How to Use the Seoul Subway

Seoul's subway is one of the best in the world: clean, cheap, punctual, and almost entirely bilingual. If you can read a color and a number, you can get anywhere. Here is everything a first-time visitor needs.

Get a transit card first

Buy a T-money card at any convenience store (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) or from machines inside stations. It costs a small amount for the card itself, and you top it up with cash.

Why a transit card is easier

Single-journey tickets require a refundable deposit and a trip to a machine every time. A T-money card is faster, slightly cheaper per ride, and also works on buses and in taxis.

Tap the card on the reader when you enter and when you exit. Fares are distance-based, so tapping out matters.

Reading the lines

Every line has a number and a color (Line 2 is green, Line 4 is blue, and so on). Stations have a code like "Line 2 · 222". Signs, maps, and announcements are in Korean and English.

Follow the line color on the floor and walls.
Check the final destination shown on the platform sign to pick the right direction.
Transfers are marked with a walking figure and the connecting line's color.

Apps that actually help

Use the official Seoul Subway app, Naver Map, or KakaoMap for routes, transfers, and last trains. Results can differ, so recheck time-sensitive information immediately before departure.

For a deeper explanation of why Google Maps is limited here, see our guide on using maps in Korea.

Etiquette

Let passengers exit before you board.
Priority seats (marked at the ends of each car) are for elderly, pregnant, and disabled riders — leave them free.
Keep phone calls short and quiet.

Late nights

Last-train times vary by line, station, direction, and day. Since June 28, 2025, the basic adult transit-card fare on the Seoul subway is KRW 1,550. If you plan many short rides, compare a short-term Climate Card pass. For late nights, confirm the last train in the official app and plan a night bus or taxi.

Have a subway question we didn't answer?