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Korea travel words, explained
The words you’ll see on signs, tickets and our guides — in one place.
- AREX
- Airport Railroad Express — the train between Incheon Airport and Seoul Station. Two kinds: Express (non-stop, reserved seat) and All-stop (cheaper, stops on the way).
- Express / All-stop
- Express = non-stop to Seoul Station, reserved seat, separate gate. All-stop = cheaper, stops at Hongdae, Gongdeok and more.
- T-money
- Rechargeable transit card for subway, bus and many taxis. Buy and top up at station machines or convenience stores.
- Subway lines
- Seoul subway lines have numbers and colors — Line 4 is light blue. Follow the color on the signs.
- Transfer (환승)
- Changing lines inside a station. With a T-money card the transfer is usually included in the distance fare.
- Exit numbers
- Every station exit has a yellow number; each opens onto a different street. Pick the exit before you go up.
- Limousine bus
- Airport express bus with luggage space underneath, numbered by route (e.g. 6015 in Seoul, 600 in Jeju).
- Kakao T
- Korea's main taxi app. It shows the expected fare before you call a car.
- Deluxe taxi (모범)
- Black taxi with a higher fare (base ₩7,000 vs ₩4,800 for regular taxis in Seoul).
- Night surcharge
- Seoul regular taxis: +20% 22:00–23:00 and 02:00–04:00, +40% 23:00–02:00.
- Light rail (경전철)
- Busan–Gimhae Light Rail — the small driverless train from Gimhae Airport. Take it 3 stops to Sasang for Busan subway Line 2.
- Busan subway lines
- Busan subway lines have numbers and colors — Line 1 is orange, Line 2 is green. Follow the color on the signs.
- Night surcharge
- Busan regular taxis: +20% from 23:00 to 04:00, +30% from 00:00 to 02:00.
- Jeju buses
- Red express buses (100s) charge by distance — tap your card again when you get off. Blue and green city buses are a flat ₩1,150 by card.
- Night surcharge
- Jeju taxis: +20% from 23:00 to 04:00. Trips over 20 km also have a long-distance surcharge.
You’ll need a T-money card
- 1BuyA T-money card at a convenience store or station machine (the card itself costs a few thousand won, no balance).
- 2Top upWith cash at the station machine or the store counter. Foreign credit cards can’t top up T-money.
- 3TapTap in and tap out on every subway gate and bus — transfers are discounted.
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