Did the Seoul subway fare go up recently?

Yes. The Seoul Metropolitan Government lists the adult card fare rising from ₩1,400 to ₩1,550, and the single-ride fare from ₩1,500 to ₩1,650, on 28 June 2025. Those are still the fares on Seoul Metro's site as of October 2026.

Can I transfer to a bus with a single-journey ticket?

No. Seoul Metro says single-journey tickets work only on the subway and cannot be used for bus transfers. Use a transit card such as T-money if you plan to switch to buses.

Do I pay again if I change subway lines?

Not while you stay inside the gates. Line changes inside the paid area are part of one distance-based fare, and you only tap out at your final station.

What if I go through the wrong gate?

With a transit card, Seoul Metro does not charge the base fare again if you tap back in at the same station within 15 minutes, on the sections where this applies. It does not cover single-journey tickets.

Where do I report a lost item?

Jung-gu Office lists the Seoul Metro number 1577-1234 for lost and found, open 07:00 to 22:00. For general tourist help in English, the Korea Travel Hotline is 1330.

Seoul Subway Basics: Fares, Tickets, Transfers, Etiquette

What to do

Get a transit card (T-money is the usual choice) and load it with cash. Tap it on the gate reader when you enter, ride to your stop, and tap it again when you leave. The fare is worked out from the distance you travelled, so you never choose a fare zone.

If you only need one or two rides, a single-journey ticket from the station machine works too. It costs a little more and carries a deposit.

Fares as of October 2026

Seoul Metro’s fare table uses one distance-based system across the capital-area subway network. The Seoul Metropolitan Government gives 28 June 2025 as the date the current fares took effect.

Rider	Transit card	Single-journey ticket
Adult (19+)	₩1,550	₩1,650
Teen (13 to 18)	₩900	₩1,650 (adult ticket)
Child (6 to 12)	₩550	₩550
Under 6	Free (up to 3 with one guardian)	Free

These base fares cover the first 10 km. From 10 km to 50 km, adults pay ₩100 more for every 5 km. Past 50 km it is ₩100 more for every 8 km. As an example from Seoul Metro’s table, an adult card ride of up to 20 km costs ₩1,750.

If you tap in with a card before 06:30, the first ride gets 20% off. The city lists the adult early-morning fare as ₩1,240.

Single-journey tickets and the ₩500 deposit

At the ticket machine, pick your language, choose “Single-Journey”, and find your destination by station name or number. You pay the fare plus a ₩500 deposit.

Tap the ticket on the reader to the right of the gate. At your destination, put the ticket into the “Deposit Refund Device” after you exit and the ₩500 comes back. The ticket is valid for one subway trip only and cannot be used on buses.

Transfers

Changing lines inside the gates costs nothing extra beyond the distance fare. Leaving the gates and coming back in starts a new trip, except in one case: with a transit card, tapping back in at the same station within 15 minutes does not charge the base fare again on the sections Seoul Metro lists (all of Lines 2, 5, 8 and 9, plus parts of other lines).

Switching to a city bus is cheaper with a card. You get one combined fare if you board the next vehicle within 30 minutes of getting off, extended to 60 minutes from 21:00 to 07:00. You must tap the card when getting off as well as when getting on, or the transfer is lost. Seoul Metro’s terms allow up to four transfers on one journey.

Hours, line colors and station numbers

Jung-gu Office describes subway service as running from 05:30 to around midnight, with about 2 to 3 minutes between stations. Last trains differ by line and direction, so check your own station on Seoul Metro’s English site, which has a Cyber Station map and a train time search.

Each line has its own color, and each station has a number. In the three-digit station codes, the first digit is the line and the last two are the stop. Jung-gu’s example: Myeong-dong is 424, stop 24 on Line 4. Directions to sights are usually given as an exit number, so note it before you leave the platform.

Etiquette and seats

Yellow priority seats sit at the front and back of each car. Visit Seoul lists them for older people, disabled people, people with infants, children and patients. Leave them free.
Pink seats are for pregnant women, including those in early pregnancy who may not look pregnant.
Let passengers off before you board, and step back when the doors open.
Wear a backpack on your front or put it down in crowded cars.
Pets must travel in a closed carrier that keeps them out of sight.
Bicycles are allowed only on Saturdays and public holidays, in the first and last cars.

Costs and rules at a glance

Item	Rule
Card base fare, adult	₩1,550 for 10 km
Single ticket deposit	₩500, refunded at exit machine
Re-entry within 15 minutes	No new base fare (card only, listed sections)
Riding without paying	Penalty of 30 times the single-journey fare
Staying in the system 5 hours or more	Base fare charged again
Very large items	Restricted above 158 cm combined size and 32 kg

Common mistakes

Throwing away the single-journey ticket instead of returning it for the ₩500.
Tapping out to switch lines at a transfer station. Seoul Metro charges the fare again if you leave the gates to change lines.
Forgetting to tap off a bus, which cancels the subway transfer discount.
Sitting in a pink or yellow seat on a busy train.

When this does not apply

These fares cover the integrated capital-area network. Seoul Metro notes that group tickets do not work on the Airport Railroad, Sinbundang Line, Everline or U Line, and that lines run by other operators set some rules of their own, such as for bicycles. For unlimited riding inside Seoul over several days, compare a Climate Card with your expected spending before you load a T-money card.