taxi fares and night surcharges are calculated and what to do about a refusal, what changed for KTX and SRT when the two operators merged, the rules for driving on a foreign license and exchanging it, e-scooters and bicycles, a first-week setup list, what academies can do to make commuting easier, and the most common problems with their causes.

One card does most of the work

Short answer: A rechargeable transit card (교통카드), most often T-money (티머니), pays for subways, city buses and most taxis in the capital area and in most other cities. Tapping a card is cheaper than buying single-journey tickets, and it is the only way to get transfer discounts. The card should be the first thing a new teacher buys, usually at a convenience store or a station machine on the day of arrival.

Korea's public transport is cheap and frequent, but nearly every saving depends on paying by card. Single-journey subway tickets cost ₩100 more than the card fare and need a ₩500 deposit, and cash on a bus forfeits the transfer discount.

The main ways to pay

T-money began offering nationally compatible cards years ago, and its own usage guide lists subways in Seoul and Gyeonggi, express buses, intercity buses and taxis. Fares and transfer rules differ by city, so the card works widely, but what each tap costs depends on where it is used.

Practical tip: Keep ₩10,000 to ₩20,000 in cash in the first week specifically for topping up the card. Convenience store counters usually charge transit cards with cash, and a card that runs empty at the gate is the most common first-week transport problem.

What the subway and bus cost in Seoul in 2026

Short answer: The adult card fare on the capital-area subway has been ₩1,550 since June 28, 2025, covering the first 10 km. Beyond that, ₩100 is added for every 5 km up to 50 km, and ₩100 for every 8 km after that. A standard Seoul city bus costs ₩1,500 by card, a neighborhood village bus ₩1,200, and red-route express buses to Gyeonggi ₩3,000.

The June 2025 change raised the subway base fare by ₩150, from ₩1,400. The figures below are the adult fares published by the Seoul Metropolitan Government's price information service, checked on October 20, 2026.

Seoul adult fares, October 2026

Two smaller discounts exist. Riding a Seoul city bus before 6:30 a.m. with a transit card takes 20 percent off the fare, and the subway gives 20 percent off the base fare for card users who board before 6:30 a.m., except when transferring from another mode. Few teachers start that early, but weekend travelers sometimes do.

The subway commuter pass

Seoul Metro sells a commuter pass (정기권) on a separate card that costs ₩2,500. The Seoul-only version costs ₩68,200, which is 44 base fares, and it covers 60 rides within 30 days of charging. It works on the subway only, not on buses, and it expires at 30 days or 60 rides, whichever comes first. For most teachers who mix bus and subway, the Modu-ui Card refund described below is the better deal; the commuter pass suits someone who rides the subway twice a day and nothing else.

Naver Map and Kakao Map show the fare for a planned route before departure, which makes it easy to estimate a month of commuting.

Transfers: why two rides usually cost one fare

Short answer: In the capital area, a trip that combines subways and buses is charged as one journey by distance, as long as the card is tapped when getting off each bus and the next ride starts within 30 minutes (60 minutes between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.). Up to four transfers, five rides in total, count as one trip. The higher base fare among the modes used applies, plus ₩100 for every 5 km beyond 10 km.

This is the single most valuable rule in Korean transport, and the easiest to lose by forgetting to tap out on a bus.

How the integrated fare works

The integrated fare covers Seoul's city, village and express buses, Gyeonggi's city, village and seat buses, Incheon's buses, and the subway lines between them. Other cities run their own transfer systems; T-money's guide advises checking each local government's transport site.

Practical tip: Tap the card on the reader by the rear door every time, even on a short ride. The beep confirms that the transfer clock has started. A missed tap usually shows up as a second ₩1,500 or ₩1,550 charge in the card's history.

The Climate Card is gone: how the new monthly refund works

Short answer: Seoul's monthly unlimited Climate Card (기후동행카드) ended in September 2026. Its replacement is the national Modu-ui Card (모두의카드), the program formerly called K-Pass, which Seoul now brands as the Climate Companion Pass (기후동행패스). It does not sell unlimited rides. Instead, it refunds part of each month's transit spending the following month, and registered foreign residents can join.

Many guides written before September 2026 still recommend buying the 30-day Climate Card. That advice is out of date, and following it now leads to a dead end at the charging machine.

What happened to the Climate Card

• The prepaid 30-day Climate Card could be charged until August 31, 2026, and the last charges ran out by September 29.
• The postpaid version gave its discount until September 30 and became an ordinary transit card on October 1, 2026.
• The short-term passes for 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days continue, aimed at visitors. They now cover Seoul and alighting at Incheon Airport, and no longer the nearby Gyeonggi cities they used to include.
• The government's Modu-ui Card launched in January 2026, combining K-Pass percentage refunds with a fixed-amount (unlimited-style) refund. Seoul folded its program into it on September 1, 2026.

How the Modu-ui Card refund is calculated

Each month, the program works out three possible refunds and pays the largest one automatically.

Thresholds are lower outside the capital area. From April to September 2026, an emergency fuel-price measure halved the fixed-amount thresholds; that ended with September usage, and the normal thresholds above apply from October. A separate bonus stays in place: trips that start in off-peak commuting windows (5:30 to 6:30 a.m., 9 to 10 a.m., 4 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m.) earn an extra 30 percentage points on the percentage refund through December 2026 usage. The government has said it budgeted to continue the bonus in 2027, but that depends on the final budget.

A worked example

Take a teacher in Seoul who spends ₩100,000 a month on buses and the subway, all on trips under ₩3,000. Under the official formula, before any card-issuer extras:

A teacher who spends ₩50,000 a month gets the percentage refund instead, ₩10,000 at the general rate or ₩15,000 at the youth rate, because neither fixed threshold is reached.

Rules that decide whether money comes back

• Foreign residents can join. The Seoul Metropolitan Government's answer is that anyone with an alien registration number who can complete identity verification (a simple certificate app, phone verification in their own name, or a joint certificate) can register. Anyone who cannot should call 031-427-4415.
• 15 trips a month. Refunds require at least 15 uses a month, counted as journeys including transfers, with an exception for the first month after joining.
• Registration is everything. A card bought or issued but not registered on the Modu-ui Card (K-Pass) site or app earns nothing. Prepaid cards must also be registered with the card issuer, T-money or EZL, together with a refund bank account.
• What counts. City buses, wide-area buses, subways, the Shinbundang Line, GTX and the airport railroad count. KTX, SRT, express buses and intercity buses booked separately do not.
• Region follows the registered address. Seoul's extras apply to Seoul residents. Residents of Gyeonggi use the province's version, The Gyeonggi Pass (The 경기패스), and other participating regions run their own.

Practical tip: Register in the first month of work, even mid-month. Refunds start from the month of registration, and the 15-trip minimum is waived for that first month, so there is nothing to gain by waiting.

Paying with a phone or a bank card

Short answer: Supported Android phones can run mobile T-money, and since July 22, 2025, iPhone users who hold a Hyundai Card can add T-money to Apple Wallet and pay at gates and on buses. Some Korean credit and check cards also carry a transit function. Foreign bank cards cannot be tapped at the gates, but Seoul subway ticket machines accept several foreign card brands for purchases.

Paying by phone is convenient, but it moves the balance onto the device, and that has a cost if the phone goes missing.

Options at a glance

A report by the Financial News on October 19, 2026 described iPhone users who lost tens of thousands of won when a lost phone with a dead battery could not be reached. T-money received 74 complaints about lost Apple Pay T-money balances between the third quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026.

Practical tip: Whatever the device, keep the transit balance modest, ₩20,000 to ₩30,000, and turn on auto-charge where the card company offers it. A small balance limits the loss if a card or phone disappears.

Getting money back from a T-money card

T-money refunds a card's balance minus a ₩500 service fee. Convenience stores refund smaller balances in cash, with limits of roughly ₩20,000 to ₩30,000 depending on the chain. Balances above ₩50,000 go through T-money's head office or a bank ATM with the T-money refund function, and partial refunds are handled only at the head office and at subway customer service centers. Balances below the ₩1,550 base fare are refunded with no fee. This is worth doing before leaving Korea for good.

Buses: city, village, express and late-night

Short answer: Board at the front, tap the card, and tap again at the rear reader when getting off. Seoul's buses come in several types: standard trunk and branch buses (₩1,500), village buses (₩1,200) that link neighborhoods to stations, wide-area express buses (₩3,000) to Gyeonggi and Incheon, and late-night buses (₩2,500) that run after the regular network closes.

Buses reach far more of a city than the subway does, and for many hagwon teachers the last stretch home is a village bus.

How a bus ride works

1. Check the route and the next arrival in Naver Map or Kakao Map.
2. Tap the card at the front reader when boarding.
3. Press the stop button before the stop.
4. Tap the card at the rear reader when getting off, to keep the transfer discount.

Late-night buses are the main option after the regular network closes for the night; their routes appear in the map apps under the same route search, and they cost ₩2,500 by card in Seoul.

Practical tip: For a late class finish, check in the map app whether the last bus or train home leaves after the class ends, and save the late-night bus route as a backup. Taxi demand peaks after 10 p.m., when night surcharges also apply.

Taxis: fares, night surcharges and refusals

Short answer: A standard Seoul taxi starts at ₩4,800 for the first 1.6 km, then adds ₩100 for every 131 meters, or ₩100 for every 30 seconds when moving slower than 15.72 km/h. Night surcharges of 20 percent apply from 10 to 11 p.m. and 2 to 4 a.m., and 40 percent from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Refusing a passenger without good reason is illegal.

Taxi fares are set by each city and province, so Seoul's figures are a guide, not a national rate. Kakao T, covered in the guide to Korean apps, shows an estimated fare before booking.

Seoul taxi fares (in effect since February 1, 2023)

Refusals and overcharging

The Road Traffic Act prohibits commercial passenger car drivers from refusing passengers, picking up other passengers on the way, or charging more than the registered fare. Seoul treats several common situations as refusal: a driver who asks the destination and drives off, refuses a short trip, tells a passenger to cross the road and then leaves, or cancels an app booking without a valid reason. Seoul's standards can lead to fines for drivers and, after repeated violations, the loss of their taxi license.

Practical tip: If a taxi refuses a ride or the fare looks wrong, note or photograph the taxi number, the time and the place, and report it to 120 in Seoul. A card receipt or the app's ride record is the best evidence of the fare.

KTX after the merger: one app, lower fares for now

Short answer: Korail and SR, the operator of the SRT, merged on September 1, 2026, and high-speed trains now run as one KTX network. KTX fares were cut by 10 percent for three years to match the SRT's level, and both KTX and SRT tickets are booked through one app, Korail+ (코레일+), launched on August 3, 2026.

This changes advice that appears in many older guides, including the Hagwon Hub holiday travel guide written before the merger, which treats KTX and SRT as separate systems with separate apps.

What changed in September 2026

The discount may not last beyond its three years. At the National Assembly audit on October 13, 2026, Korail's president said the company would consider raising fares next year in line with inflation, subject to the transport ministry's decision.

Express and intercity buses

Express buses (고속버스) and intercity buses (시외버스) reach many towns the train does not. Tickets are sold at terminals and online, and T-money's guide lists express buses among the services T-money can pay for. These journeys do not count toward Modu-ui Card refunds.

Practical tip: Before a holiday weekend, book train seats as soon as sales open. The merger added seats, but tickets on the busiest days still sell out, and an express bus is the usual fallback.

Driving: international permits and license exchange

Short answer: An international driving permit issued under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna conventions, or a license from a country with a recognition agreement, allows driving in Korea for one year from the date of entry. After that, a teacher needs a Korean license, which holders of a foreign license can get by exchange at a driver's license test center, often without a written test. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.03 percent.

The one-year period runs from the date of entry, not from the date the permit was issued, and the permit allows only the vehicle classes printed on it.

Exchanging a foreign license

The Korea Road Traffic Authority publishes the list of countries whose licenses are exchanged without the written test. Teachers should check it for their own country before the visit.

Rules that catch foreign drivers

• Alcohol: 0.03 percent blood alcohol is the limit, lower than in many home countries. The same ban applies to riding a bicycle.
• Seat belts: required for the driver and passengers in every seat.
• Insurance: mandatory liability insurance is required for every car on the road.
• Rentals: an international permit holder can drive a rental car but not a commercial vehicle such as a delivery van or taxi.

Practical tip: Ask the embassy or arrange the apostille before the international permit expires. Getting the license confirmation can take time, and the permit stops being valid one year after entry.

E-scooters and bicycles

Short answer: Electric kick scooters are classified as personal mobility devices (개인형 이동장치), a category of motorized bicycle, so riding one legally requires a driver's license. Riders must wear a helmet, may not carry passengers beyond the permitted number, and may not ride after drinking. Bicycle riders are also required to wear protective gear and are covered by the drunk-riding ban.

Shared e-scooters are easy to unlock with an app, which makes it easy to forget that the Road Traffic Act treats them as vehicles.

Practical tip: A teacher without a Korean license or a valid international permit should treat shared e-scooters as off-limits. An accident while riding unlicensed can create criminal and insurance problems that are far more expensive than a taxi.

Step by step: setting up transport in the first week

1. Day one: buy a T-money card at a convenience store, including those at the airport, and top it up with cash.
2. Day one: install Naver Map or Kakao Map and save the academy, home and the nearest station.
3. First week: ride the commute once at the real class time and check the fare, the travel time and the last bus or train home.
4. After the residence card arrives: open a bank account and ask whether the check card has a transit function and works with the Modu-ui Card program.
5. Same week: register the card on the Modu-ui Card (K-Pass) site or app, add the refund account and confirm the registered address. Seoul residents should complete residence verification for the Seoul extras.
6. Every bus ride: tap on and tap off.
7. Before the first holiday: install Korail+ and set up an account for train bookings.
8. If driving: start the license exchange paperwork well before the first anniversary of entry.
9. Before leaving Korea: refund the T-money balance and remove cards from the refund program.

For academies

A long or confusing commute shapes a teacher's daily life more than most contract terms. Operators can make it easier at little cost:

• Name the nearest subway station and bus stop in the job post and the contract, with the walking time from teacher housing.
• Check the last bus and train times from the academy against the latest class finish, and say plainly if a late class means a taxi home.
• Tell new teachers about the Modu-ui Card in the first week. Registration needs the residence card number and identity verification, so staff help with the Korean site makes a real difference.
• If the academy pays a transport allowance, say in the contract whether it is a fixed amount or a reimbursement, and how it is paid.
• Avoid sending teachers on errands by e-scooter. A teacher without a Korean license riding for work is a legal risk for the teacher and the academy.
• Update orientation materials that still mention the 30-day Climate Card or separate KTX and SRT apps.

Common problems and what causes them

Frequently asked questions

How much is the subway in Seoul in 2026?
₩1,550 by card for the first 10 km, with ₩100 added for each further 5 km up to 50 km. The fare has been at this level since June 28, 2025.

Can foreigners use the Climate Card in 2026?
The 30-day Climate Card ended in September 2026. Visitors can still buy the short-term passes; residents should use the Modu-ui Card (K-Pass), which foreign residents with an alien registration number can join.

Can a foreigner get K-Pass refunds in Korea?
Yes, with an alien registration number and identity verification. Refunds require at least 15 trips a month after the first month.

How long is the transfer window between bus and subway?
30 minutes from getting off, extended to 60 minutes between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., and only if the card was tapped when getting off.

Can a foreign credit card be tapped at the subway gate?
No. Foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay and Amex cards can be used at Seoul subway ticket machines, but entry at the gate needs a transit card, a single-journey ticket or a phone-based transit card.

What is the taxi night surcharge in Seoul?
20 percent from 10 to 11 p.m. and from 2 to 4 a.m., and 40 percent from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., with a further 20 percent for trips outside the city limits, up to 60 percent in total.

Do KTX and SRT still need separate apps?
No. Since the merger on September 1, 2026, both are booked in the Korail+ app.

How long can a teacher drive on an international driving permit?
One year from the date of entry into Korea, after which a Korean license is needed.

Do teachers need a license to ride a shared e-scooter?
Yes. E-scooters are personal mobility devices under the Road Traffic Act and require a driver's license, along with a helmet.

The short version

A T-money card, topped up with cash, covers almost every journey from the first day. The adult subway fare in Seoul is ₩1,550 and a standard city bus is ₩1,500, and transfers within 30 minutes are charged as one journey as long as the card is tapped when getting off.

The 30-day Climate Card is gone. Its replacement, the Modu-ui Card, refunds part of each month's fares to anyone who registers and rides at least 15 times, and foreign residents can join. For a typical commute, that is tens of thousands of won back each month.

Taxis are metered and regulated, with night surcharges of up to 40 percent in Seoul, and refusals can be reported to 120. KTX and SRT now share one app and, for the next three years, a 10 percent lower KTX fare.

The single most useful action is to register a transit card for Modu-ui Card refunds in the first month of work.

Sources

• Seoul Metropolitan Government price information, subway fares: ₩1,550 base fare, distance surcharges, single-ticket surcharge, early-morning discount and integrated transfer rules (Korean)
• Seoul Metropolitan Government price information, bus fares by type, transfer rules and early-morning discount (Korean)
• Seoul Metropolitan Government price information, taxi fares in effect since February 1, 2023 (Korean)
• Seoul Metro ticket guide: single-journey ticket deposit and the Seoul-only commuter pass (Korean)
• Hankyoreh, April 2025: capital-area subway base fare rises from ₩1,400 to ₩1,550 on June 28, 2025 (Korean)
• Seoul Metropolitan Government: foreign residents with an alien registration number can join the Modu-ui Card (K-Pass) (Korean)
• Dong-A Ilbo, August 14, 2026: the Climate Card becomes the Climate Companion Pass, refund rates, thresholds, off-peak windows and short-term passes (Korean)
• Aju Business Daily, August 31, 2026: Climate Card end dates, youth age extended to 39 for Seoul residents, registration steps (Korean)
• Daily Pop, October 2026: halved thresholds ended with September usage; off-peak bonus extended to December; 15 trips a month (Korean)
• Kooltip, October 2026: Modu-ui Card thresholds by region, eligible and excluded modes, first-month exception (Korean, secondary source cross-checked against the news reports above)
• T-money, card balance refund rules and fees (Korean)
• Headline News, October 2015: T-money nationally compatible cards cover 99 percent of regions (Korean)
• T-money, where the card can be used: subways, express and intercity buses, taxis (Korean)
• Newspim, July 22, 2025: Hyundai Card launches Apple Pay T-money (Korean)
• Financial News, October 19, 2026: lost Apple Pay T-money balances and complaint figures (Korean)
• Seoul Economic TV, October 19, 2026: foreign card brands accepted at Seoul subway machines, Amex added October 1 (Korean)
• Hankyoreh, August 31, 2026: Korail and SR merge on September 1, KTX fares cut 10 percent for three years, Korail+ booking (Korean)
• Newsis, August 3, 2026: Korail+ app books KTX and SRT (Korean)
• Asia Economy, October 13, 2026: Korail president on possible fare increases next year (Korean)
• National Law Information Center, Road Traffic Act: Article 2 (personal mobility devices), Article 44 (0.03 percent alcohol limit), Article 50 (seat belts, helmets, refusal of passengers), Article 80 (license requirement) and Article 96 (international permits valid one year from entry) (Korean)
• National Law Information Center, Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Article 52: foreign licenses obtained during a stay of more than 90 days (Korean)
• Seoul Global Center (My Seoul Plus): driving licenses for foreign residents and mandatory liability insurance (Korean and English)
• Korea Road Traffic Authority: exchanging a foreign license, documents and fees (Korean)
• Wikitree, 2026: Seoul's standards for taxi refusal and penalties (Korean)
• Seoul Dasan Call Center: 120 · Interpretation: 1330 · Modu-ui Card (K-Pass): 031-427-4415 · Emergency: 112 (police), 119 (fire and ambulance)

For taxi apps and map apps in English, see the guide to Kakao, Naver and Toss apps. For holiday travel planning, see the Chuseok travel guide. For opening the bank account that a registered transit card needs, see the guide to opening a Korean bank account. For saving the numbers above, see the guide to English hotlines.