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Huong's Everyday Stories - How to Use Public Transportation in Korea

Huong

· 25. 01. 15

Hello! This is Huong.😎

Last time, we talked about what brought me to Korea.

Today, I'd like to introduce how to use public transportation in Korea. 😊

What type of transportation do you mainly use when you travel in Korea?

I mainly use buses and subways , and at first I had a lot of difficulties because I wasn't used to them.

One of them is an episode that is still funny and absurd even when I think about it now. Haha

One day, I was riding the subway home as usual.

The train arrived and I got on without thinking much about it, but I was surprised when I saw the name of the next station I was getting off at.

Isn't it that the station I'm getting off at is different from the station I'm getting off at?

Feeling something was wrong, I got off at an unknown station and asked the station attendant for help.

At that time, my Korean was very poor, so I could barely get help by trying hard to express myself with all my body, including all the words I knew 😅

I found out later that the train I was on was an express train , and the station near my house was one where only local trains stopped, so I had missed it.

It was my mistake for not knowing that there was an express train

I can laugh about it now, but when I think about it, I still get cold sweats... haha

If this is your first time using public transportation in Korea, you may experience a similar situation to mine!

I'll tell you about how to use public transportation conveniently.

Korea has a very well-developed public transportation system, making it very convenient for both travel and daily life!

In particular, Seoul and the metropolitan area are well connected by subways, buses, and taxis , making transportation easy and fast.

Transportation costs are reasonable, making it a useful system for travelers!

1️⃣ Use the subway

Korea's subway system is divided into five regions: the metropolitan area, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon .

Each area is made up of several routes, each color-coded and numbered for easy identification.

To use the subway efficiently, I recommend the app called 'Subway Terminator', which lets you check all subway lines across the country at a glance!

This app lets you set your departure and destination points to check routes and also view real-time routes.

Subway Terminator – Smarter Subway - Apps on Google Play

And, like me, you should check the difference between express and local trains before boarding so as not to get confused, right? ^^

2️⃣ Take the bus

Buses in Korea are broadly divided into city buses, express buses, intercity buses, and airport buses .

When you arrive in Korea and travel from the airport to your destination, you will most likely use the airport bus !

You can purchase bus tickets at the ticket booth in the airport. After purchasing, be sure to check the time, boarding location, and seat number !

Conversely, when traveling from home to the airport, you can purchase a ticket at a nearby bus terminal , or

You can also easily reserve tickets online through the app called ‘Bustago’ .

[Official] Integrated reservation for intercity bus tickets nationwide (BusTago) - Google Play app

This 'BusTago' app is very convenient because you can purchase tickets for not only airport buses but also intercity buses nationwide.

When using city buses , I use the 'National Smart Bus' app.

This app also lets you check nearby bus stops and bus arrival times in real time.

Nationwide Smart Bus - Real-time arrival times, locations, and nearby places - Apps on Google Play

3️⃣ Take a taxi

There are two main types of taxis in Korea!

🚖Regular taxi

There are many different colors and types of cars.

The most common taxi color is yellow, but there are also sky blue (electric taxi), yellow (coupe taxi), and pink (women-only).

🚘Model Taxi

Although the fare is higher than that of a regular taxi, it provides a more luxurious service.

Mainly black colored cars are used.

The easiest and most familiar way to catch a taxi is to wave your hand as the taxi passes by.

This method won't work if there are no taxis passing by. In that case, you can call a taxi using the 'Kakao T' app!

This is an app that is widely used among Koreans. You can call a taxi by setting the desired departure and arrival points.

You can use it with confidence as it confirms not only the route of movement but also the taxi driver's face, vehicle number, and phone number .

Additionally, if you register your card in advance on the app , payment will be made automatically, which is very convenient.

Kakao T Parking Lot/Kakao Parking Terminal/Unmanned Parking Lot Business

So today, I shared information about how to use public transportation in Korea!

How can I help you~? 😊

We will continue to share interesting articles, useful information, and tips, so please enjoy reading!

Thank you.^^

✨If you have any further questions for Huong,

Please contact Jobploy Vietnam on Facebook !

Everyday stories Episode How to use public transportation bus subway taxi service Transportation vietnam

Huong

I've been living in Korea for 10 years and I want to help foreigners who are visiting Korea for the first time!