Using the subway
The subway is the most reliable and affordable way to get around.
How to ride
- Check your route in an app — Naver Map, KakaoMap, and others. They support English and Chinese.
- Tap your transport card at the gate. Without a card, buy a single-journey card at the station machine (includes a deposit).
- Check the direction. Platform signs show the next station's name.
- Tap again at the gate when you exit.
- Return single-journey cards to the deposit refund machine to get the deposit back.
Good to know
- Transfers are made on foot inside the station. Follow the signs.
- Priority and pregnancy seats are customarily left empty.
- Keep phone calls short and quiet as a matter of courtesy.
- Check the last train time — usually around midnight.
- Express trains on some lines skip stations.
Where to go
- The station's customer service centre
- Seoul Metro 1577-1234
- 1330 tourist interpretation line (24 hours, multilingual)
- 112 if you feel in danger; there is a subway police unit
Questions people ask
I got on going the wrong way. Get off at the next station and cross to the opposite platform. Some stations require exiting and re-entering — ask a staff member.
I left something on the train. Ask the station's customer service centre or the lost property centre. Knowing the train, time and carriage number helps.
My card won't work at the gate. Either the balance is low or the tap didn't register. Ask a staff member for help.
I was sexually harassed. Call 112 immediately, or use the emergency bell. There is a subway police unit. See also the sexual-violence guide.
Take care
Do not force your way on at the platform screen doors. Rushing in as the doors close causes frequent accidents. The next train comes soon.
Related
public-transport-card · bus-use · sexual-violence · lost-item
Source
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport www.molit.go.kr / As of 2026-08