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Public transport & T-money

One card, tap on and off, and the transfer trick — how to ride Korea for less.

In short

  • Korea's transit is cheap, punctual and extensive — subway and bus run on one tap-and-go card.
  • Get a T-money card (₩2,500–4,000 at any convenience store), charge it with cash, and tap on every ride — subway, bus, even most taxis nationwide.
  • Always tap out. Forgetting means the max-distance fare and losing your transfer discount.
  • Commuting daily in Seoul? A Climate Card (기후동행카드) gives unlimited rides for ₩65,000/month. Travelling between cities? K-Pass rebates 20–53%.

Once you have a transit card and Naver/Kakao Map, getting around Korea is genuinely easy. Here's the system, the cards, and the rules that save (or cost) you money.

Step one: a transit card

Everything runs on a stored-value card. The default is T-money (티머니):

  • Buy the physical card for ₩2,500–4,000 at any convenience store (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, Emart24) or airport counter.
  • Charge with cash at the same stores or at station top-up machines (충전기, English menus). Standard T-money reload is cash only unless you use a Korean-issued card or mobile payment.
  • Works nationwide — Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Jeju (buses) — on subway, bus, and most taxis, and even for small convenience-store purchases.
  • Keep at least ₩1,550 on it (the subway minimum). Top up before it hits zero.
iPhone users (2026): you can now set up Mobile T-money in Apple Wallet for tap-and-go without a physical card. Android has long supported mobile T-money. Once you have an ARC and Korean card, this is the most convenient option.

Fares & the tap-out rule

Seoul subway base fare is about ₩1,550 (up to 10 km), rising ~₩100 per extra 5 km. Buses are similar. The system is tap-in, tap-out: touch the card on the sensor when you enter and when you exit.

Always tap out — this is the #1 mistake. If you don't tap out, the system can't calculate your distance and charges the maximum fare (several times the real cost), and you lose your transfer discount. On buses, the tap-out sensor is at the rear door.

The transfer discount (환승) — big savings

This is why locals barely think about fares. If you transfer between subway and bus (or bus to bus) within 30 minutes of tapping out, the next ride isn't a new base fare — you only pay the distance difference.

  • Within 30 minutes of tapping off (60 min between 9 PM–7 AM)
  • Up to 4 transfers (5 rides total)
  • You must tap out every time, or the transfer won't register

Example: subway + bus separately might be ~₩2,900; as a transfer it's one base fare + distance, often ~₩1,500 total.

Monthly passes: which card?

CardBest for
T-moneyEveryone, day one. Nationwide, pay-per-ride. Your baseline.
Climate Card (기후동행카드)Daily Seoul commuters. ₩65,000/month unlimited Seoul subway + bus (₩62,000 subway-only). Breaks even at ~42 rides/month. Add Ttareungi (Seoul bike) options.
K-PassPeople commuting across cities or long distances — a government rebate card giving 20–53% back (higher for under-34s). Needs a Korean bank account/card.
WOWPASSNo Korean bank account yet but want to charge with a foreign card — a prepaid card with a built-in T-money chip.
Climate Card fine print: it only covers Seoul-licensed subway/bus. It won't work if you board in Seoul and exit at a station outside the service area (e.g. into Gyeonggi) — you'd pay the difference. Excludes Sinbundang Line, intercity/airport buses. Buy a physical card (~₩3,000) at station machines/convenience stores and load it, or register in the 티머니GO app (needs ARC/Korean bank).

Navigation: not Google Maps

Google Maps is crippled in Korea (national data-export rules) — no real-time buses, poor walking routes. Use Naver Map or Kakao Map instead: English interfaces, real-time subway/bus, and Naver even tells you which train car to board for the fastest transfer. See the apps guide.

Tip: if an English search fails in Naver Map, Google the place, copy its Korean name (한글), and paste that into Naver — it works every time. The offline Subway Korea app is handy for saving data.

Buses in brief

  • Tap on at the front, tap out at the rear door when leaving (for the transfer discount).
  • Bus number colors (in Seoul): blue = long trunk routes, green = short local, red = express/suburban, yellow = short circular.
  • Night owl (N) buses run on major routes until ~3 AM after the subway closes (~midnight).

Common questions

Can I use my foreign credit card at subway gates?

No — gates accept only T-money, Climate Card, single-trip tickets, and some Korean bank transit cards. Get a T-money (or WOWPASS to charge with a foreign card).

Do I need to tap out on the subway too?

Yes, always — or you're charged the maximum-distance fare and lose transfers.

Is T-money refundable?

Leftover balance is refundable (minus a ₩500 fee) at convenience stores (under ₩20,000) or station service centers; the card purchase price isn't. Without a Korean account, refunds may need a T-money center visit.

Climate Card or K-Pass?

Climate Card if your rides stay inside Seoul and you ride a lot; K-Pass if you commute across cities/long distances. Many just keep T-money if they ride occasionally.

Sources: Seoul Metro fare data (2026), T-money / 기후동행카드 official guidance (Seoul Metropolitan Government), K-Pass and current foreigner transit guides. Base subway fare ~₩1,550 since June 2025.

Last verified: July 2026. Fares, card options and pass terms change — confirm on the Seoul Metro / T-money sites. General information.

Working out your commute?

Ask others whether a Climate Card or K-Pass fits your route — post in the community and tag it Transport.

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