Travel & Life · Published 2026-11-03

Seoul Subway Guide for First-Timers: Fares, Payment and Rules (2026)

Short answer: Tap a rechargeable transit card (such as T-money) on the reader when you enter and again when you exit. A card is the cheapest way to ride. If you do not have one, buy a single-journey ticket at a station machine, which costs 100 KRW more and a 500 KRW deposit that you get back at the exit. As of November 3, 2026, Seoul Metro lists the adult base fare as 1,550 KRW for the first 10 km when you pay by transit card.

This guide covers the basics for a first visit, using Seoul Metro’s own English pages and the official tourism sites. The Seoul Metro pages show no update date, so the fares below are “as read on November 3, 2026”.

How the Seoul subway works

The Seoul area has many color-coded lines, each with its own name and number. Seoul Metro’s pages mention Lines 1 to 9, plus the Ui-Sinseol Line, Sillim Line, Airport Railroad (AREX), Gyeongui-Jungang Line, Sinbundang Line, Everline and U Line. Some of these are run by other operators, and the Sinbundang Line, Everline and others charge additional fares on top of the normal fare. Signs in stations are in Korean and English, and Visit Seoul says Chinese too. Seoul Metro’s English site has a map and a “Cyber Station” route tool.

VisitKorea says one transit card works regardless of operator or line in the Seoul area.

How to pay

Per Seoul Metro, single-journey tickets cost 100 KRW more than the card fare and only work on the subway. For buying and topping up cards, see Tmoney’s official foreigner guide.

Base fares (as read on November 3, 2026)

Seoul Metro’s fare page lists distance-based fares, with the shortest route used:

Single-journey tickets for adults are the card fare plus 100 KRW. Note that the Visit Seoul transportation page still shows an older table (adult 1,400 KRW), which looks out of date next to Seoul Metro’s own page. Use Seoul Metro’s figures and confirm at the machine.

Early-morning discount: Seoul Metro lists a 20 percent discount on the base fare from the first train until 6:30 a.m. for prepaid or deferred-payment cards.

Transfers

• Subway to subway: Seoul Metro says you can transfer between lines without passing through a turnstile and without buying another ticket.
• Subway to bus: Tapping your card in and out of each leg gives an integrated fare. Seoul Metro’s fare page says the next ride must start within 30 minutes of the previous exit (60 minutes between 21:00 and 07:00). If you do not tap out, you lose the benefit.
• The number of transfers allowed differs between official pages (Seoul Metro’s fare page says up to five per trip, Tmoney’s guide says up to four discounts per day), so do not plan around a fixed count.
• Transfers to the Sinbundang Line carry an extra fee, according to VisitKorea.

Operating hours

Visit Seoul’s transportation page says trains run from about 5:30 a.m. until midnight. This guide did not find a per-line timetable on the official pages checked, so the first and last train for your station can differ. Use Seoul Metro’s route tool or the station sign for the exact time, especially for the last train.

Accessibility

The Seoul Metropolitan Government publishes a station-by-station table of facilities: elevators, escalators, wheelchair lifts, portable ramps, accessible restrooms, voice guidance and others. The table did not show a clear column label in the version checked, so check it directly for the station you need. Seoul Metro’s terms also say wheelchairs and strollers are exempt from the size limit for luggage. Seoul Metro lists a passenger customer center at 1577-1234, and says emergency phones are at each station.

Rules to know

From Seoul Metro’s etiquette and terms pages:

• Let passengers off before you board, and keep to the right in stations.
• Do not run or talk loudly, and do not walk or run on escalators.
• Give priority seats to pregnant women, people with children and people with limited mobility.
• Smoking and sleeping (lying down) are on the list of prohibited behavior.
• Using a personal mobility device (such as an e-scooter) in a station or train is listed as not permitted.
• Animals are prohibited, with exceptions for small pets in a carrier and guide dogs.
• Bicycles are allowed only on Saturdays and national holidays, in the first and last cars.
• Items over 158 cm total (length plus width plus height) or heavier than 32 kg are restricted.
• Entering without paying can bring a penalty of 30 times the single-journey fare.

Quick checklist

• Get a transit card before your first ride and top it up with cash.
• Tap in and out every time.
• Check the line color and direction (terminal station name) before boarding.
• For a single-journey ticket, keep it for the deposit refund.
• Check your last train time for night plans.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting to tap out and losing the transfer discount.
• Throwing away a single-journey ticket and losing the 500 KRW deposit.
• Assuming the Sinbundang Line or AREX airport section costs the standard fare.
• Relying on an outdated fare table from an older page.

This guide is general information, not personal advice. Fares, hours and rules change, so confirm with Seoul Metro before you travel.

Sources

• Seoul Metro: Fare
• Seoul Metro: How to use the subway
• Seoul Metro: Passenger Transport Terms and Conditions
• Seoul Metro: FAQ
• Visit Seoul: Transportation
• VisitKorea (Korea Tourism Organization): Subway
• Seoul Metropolitan Government: Subway Accessibility Facilities

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