Navigating Seoul’s Subways
Being a budget traveller, I’ve been on a lot of subways all over the world. What makes the Korean subway different for me is that unlike other countries, they write the direction of the train based from what stations come directly before and after the one you’re in. This is different in a sense because most countries use the last and first station to direct you what direction the train is going. It is actually a bit difficult because giving directions on which platform to take to someone who is completely new to country would be more confusing as they have to rely on remembering what color the lines of the train and will have a difficult time determining which stations are in which directions.
If you don’t want to keep checking the maps along the walls, you can look for the nearest Information Office where they’ll gladly give you a map of the subway and of the areas you want to visit. From what I know, there are maps in Korean and in English, but other than that I’m not sure.
You can also click here for a link of their interactive subway map if you have internet access. So you won’t feel embarrassed about looking at map, here’s a photo of my friends looking awkward while trying to figure out how to get to a popular shopping district.
They’re pretty adamant about following the arrows when entering the subway for efficiency. The two arrows at the side show where those entering line up and the single arrow at the center is where people coming from the train exit. It doesn’t hurt to follow the rules and does cut out the awkward times you block people from both ends.
For those intending to use the subway for an extended period of time, you can purchase a rechargeable card called T-Money for 2500 Won, which is $2.5. You can buy and recharge T-Money at convenience stores (GS 25, CU, Mini Stop, Buy The Way, 7-Eleven, Story Way) bearing the T-Money logo and Ticket Vending and Card Reload Devices inside subway stations.
You can use the T-Money card when you ride a bus, taxi, or even pay in a convenient store. It functions sort of like a debit card. Purchasing a T-Money card also gives you a 100 Won discount on all your fares versus using a single journey card. The downside though is that unlike a single journey card which can be refunded for 500 Won using machines inside the subway, your unused T-Money amount cannot be refunded. Here’s a shot of my T-Money card! They have different designs depending on which stations you buy them from. This one was bought at the Hongik University Station.
Always tap out your T-Money. You might feel like you’re getting a free ride when you forget to tap it when you get out of the bus, but you will always get charged twice the next time you use it. Also, don’t try to let two people use the same T-Money card when entering or leaving the subway. This isn’t allowed and you will be fined if you get caught. For more information on how to use their T-Money you can click here.
Subway fares differ per age group, and the distance of each ride. For the usual 10km rides, the cost for an adult 19 years old and older is 1050 Won.The price of the base ticket for ages 13-18 years old costs 900 Won, children 6-12 is 450Won, and children below 6 are free of charge. For distances that exceed 10km that’s within Seoul will have 100 Won extra for each additional 5km, if it’s more than 40km still within Seoul it’s an additional 100Won per 10km and for outside seoul with distances exceeding 30km, it’s another 100won for each 5km.
Despite it being cheaper to fake your age and get a T-Money that says you’re less than 18 when you’re not for the sake of discount, if caught you’ll have to pay around 30 times more the usual rate. I don’t recommend you do it. It’s also good to note that you don’t have to pay for transfers (for at most four times). This only works for subways when you don’t tap out and stay within the subway system. For buses, you can get free transfers from each colored bus like going from a blue bus to a green bus.
The subway also has instances when it’s not underground, so I recommend that you enjoy the view when you can. It’s a pretty refreshing, especially at night when the city turns bright with lights. It’s an unusual, but great way to see the city.
Tips:
- During shove hour, they will shove their way into the train. Your gender, age or height of your heels generally mean nothing. Don’t take it personally.
- There are special carts for those with bicycles. If you don’t want to be hassled by the lack of seats and many bicycles, pay attention to the doors that are marked for them and don’t go into those.
- Their subway is very disabled friendly. There is always an elevator nearby that people with wheelchairs or tourists using the subway to get to the airport can use.
- There will be a lot of stairs, but there are also elevators for those who cannot handle their cardio.
