Seoul Subway Guide for Foreigners 2026: Fares, Cards, How to Tap In & Out & Apps

Last verified: October 2026 · Fares in Korean won (KRW); USD figures are rough and move with exchange rates.

Seoul's subway is one of the best in the world — clean, cheap, punctual, and fully signed in English. If you can read a color and a number, you can ride it. This 2026 guide covers the base fare, transit cards, how to tap in and out, transfers, apps, and the rules that trip up first-time visitors. 🚇

Seoul subway fares in 2026

Seoul raised its base subway fare to ₩1,550 (card) on June 28, 2025, and that is still the rate in 2026. The fare depends on distance, but for most tourist trips inside central Seoul you will pay the base fare or just a little more.

Fare type (adult)	Price (2026)
Base fare with transit card	₩1,550 (roughly US$1.10)
Single-journey ticket	₩1,650 + ₩500 refundable deposit
Early-bird fare (before 06:30, card)	about ₩1,240
Distance surcharge	~₩100 per extra 5 km beyond the first 10 km

A transit card is cheaper than single-journey tickets and lets you transfer for free — so get a card.

Which card should you use?

You tap the same way whatever card you hold. The question is just which card suits your trip.

Card	Best for	Notes
T-money	Almost everyone	Pay-as-you-go; buy & recharge at any convenience store; works on subway, bus, taxi
Climate Card (tourist)	Heavy riders staying in Seoul	Unlimited Seoul subway + city bus for 1–7 days (see below)
WOWPASS	Tourists who also want to pay in shops	Prepaid debit + built-in T-money transit function

The Climate Card tourist pass

If you plan to ride a lot inside Seoul, the Climate Card short-term tourist passes offer unlimited rides on Seoul subway and city buses:

• 1 day — ₩5,000
• 2 days — ₩8,000
• 3 days — ₩10,000
• 5 days — ₩15,000
• 7 days — ₩20,000

The plastic card itself costs an extra ₩3,000 (paid in cash). Important: the Climate Card does not cover the airport railroad (AREX), the Shinbundang Line, or wide-area/red buses that leave Seoul — keep a T-money balance for those. Do the math: at ₩1,550 a ride, a 1-day pass (₩5,000) pays for itself in about 4 rides.

How to ride, step by step

1. Get a card. Buy a T-money at any CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, or subway vending machine and load it with cash (₩10,000–20,000 is plenty for a few days).
2. Find your line and direction. Every line has a color and number; every station has a name and a number. Signs show the next and final stations in English.
3. Tap in. Touch your card flat on the round reader on top of the fare gate. The gate opens and shows your balance. A red light means it didn't read — tap again.
4. Ride. On-board screens and announcements are in Korean and English. Mind the gap and stand to the right on escalators.
5. Tap out. You must tap again at your destination gate — the system charges by distance. Forget to tap out and you may be overcharged on your next trip.

⚠️ Single-journey tickets: If you pay cash for a one-time ticket (₩1,650), it includes a ₩500 deposit. After you exit, insert the thin yellow card into a Deposit Refund Device near the gates to get your ₩500 back in coins. Rechargeable cards have no deposit.

Free transfers (the best hidden perk)

With a transit card, transfers are free — and that includes transferring between the subway and city buses, not just between subway lines. The rules:

• Transfer free within 30 minutes of tapping out (extended to 60 minutes between 21:00–07:00).
• Up to 4 transfers per journey.
• You pay only the distance total, not a new base fare each time — this is why a card beats single tickets.
• Always tap when boarding and leaving a bus too, or you lose the free transfer and may be surcharged.

Apps you actually need

Google Maps gives poor transit directions in Korea. Use a local app instead:

• Naver Map or KakaoMap — best door-to-door routing, in English, including which exit to use.
• Subway Korea / KakaoMetro — clean subway-only maps with live arrival times and first/last train info.
• Some apps even tell you the best car and door to board for the fastest transfer or exit.

Good-to-know rules & hours

• Hours: trains run roughly 05:30 to around midnight (last trains vary by line) — plan your late-night ride, or you'll be taking a taxi.
• Priority & pregnant seats: the pink seats and end-of-car seats are reserved — leave them for those who need them even when empty.
• Eating: avoid eating smelly food on the train; keep calls quiet.
• Big luggage: rush hour (around 08:00–09:30 and 18:00–19:30) is packed — avoid it with suitcases if you can.
• Free Wi-Fi is available on many trains and in stations.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Seoul subway fare in 2026?

The adult base fare is ₩1,550 with a transit card (T-money/WOWPASS) and ₩1,650 for a single-journey ticket plus a ₩500 refundable deposit. The fare rises with distance beyond the first 10 km, by about ₩100 per extra 5 km. Riding before 06:30 on weekdays is cheaper, around ₩1,240.

Do I need to tap out on the Seoul subway?

Yes. You tap your card at the gate both when entering and when exiting, because fares are charged by distance. If you skip the exit tap, the system can't calculate your fare and you may be overcharged or lose your free transfer on the next trip.

Is T-money or the Climate Card better for tourists?

T-money is the simplest choice for most visitors — pay as you go, works everywhere including taxis and buses outside Seoul. The Climate Card tourist pass (₩5,000–₩20,000 for 1–7 days plus a ₩3,000 card fee) is better only if you ride a lot inside Seoul, since it gives unlimited subway and city-bus rides — but it doesn't cover the airport railroad or buses that leave Seoul.

Does Google Maps work for the Seoul subway?

Google Maps works for seeing stations but gives weak, often incomplete transit directions in Korea. Use Naver Map or KakaoMap for accurate routing (including the right exit), and Subway Korea or KakaoMetro for live train times.

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Sources & verification

Fares and rules cross-checked October 2026: The Korea Herald / The Korea Times — "Subway fares to increase to ₩1,550 starting June 28" (2025); Seoul Metropolitan Government — Subway (english.seoul.go.kr); SeoulKnows — How to Ride the Seoul Subway (2026); Trazy Blog — Seoul Public Transportation Guide 2026; 10 Magazine — A Complete Guide to the Climate Card (Seoul). Confirm current fares at the ticket machine before you pay. USD conversions are approximate and vary with exchange rates.