Transportation in Seoul
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Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, the capital and largest city in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, accounts for only 0.6% of the country's total land area, yet it is home to around 19% of the population. The population density in Seoul demands a great deal of the city's transportation systems, which are regarded by many as among the best and most advanced in the world. Seoul is very well connected by its subway and bus systems, and the city is also very supportive of pedestrian foot travel. In 2006 it won the
Sustainable Transport Award The Sustainable Transport Award (STA) is presented annually to a city that has shown leadership and vision in the field of sustainable transportation and urban livability in the preceding year. Nominations are accepted from anyone, and winners and ...
.


Airports

There are two
airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
s that serve Seoul.
Gimpo International Airport Gimpo International Airport (), commonly known as Gimpo Airport , formerly rendered in English as Kimpo International Airport, is located in the far western end of Seoul, some west of the Central District of Seoul. Gimpo was the main interna ...
, formerly in
Gimpo Gimpo () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities of Paju and Goyang. North Korea is across the Han River. The cu ...
but annexed to Seoul in 1963, was the only airport for Seoul from its original construction during the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. Multiple airports were built in and around Seoul immediately before, during, and after the war. The most famous was on
Yeouido Yeouido (Hangul: 여의도, en, Yoi Island or Yeoui Island) is a large island (or eyot) on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance and investment banking district. Its 8.4 square kilometers are home to some 30,988 people ...
, which once served as the country's gateway to the world. Upon opening in March 2001,
Incheon International Airport Incheon International Airport (IIA; ) (sometimes referred to as Seoul–Incheon International Airport) is the largest airport in South Korea. It is the primary airport serving the Seoul Capital Area and one of the largest and busiest airports ...
on
Yeongjong Yeongjong Island is an island off the west coast of the city of Incheon, South Korea, which contains Incheon International Airport as well as small villages, farms, and beaches. The previously separate Yongyu, Sammok, and Sinbul Islands have b ...
island in
Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...
changed the role of Gimpo Airport significantly. Incheon is now responsible for almost all international flights. Following the opening of Incheon, Gimpo started only serving domestic flights, but has since started opening limited routes to major East Asian cities, such as
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
( Haneda Airport),
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
(
Kansai International Airport Kansai International Airport ( ja, 関西国際空港, Kansai Kokusai Kūkō) commonly known as is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and K ...
), Beijing ( Beijing-Capital Airport), Shanghai ( Shanghai–Hongqiao Airport), Taipei ( Taipei–Songshan Airport). Meanwhile, Incheon International Airport has become, along with Hong Kong and Singapore, a major transportation centre for East Asia. Following its opening in 2001, the airport opened a 3rd runway as well as a concourse extension in 2008, as well as Terminal 2 in 2018, with additional expansions currently under construction. Incheon International Airport has also frequently been voted amongst the best airports in the world, by Skytrax and Airports Council International. Incheon and Gimpo are linked to Seoul and the rest of the country by highways, as well as urban rail service. The Incheon International Airport Railroad (or AREX, and styled as A'REX) station is located in the Transport Centre adjacent to the main terminal building provides urban rail services to Gimpo Airport and Seoul. In addition, the Incheon Airport Maglev also operates from the airport. As for Gimpo Airport, besides the AREX line, it is also connected to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, as Gimpo Airport Station offers services on Line 5, Line 9 and the Gimpo Goldline.


Bus

There are four types of buses: Seoul has many big intercity/express bus terminals. These buses connect Seoul to cities all around Korea. Major bus terminals include *Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu *Central City in Seocho-gu *Seoul Nambu Terminal, also in Seocho-gu *Dongseoul Bus Terminal in Gwangjin-gu *Sangbong Terminal in
Jungnang-gu Jungnang District (Jungnang-gu) is one of the 25 ''gu'', or districts, of Seoul, South Korea. It is located on the north side of the Han River. It is characterized by a typical residential area with many natural green areas such as Yongma, Mang ...


Subway

Seoul has 22 subway lines that interlink every district of the city with one another and with the surrounding area. The majority of the population now uses the public transportation system due to its convenience and low cost. With more than 8 million passengers a day, Seoul has one of the busiest subway systems in the world. Despite this, it is highly regarded for its efficiency, its ease of navigation, its timeliness, and for the allure of all the shops and attractions that are present inside the subway system itself.


Taxi

There are two tiers of taxis - Regular (일반 택시, Ilban taxi), and Deluxe (모범 택시, Mobeom taxi). Regular taxis start at 3800 won for the first two kilometers and are metered at 100 won every 132 meters, which equates to about 758 won per kilometer. If the taxi is going less than 15 km per hour, an additional charge of 100 KRW per 31 seconds is added to the fare. A 20% surcharge is added between midnight and 4 am. These are typically white or silver in color but also can be seen in yellow Deluxe taxis start at 6500 won for the first three kilometers and are metered at 200 won every 151 meters, which equates to about 1325 won per kilometer. If the taxi is going less than 15 km per hour, an additional charge of 200 KRW per 36 seconds is added to the fare. Their name could also be translated as "Model Taxi" as their service should be an example of what a proper taxi is. Deluxe taxis do not have nightly surcharges. International taxis 20% more expensive than Regular, Deluxe taxi. They speak English. Seoul city council announced Seoul Regular Taxi will be repainted. They selected colour called Seoul Orange; look like similar orange or mud yellow. They are going to complete the painting until 2016.


Train

Seoul is connected to every major city in South Korea by railroad. Seoul is also linked to most major Korean cities by the
KTX Korea Train eXpress (), often known as KTX (), is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. KTX services were launched on April 1, 2004. From Seoul Station the ...
bullet train which features a normal operation speed of more than 300 km/h, making commuting between cities extremely convenient for commuters and tourists. Major railroad stations include: * Seoul Station,
Jung-gu Jung District (), meaning "Central District," is the name of a ''gu'' (district) in several South Korean cities: *Jung District, Busan *Jung District, Daegu *Jung District, Daejeon *Jung District, Incheon *Jung District, Seoul *Jung District, Ulsan ...
- Gyeongbu line (
KTX Korea Train eXpress (), often known as KTX (), is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. KTX services were launched on April 1, 2004. From Seoul Station the ...
/ ITX-Saemaul/ Mugunghwa-ho), Gyeongui line (Saemaul/ Commuter) * Yongsan Station,
Yongsan-gu Yongsan District (, ) is one of the 25 List of districts of Seoul, districts of Seoul, South Korea. Yongsan has a population of 231,685 (2020) and has a geographic area of , and is divided into 19 ''Dong (administrative division), dong'' (adminis ...
- Honam line (KTX/ITX-Saemaul/Mugunghwa), Jeolla/Janghang lines (Saemaul/Mugunghwa) *Yeongdeungpo Station, Yeongdeungpo-gu - Gyeongbu/Honam/Janghang lines (ITX-Saemaul/Mugunghwa) * Cheongnyangni Station, Dongdaemun-gu - Gyeongchun/Jungang/Yeongdong/Taebaek lines (Mugunghwa) In addition,
Suseo station Suseo is a station on the Seoul Subway Line 3 and Suin–Bundang Line. It was the southeastern terminus of Line 3, until the Line 3 extension to Ogeum station opened on February 18, 2010. Along with Yangjae Station, this station serves as an impo ...
, in Gangnam District, was scheduled to open in late 2016, and offer KTX service on the newly built
Suseo High Speed Railway The Super Rapid Train, often known as SRT, is a high-speed rail service operated by SR Corporation. The service starts at Suseo station in southeast Seoul and terminates at either Busan station or Mokpo station. Around 86% of the train service ...
.


Paying for Travel

The most common form of payment that seamlessly works for the public buses and subways in Seoul is the Tmoney transportation card. It is purchasable for 2,500 won from machines at each subway station, as well as from most prominent convenience stores in Seoul. Money is able to be loaded onto the card, and then the card is tapped to a sensor whenever you enter or exit a bus or subway station, with the proper fare being deducted from the card's balance. Many taxis also accept the Tmoney card; those that do will often have a Tmoney logo showing on their vehicle. International tourists have an alternative card that they can purchase for 4,000 won: the KOREA TOUR CARD. This card works very similarly to the Tmoney card, but it also provides discounts to many popular tourist attractions. Transportation cards are not required to travel around Seoul, as cash and credit cards can also be used to buy tickets for each individual mode of transportation, though this requires buying a new ticket each time you travel. Additionally, transportation cards give slight discounts on travel fares and allow up to four transfers between Seoul subways and/or buses with no additional charges. Foreign visitors also have the option to purchase a Korea Rail Pass from
KORAIL The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korean: 한국철도공사, Hanja: ), branded as KORAIL (코레일, officially changed to in November 2019), is the national railway operator in South Korea. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed ...
(Korea Railroad Corporation) if they plan to travel by train a lot. The Korea Rail Pass allows individuals to ride on any supported train within the timeframe that the card is purchased for without any extra fees.


See also

*


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transportation In Seoul Transport in South Korea Transport in Seoul