Travel and Transportation

January 23, 2025

Traveling In, Out and Around Korea

You can get almost anywhere on the Korean Peninsula with minimal effort and for a very reasonable price via public or private transportation and free between USFK military bases where available. South Korea’s mass transit system is a nearly seamless combination of planes, trains, buses and taxis. Using these you will not have to worry about parking or security and safety of your POV. Seoul is the central hub for domestic and international travel. As for US military base shuttles, they are not as robust as they used to be pre-covid pandemic, but there are still busses and shuttles around. When it comes to International travel, keep in mind the fact you are in a foreign land makes any travel off the ROK International, so be prepared! Visit our Passport and Immigration & Visa pages for more.

Korea’s T-Money Card

The T-Money Card is a prepaid transportation card that can be used to pay for public transportation in cities across Korea, including buses and subways. It provides cash-free travel around Korean cities, and takes the hassle out of to get around Korea and buying tickets for each journey. The T-Money Card can be used to pay for a range of items and services, including taxi charges, items in convenience stores, entrance fees for attractions, vending machines, and food and beverages in restaurants. Anywhere you see the T-Money logo you can pay with T-Money Card. T-Money Cards are available in many places in Korea, including at Incheon Airport, in convenience stores such as GS25, 7-11, CU, in public transportation stations and at the Tickets and Tours counter in the Dragon Hill Lodge on Yongsan.

Subways

Subways are a convenient way to get around in Korea cities or even between cities. Moat cities operate subway systems with signs in Korean and English. The subway in the Seoul metropolitan area is run by the Seoul Subway System with lines connecting to to locations north and south of the city. Traditionally you would think of a subway as inner-city transportation, but the subways in Korea are almost like trains, because they go many places. As an example, it is very common for passengers to take the subway between Seoul and Songtan (Osan AB) or Seoul to Camp Casey. Lines connected to it from outside the city are controlled by Korean National Railroad. There are now 14 or 15 subway lines in or around Seoul, depending on how you count. There are blue lines, green lines, yellow lines, orange lines and a mixture of color lines, each with a line number.
SUBWAYS - Korea Tourism Organization
Subway how-to information, maps, stops, fares

Trains

One of the most convenient ways to travel between cities in Korea is via trains. In Korea, you can travel to most towns by train. Railway trains are a great alternative to air travel. It offers many more options for destinations and traveling times than airlines. There are two companies that operate railway trains in South Korea, KORAIL and SRT.

Korail - Korea Railroad Corporation

Korail is the national railway operator in South Korea, which is a public corporation that operates trains in South Korea. Korail operates commuter, intercity, regional, and freight trains, and also also the KTX high-speed trains, which include the KTX and KTX-Sancheon lines of ITX-Saemaeul, Saemaeul, Mugunghwa-ho, and High-speed KTX. KTX has a app, KorailTalk, for download to make reservations and purchase tickets.

SRT - Super Rapid Train

SRT is a Korean high-speed rail service operated by the SR Corporation, a private company. SRT only offers a high speed train service.

Reservations: Unfortunately, you can’t reserve a ticket without a credit card from a Korean bank. You can make a reservation at the train station through an agency, or ask a Korean for help. You can check the schedule and route of SRT on their website https://etk.srail.kr/hpg/hra/fr/01/selectScheduleList.do

Reference: Getting Around By Train

AREX - Airport Railroad Express

The AREX is a quick train ride from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station. From Incheon Airport to Seoul: The Airport Railroad Express (AREX) operates two trains: the Express Train, running from Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 directly to Seoul Station; and the All Stop Train that stops by 14 subway stations along the way from Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 to Seoul Station. The fare is comparable to the cost of riding the bus, and much cheaper than taking a taxi. Incheon to Seoul should be just about 9,500 won (child 7,500 won), which is just around $7.98 and takes around 45 minutes on the express train. From Gimpo Airport to Seoul Station, the all-stop ride is a short 22 minutes and costs about 1,550 won, or around $1.30. Airport Railroan Express (AREX)

Bus

Express Inner-city Bus

Another convenient way to get around in Korean cities and around the country. Both express and intercity buses have extensive networks throughout the country, providing transportation from one city to another at reasonable prices.
Seoul City Buses
Express & Intercity Buses
Bus zones, numbers, stops, fares

Inter-Garrison/Base Shuttle Busses

The previously well-known New Kyong Dong bus (old Myong Jin) bus service that we paid $6-7 per ticket for permanently ended at the beginning of the covid pandemic in Feb 2020. To compensate, the Eight Army's 25th Transportation contracted out a government run bus service, but on a much more limited schedule than the old New Kyong Dong. Details of schedules are on the USAG Humphreys INTER-GARRISON BUS SERVICE website at https://home.army.mil/humphreys/my-usag-humphreys/inter-garrison-bus-service.

Airport Shuttle Bus - USAG Humphreys - Incheon International Airport

Runs from the LTG Timothy J. Maude Hall One-stop to Incheon Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
Details at https://home.army.mil/humphreys/my-usag-humphreys/inter-garrison-bus-service

Airport Shuttle Bus - Osan AB - Incheon International Airport

Osan AB runs a shuttle bus between Osan and the Incheon Airport, as well as a bus between Osan AB and Kunsan AB.
Details on the 51 FSS website at https://www.51fss.com/information-tickets-travel/

Airport Shuttle - Dragon Hill Lodge - Incheon International Airport

Unfortunately, there is no longer a shuttle bus between the Dragon Hill Lodge and the airports. Using a Taxi service is the only mode from the Dragon Hill to the airports. Transportation to and from Incheon IAP to the Dragon Hill Lodge is easiest by using AAFES Taxi. It's about $80 give or take, but they will pick you up at the airport and bring you right to the DHL on Yongsan. There is a mobile app you can use to arrange a pickup appointment called AAFES Taxi OR you can email them directly at taxi@usfktaxi.com to make an appointment, which is my preferred method (I travel a lot). Just email them with the information listed below. They will reply quickly with confirmation.

Email: taxi@usfktaxi.com
Subject: PICK-UP FROM INCHEON AIRPORT [your name]
Email Body:
Name:
Contact Number:
Number of Passengers:
Number of Luggage & Size:
Pick-Update:
Pick-Up Time:
Pick-Up Point Airport Location:
Flight Number / ETA:
Drop-Off Location:
Number of Passengers:

Taxi's

A taxi is very common form of transport in Korea. There are two types of taxi you need to be aware of: On-base base taxi's and Off-base only local, commercial Korean taxi's.

AAFES Exchange On-Base Taxi

Each military installation has a base taxi service operated by the Exchange, and also contracted commercial (downtown) taxi's who are allowed to operate on-base. These taxi's will deliver you where ever you wish to go on or off base to include the Incheon airport if you wish. There is an AAFES TAXI app you can download called Exchange Taxi to your phone to order a taxi for pickup from anywhere on-base, and within their range of operations off-base. You can also call 1544-9080 from your Korea cell phone for the same service, although the app is the most efficient way. As mentioned, you can order a taxi pickup off-base, but, what these base taxi's will not do (are not allowed to do) is to pick you up if you 'wave' them down while off base.

Commercial Off-base Local Korea Taxi

The off-base local Korean taxi's are not allowed on-base. If you take one from downtown, they will bring your to the base gate you ask for, if they understand you, where you must get out, enter the base and continue your travel another way. Many of the local drivers speak some English, or at least enough to get you to and from well-known locations. However, it would be wise to look for taxis with a “translation services available” sticker on the side. When downtown, they are a very convenient, inexpensive and easy mode of travel. There are two main types of local taxis in Korea: the “ilban” (basic) taxi and the “mobom” (deluxe) taxi. Rates start from a basic fare and go up either by the distance traveled or the time elapsed. Tipping the driver is not normally expected in Korea. However, it’s also customary to not expect small change after paying. On the other hand, drivers who often work around military bases are more likely to expect a small gratuity.

POV - Privately Owned Vehicle

You will want a car to get around most US military installations in Korea. The Humphreys exchange-commissary complex is three miles from the walk-in gate. Osan AB is similar. Go to the Driving in Korea page (link below) to learn more about driving and navigational assistance.

Visit our Driving in Korea page

U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Your military ID card is a REAL ID, as listed on the TSA website https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification. However, some have found that certain airports in the U.S. are either not accepting them as REAL ID's, or the ID card cannot be scanned properly by the new TSA Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) system https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/credential-authentication-technology

It is highly recommended That during your next Passport renewal, you also purchase the Passport Card, which is a REAL ID. Visit our U.S. Passport page.

LIST OF REAL ID'S

Korea Transit & Transportation