COME & VISIT

Getting & About

You will find that the subway is the most efficient way to get around the city. The subway system has grown significantly over the years, since the inauguration of line 1 in 1974. With eleven lines currently connecting various parts of the city, Seoulites can often travel to their desired destination without the use of buses or taxis. The Seoul Metro is quite easy to use as the lines are color-coded, and each station is labeled with a three-digit code. The first digit of this code refers to the line and the last two digits indicate the station number. For example, Myeong-dong station is 424; meaning stop number 24 on line 4. You might also notice that some of the subway trains and platform designs differ slightly. This is because Seoul's public transit system is run by three separate organizations: the Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation, the Korean National Railroad, and the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation. The subway operation hours are from 5:30 to approximately 24:00. The estimated travel time between subway stations is 2~3 minutes. Train schedules can vary depending on the line in question, so remember to make note of the schedule in advance.

Several ticket purchasing options are available for the Seoul Metro. The most obvious is the ticket bought at the ticket window or at the automated ticket machines.
These tickets include those for one-off journeys as well as tickets prepaid up to a certain amount that can be used for multiple journeys. When purchasing your ticket, it is important to clearly state your destination.

• Line 1 (Navy Blue)
  The first line built in Seoul, the main purpose of line 1 is to connect the southwestern cities with northeast city of
  Uijeongbu through Seoul.
• Line 2 (Green)
  The only circular line of the Seoul Metro, it crosses all the major stops around the heart of the city. Many of the entertainment, shopping and other tourist destinations are located near this line.
• Line 3 (Orange)
  The orange line connects the northwest area to the southeast area, perpendicularly crossing the center of the city.
• Line 4 (Blue)
  Commuters residing in the northeast or southwest areas of Seoul use line 4 to reach central Seoul.
• Line 5 (Purple)
  Makes stops at Gimpo Airport and Yeouido, an island known as a business/residential island on the Hangang River.
• Line 6 (Brown)
  Connects the northwest to the northeast parts of Seoul, passing through central Seoul in the process.
• Line 7 (Olive)
  The olive line supplements line 4, connecting the southwest and northeast areas of the city
• Line 8 (Pink)
  The shortest line, it was built to provide commuters access to the southeast area.
  Notable cultural and historical stops are on this line.
• Bundang Line (Yellow)
  Bundang Line was created to accommodate the growing population in the satellite city south of Gangnam.
• Incheon Line 1 (Ultramarine)
  A line connecting north and southern parts of Incheon city.
• Central Line (Turquoise)
  The central line connects the center with northeastern parts of Seoul.