Getting around Seoul: T-money, subway and KTX

Seoul's subway puts Sydney's trains to shame. The hard part isn't the network. It's the card, the app and a monthly pass that changed its name in September.

The short version

Get a T-money card at any convenience store or subway station for ₩3,000–₩5,000 and top it up with cash [1]. It works on subways, buses, taxis and in many shops.
A subway ride costs ₩1,550 by card since June 2025, or ₩1,650 with a single-use ticket [2]. Transfers between bus and subway are discounted when you tap off.
Seoul's 30-day Climate Card was folded into the national K-Pass scheme in September 2026. Heavy users now get a refund of 20% of spending, or everything above ₩62,000 a month, whichever is better [3][4].
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map. Google Maps still has no walking or driving directions in Korea, despite a 2026 decision allowing it to export map data [5].
The KTX takes you from Seoul Station to Busan in about two and a half hours for ₩59,800 [6].

Your first card: T-money

T-money is Seoul's stored-value transport card, Korea's version of Opal or Myki. Buy one at GS25, CU or 7-Eleven, or at the information centres in Line 1–8 stations. A plain card costs ₩3,000–₩5,000 [1].

What it does:

Pays for subways, city buses, intercity and express buses, many taxis and some trains [1].
Pays in shops with the T-money logo, including most convenience stores [1].
Holds up to ₩500,000. Top up at machines in subway stations or at convenience store counters. Machines usually take cash only, so keep some won handy [1].
Refunds of small balances are done at convenience stores. Balances over ₩50,000 can only be refunded at T-money Town near Seoul Station [1].

If you have a Korean bank card, many debit and credit cards have a transport function built in, so you can tap the card itself. See our guide to banking in Korea. Teenagers need their date of birth registered on their T-money card at a convenience store to get youth fares [1].

What it costs

Seoul's fares rose in mid-2025. Here's what you'll pay on the subway in 2026 [2]:

Subway fare (Seoul area)	Transport card	Single-use ticket
Adult	₩1,550	₩1,650
Teenager	₩900	Higher than card
Child	₩550	₩550
Adult early bird (weekdays, before 6:30am)	₩1,240	Not available

Fares rise with distance on longer trips. The big win is transfers: tap your card when you get off a bus and on to the subway within the transfer window, and you pay only the extra distance, not a new base fare. Forget to tap off a bus and you lose the transfer.

Compared with a Sydney or Melbourne commute, most Australians find Seoul noticeably cheaper per trip. Our cost of living guide has the wider comparison.

The Climate Card, Climate Pass and K-Pass

This is where it gets confusing, so here's the history:

January 2024. Seoul launched the Climate Card, a ₩62,000 30-day pass for unlimited subway and bus rides in Seoul, or ₩65,000 with Ttareungyi bike share [7].
July 2026. Seoul announced it would merge the Climate Card into the national K-Pass refund scheme, called All K-Pass or "Modu Card" in Korean [4].
September 2026. Prepaid Climate Cards could be recharged until 31 August and used until 29 September [3][4]. Seoul's version of the new scheme is the Climate Pass [4].

How the new scheme works [3][4]:

You pay normal fares with a registered card.
At the end of the month you get money back, as long as you took at least 15 trips.
You automatically get the better of two options: a percentage refund (20% for most adults, 30% for youth), or a refund of everything you spent above ₩62,000 (₩55,000 for eligible young adults).
Seoul residents can count as "youth" up to age 39, wider than the national 19–34 band.
Ttareungyi bike share is included in Seoul's version.

Can Australians use it?

Probably, once you're settled. Registration is through the K-Pass app or website and generally needs a registered card, a Korean phone number for identity verification and, for Seoul's extras, your ARC details. We couldn't confirm the exact rules for foreign residents in an official English source, so check when you register. Our guide to Korean phone numbers and identity verification explains why that phone number keeps coming up.

Visitors and newcomers without an ARC should just use T-money and pay as you go.

Maps: Naver, Kakao, not Google

Google Maps in Korea has long shown public transport routes but not proper walking or driving directions. Korea restricted the export of detailed map data for security reasons. In February 2026 the government conditionally approved Google's request to export it [5], but by late August 2026 turn-by-turn directions still hadn't launched [8].

So for now:

Naver Map is the favourite. It has an English interface, accurate subway exits, live bus arrival times and walking directions.
Kakao Map is the main alternative, and links with Kakao T for taxis.
Search in Korean when you can. Copying the Korean name of a place gives far better results than an English spelling.

Subway exits matter in Seoul. Big stations like Gangnam or Seoul Station have a dozen or more numbered exits, and the wrong one can add ten minutes. Both apps tell you which exit to use.

Taxis and Kakao T

Taxis are plentiful and still good value next to Australia. A few tips:

Hail on the street or use taxi ranks. Look for the red "빈차" (vacant) sign in the windscreen.
Kakao T is the dominant taxi app. Signing up and paying is much easier with a Korean phone number and card.
Pay with T-money or a card. Most taxis take both.
Late-night surcharges apply, and finding a cab around Hongdae or Itaewon after midnight on a Friday takes patience.
Have the address in Korean. Show the driver your map app rather than saying the name.

Trips outside Seoul: the KTX

Korea's high-speed rail is the easiest way to see the country.

KTX runs from Seoul Station and Yongsan Station. Seoul to Busan costs ₩59,800 and takes between about 2 hours 18 minutes and just under 3 hours, depending on stops [6].
SRT is a separate high-speed service from Suseo Station in south-east Seoul, handy if you live in Gangnam or Songpa [6].
Book ahead for weekends and Korean holidays, especially Chuseok and Seollal, when trains sell out weeks in advance.

Getting to Incheon for flights home

Most flights to Australia leave from Incheon International Airport, about an hour west of central Seoul.

Option	From	Notes
AREX express train	Seoul Station	Non-stop, the fastest rail option. Reserved seats.
AREX all-stop train	Seoul Station, Hongik Univ., Gimpo Airport and more	Cheaper, slower, payable with T-money
Airport limousine bus	Hotels and hubs across Seoul	Good with heavy bags, direct from many neighbourhoods
Taxi	Anywhere	Most expensive, but door to door

AREX added four more express trains a day from 23 October 2026 [9]. Gimpo Airport, closer to the city, handles mostly domestic and short-haul Asian flights rather than routes to Australia.

Before you fly home, check Smartraveller for any entry changes at the Australian end, and declare food at the Australian border. Our moving back to Australia checklist covers the rest.

For live tips on which bus beats the subway from your suburb, ask in Cooee South Korea, our Facebook group for Australians in South Korea.

Getting around Seoul: T-money, the new Climate Pass and Naver Map, not Google