Subway, Seoul

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Basically, all or most of the tourist destinations and interesting places are all connected through the subway or metro system. It is easily and more efficient to take a subway and tour around seoul for a foreigner than to gather your courage and take the buses.

At each subway station, there will be a ticketing counter, the entrance and exit gates (beware, don't get in through the exit gates and vice versa) and a few Automatic Vending Machines (ATVMs). For those who are travelling to and fro often, or for most of the time on your holiday, it's better to get a card than to buy the tickets for the current journey (which is going to cost you much more than the travelling card). The travelling card's called a "T-money" card and you can get it from the ATVM too.

And at every station, they got the number, the line colour and the map of the location.

When you are waiting for the trains, be careful not to go to the wrong place or the train that goes to the opposite direction. Usually there will be the transit map and big signs of the current stop in korean/english/chinese and number, the last and next stop's information (depending on which way the train is coming from. E.g. If the train's coming from your left, then the last stop's usually placed on the left of the current stop on the wall and the next stop would be on the right. It sounds confusing but once you're there and taken a couple of the rides, it'll be not much of a problem to you.)

Another thing I'd like to point out:
The heating-system in the subway is fuming hot. Be prepared to wear your clothes in layers, so as it gets warmer in the subway, you can just take off your coat.

Everything else that you need or want to know is on the web.

With 8 diffrent subway lines it's easy to zip your self around seoul. With out the subway lines i would never know where i am. The subway runs from 5 am to 12 pm ( in a city like Seoul it should be open alot later then that )

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The subway is the cheapest and usually easiest way to get around Seoul. There are eight subway lines, some, like Line 1, stretch from one hour north of the city center to one hour south of the city. Cost is 700 Won (~US$0.50) for trips within the city and the most expensive rides to the far ends of the subway are only 1300 Won. You can either pay at the ticket counter or use the automated ticket machines. The machines are easy -- just look at the subway map above the machines for the price at the stop you want, press the button for that amount, and put your money in the machine. You can also buy a 10,000 or 20,000 Won multi-use ticket and get 10% free (i.e. pay 10,000 Won for 11,000 Won worth of subway use).

Almost 4 million people use lines 1-4 daily, I couldn't find ridership stats for the entire system.

Seoul Metro (서울메트로) operates most of lines 1, 2, 3, and 4 and Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation 서울특별시도시철도공사 (SMRT) operates lines 5, 6, 7, and 8. Korail (한국철도공사) operates parts of Lines 1, 3 and 4 along with the Bundang Line.

Line 9 is under construction and will run along the southern edge of the Han River, connecting Gimpo Airport, Youido, and Gangnam in phase one (2008), then continuing further east along the river for phase two. Another line is being built to connect the Bundang Line in the southeast edge of the city to Yongin, home of the very popular Everland Amusement Park. And probably the best news for us international travelers is the rail line to the airport will be complete to Gimpo Airport in 2007 and all the way to Seoul Station by 2010.

Using the subways in Seoul is really easy. Get a subway map in English and you'll have no problem getting around. You can get to most places for 900 Won and from one end of Seoul to the other for 1300 Won. You can sit anywhere except for at the end of each car which is where seats are reserved for the elderly and handicapped. One Korean custom to keep in mind. If you are a man or a young student/adult and have a seat in a crowded car and see an elderly person standing, it is of good gesture to offer your seat to the elderly person.

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The Seoul subway system is very extensive and offer a convenient way to move around the city as almost all parts of the city has sub-way stations. In fact, the subway stations are like underground cities with shops, eateries etc.

Nowadays, it is easier to travel by sub-way in Seoul because there is English language (probably after the World Cup 2002 in Seoul). A map of the Seoul subway lines is in the weblink below.

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No worries about language here as the signs are in native Hangeul and English. Fortunately the trains are not packed like sardines during after work hours like in other big cities like e.g. Tokyo.

Changing metro lines is a breeze! if you want to get to the other line just follow the arrows and the colour code on the walls! It's even along the walls of the staircases.. Refer to Photo 1.

To check if you're on the right track.. just look at the signs for the train's direction of travel! Refer to Photo 2.

Tip: Some stations have clustered entrances/exits that are not accessbile to each other, so it would be good if you know exactly which Entrance number you are heading to before you make the exit with the ticket.

Tip2: One station i remembered did not have crossovers in the train platform area, so check before entering with the ticket as to which direction of travel you are heading to.

Tip3: Almost everyone buys their tickets from the man from the counter, and not from the automated machines. Most of the time it's faster and more convenient if you only have notes.

One last thing, do not throw the ticket!! You'll need it for every exit out of the system..

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We took the KTX from Seoul going back to Busan since it's cheaper than by plane. We were booked online by our hostel owner back in Busan (we asked this kind Korean owner to book us a round way tix). Our tickets cost KW43,900 each going back to Busan. You can book online via www.korail.com.

I find it weird though at first, that the subway staffs aren't checking our tickets but it made me realize that it's not necessary since the time and the seat number are indicated in the ticket. You cannot cheat in changing your seat/train number since the booking online generates an automatic ticket giving only the available seats at the time/date you wish to depart. The system gives a 100% guarantee of seat reservation. You will also be able to view in the website if the time you wish to travel has not yet been fully booked.

Time travel from Busan to Seoul/ Seoul to Busan takes about 3.5 hrs. KTX is faster than taking the bus since it will take you 6-8 hrs of time travel. Taking the bus maybe cheaper but if you think about the time you'll be spending in traveling, think again. Time is gold. You can earn money but it can't buy time.

Most economical method of travel in Seoul is by subway. During my travel (July 2003) the most expensive one-way subway fare was 800 won (Korean dollar) which translates into less than US 80 cents. Some pointers for those of you who are new to subways. If the subway line is end to end then the direction of travel is indicated by the destination at each end of the line. For those lines that travel in a circle (I'm sure you;ll figure this out) then the direction of travel is indicated by the next major exchange (where two or more subway lines intersect). Subways are clean and are used be majority of the city population so it is relatively safe.