Local Public Transit

All Korean cities and most towns with more than about 50,000 people have well developed public transit systems. Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and Incheon all have subway systems; Gwangju's and Daejon's will be opening soon. The Seoul-Incheon subway system is one of the largest in the world, with over 300 stations. The Greater Seoul subway network extends well beyond the Seoul city limits, stretching about 80km from North to South, and about 40km from East to West, much as if the greater Los Angeles area actually had a proper subway system.

Busan and Incheon each have a two line subway and Daegu's is one line, with a second under construction. Station names, instructions, and subway maps are well-posted in Korean and in English. Below are links to the official sites for each of Korea's subway systems.

Seoul Subway  Busan Subway  Daegu Subway  Incheon Subway

Buses run in all towns and cities. Public transit generally costs less than half what it does in North America. Taxis are abundant and very cheap by North American standards.

Taxis

Taxis are cheap and abundant. In most major cities, there are two types of taxis — regular and deluxe. Regular taxis are silver or grey and, if you are alone, you are expected to share the ride with anyone else going in the same direction. It can be difficult to hail a regular taxi; many of the drivers speak very little English and are hesitant to pick up foreigners who look like they haven't taken a taxi in Korea before.

Note that a taxi is hailed by holding one arm about 30cm from the front of the body (with the back of your hand facing up) and curling all four fingers inward. Take a look at other people around you and you'll get the idea. A regular taxi is unlikely to stop for a foreigner who is waving his hands or arms above his head. The minimum fare in regular taxis is W 1,600. You can get as far as 2km with the base fare, making regular taxis very affordable. There is a 20% surcharge after midnight.

Deluxe Taxis, on the other hand, are considerably more expensive, starting at W 4,000 and rising quickly. These taxis are black and have more comfortable interiors. The ride is never shared with strangers and most drivers speak English fairly well. These taxis are worth taking for shorter distances or to imprecise addresses that may require explanation in English. Note that if you ask a Korean to call a taxi for you, or help you hail one, they will probably assume you want a deluxe taxi so be sure you indicate to them you'd like a regular one, if that's the case.

Air Travel

Fifteen Korean cities have air links with each other and/or with Seoul, Busan, and Jeju. Korea has two major Airlines, Korean Air and Asiana. Korean Air belongs to Skypass and Asiana is a member of Star Alliance. Both airlines offer international and domestic service. Domestic service is entirely by jet and, when I lived in Korea, it was the most convenient and pleasant way to get around in Korea, though the new KTX super-fast trains may have already changed this. The low fares and frequent service make it worthwhile to fly to another region of the country for the weekend, or even just for the day. No flights exceed an hour in length. Fares are generally the same any day, at any time. There are usually no extra fees for weekends or holidays, and advanced purchase is not required, though you should reserve in advance at busy times.

Sample Fares (Including all taxes + fees)

Route	O/W Fare	Frequency
Seoul -Busan	W 65,000	33 per day
Gwangju-Jeju	W 49,000	9 per day
Daegu-Seoul	W 55,000	21 per day

Korean Air and Asiana Fares are similar.

South Korea has three major international airports: Seoul Incheon (ICN), Busan Gimhae (BUS), and Jeju International (CJU). There is also less frequent service to destinations in China and Japan from several regional airports in Korea.

Note that most international flights from Seoul leave from Incheon Airport and most domestic flights leave from Gimpo Airport, which is about 25km East of Incheon, and is conveniently located on the Seoul subway system. If your final destination is not in the Seoul area, it is likely that you will have to make your way from Incheon to Gimpo airports in Seoul. The following link gives detailed information about all Korean airports and transportation to, from, and between them. Korean Airports Corporation

Train

A high-speed rail line (KTX) linking Seoul, Daejon, Daegu, and Busan opened in April, 2004. The French-built trains travel at up to 300 km/h and have cut travel time from Seoul to Busan by more than half — to a little over two hours. Fares are reasonable, especially compared with Japan or France — Seoul to Busan one way costs around 45,000 won (US$48). A second high-speed line, connecting Seoul with Gwangju, has recently opened. Several other train lines with express and local trains, operate elsewhere, making almost every Korean city reachable by train. You can get more information and book online at Korean National Railway.

Bus and Car

All major Korean cities are connected by divided expressway. All highways are toll highways. With such excellent local transit and domestic travel options, few Koreans actually need cars; however, they have become an important status symbol and most young Korean men view having a car as a social necessity. Also, you won't see many cars that are more than seven or eight years old. Koreans are always amazed to see rusty old Hyundai Ponies on the streets when they visit Canada.

Traffic is trying at the best of times; on holidays, highways can become so clogged that the 550 km trip from Seoul to Busan can take up to 12 hours. Getting from one end of Seoul to the other by car is a two-hour trip any weekday afternoon. It is possible for foreigners to rent cars; however, it is expensive and most North American drivers would be more than a little unnerved by driving in large Korean cities. After a few 2-hour+ experiences with traffic in Seoul, I learned to politely refuse offers of rides from Korean co-workers and take the subway, despite the so-called "inconvenience" of not being in a private car.

Express busses run almost everywhere in Korea. Fares are low (cheaper than the regular train) and service is very frequent. There are special lanes for busses on all major highways, so traffic is not a problem except when entering and leaving major cities.