Public Transportation System in Seoul
- • Website: https://en.snu.ac.kr/about/campus/gwanak/transportation
- Seoul is one of the biggest cities in the world, with a population of over 10 million people. Traffic jams are a major problem in the city, but with the systematic and advanced public transportation system you can quickly and easily get anywhere. Various bus routes and 19 subway lines connect every areas of the city and the surrounding regions. The most efficient and fastest way to get around is by subway and although buses might seem a bit complicated at first, with a little experience and understanding of the system, they are a very convenient way of transportation.
Subway
- The 2 nearest stations around our campus are Seoul National University station and Nakseongdae station and both are on the subway line 2. The SNU station is located 30~40 minutes from the main entrance and the Nakseongdae station is 20 minutes from the rear entrance. From the SNU station, you can take the bus and from the Nakseongdae station, you can take the Gwanak bus to enter campus grounds.
- • How to get to Nakseongdae Station
- 1. Take Gwanak 02 Bus (900won for a single ride by T-money or 1,000won without the card) at the Dormitory entrance stop, in front of bldg 906 or 925.
- 2.Get off the last station, called Nakseongdae station, You can reach the station after a short walk.
- • How to get to Seoul National University Station
- Take bus 5513 at the Dormitory entrance stop (1,200won / 1,300won). This will take you directly to the subway station where you can transfer to subway line 2. Also, to come back to Gwanak Residence Halls from Seoul National University Station, take bus 5511.
- • How to get to other near subway stations
- Bus 5516 from the Dormitory entrace is going to Noryangjin (Subway line 1) and Nodeul (Subway line 9) stations. In addition, bus 8507 from the main gate of the campus goes straight to Seoul National University Station subway line 2, Sadang Station subway line 2 and 4 and KTX Gwangmyeong Station. If you take the Campus Shuttle to the SNU Main Gate, there are several more buses that can take you to Seoul National University Station.
Bus
- • 5515
(Subway line 2) SNU station - Main entrance - Nok-doo
Get on the bus at Exit No. 3 of the subway line 2 SNU station. Although the bus stops at the SNU main entrance, it does not enter the campus. - • Gwanak 02
SNU internal circulation - Nakseongdae station - Nakseongdae station
Get on the bus at Exit No. 4 of Nakseongdae station. After circling the school, it goes back to the Nakseongdae station. - • 5513
SNU internal circulation- (subway line 2) SNU station
Get on the bus at Exit No. 3 of the SNU station After passing through the main entrance, the bus circles the school in the counterclockwise direction or to the student center direction. It passes by the School of Law, College of Natural Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and lower College of Engineering. - • 5511
SNU internal circulation - (line 2) SNU station - (line 7) Soongsil U. station - (line 9) Heukseok station
Get on the bus at the Exit No. 3 of the SNU station
After passing through the main entrance, the bus circles the school in the clockwise direction or to the business school direction. It passes by the Business School, College of Music, College of Fine Arts, College of Veterinary Medicine, residence halls, College of Humanities and College of Education - • 5516
Sillim 2-dong garage (Nok-doo) - ① Business School direction internal circulation- Nokdoo - (Lines 1, 9) Noryangjin station - (Line 9) Nodeul station (turn) – Nok-doo - ② College of Agriculture and Life Sciences direction internal circulation - Residence Halls – Business School – Sillim 2-dong garage (Nok-doo)
The 5516 bus internally circulates the SNU campus 2 times both in different directions. The direction is marked at the bus stop and bus so make sure to check before getting on. - • Bus Time Schedule
Bus First Last bus Interval First and last bus basis 5511 AM 05:31 PM 11:30 5 ~ 15min Engineering Bldg. 2
(Upper engineering)5513 AM 05:44 PM 11:30 10 ~ 15min 5515 AM 05:30 PM 11:30 10min Kumho town Apts 5516 AM 05:25 PM 11:30 5 ~ 10min in front of the Admin. Bldg. Gwanak02 AM 06:00 AM 00:15 5 ~ 10min Nakseongdae Station
T-Money Card
T-money card is a rechargable card used for paying transportation fees in Seoul and several other cities in South Korea. It can be used for all means of public transportation in the city, including subways, buses and taxis. Public transportation fare is ₩100 cheaper if you use a T-money card and it can be used for transferring between subway lines and buses at a reduced fare. The price of the card is ₩2,500. You can buy and recharge it at convenience stores with the T-money logo (GS 25, CU, Mini Stop, Buy The Way, 7-Eleven, Story Way) and Ticket Vending and Card Reload Devices inside subway stations. If you don’t want to use your T-money card anymore, the remaining balance can be refunded at the selling locations with a ₩500 service fee. Some banks also issue credit/debit cards with a T-money function.
When getting on the bus or subway, just place your card on the censor with the T-money until in beeps. The sensor will display the amount charged and the amount left on your card. Don’t forget to also place your card on the sensor when you get off. If you don’t wait until your card beeps when getting off, you will be charged extra for the mistake.
Fares
Single journey tickets for the subway cost between ₩1,250-3,650 depending on the distance. You can buy single-use transportation cards at the ticket machines at each subway stations. If you buy a single ticket, you will have to pay ₩500 deposit for the card, which will be refunded to you once arrive to your destination and return the card. Just look for the ‘Deposit Refund’ machines. It’s more beneficial to buy a T-money card, since it saves you ₩100 on each ride. Also, you will get discounts when transferring.
- • Passenger T-money Ticket
Regular (19 years old and up) 1,250 / 1,350
Youth (13-18 years old) 720 / 1,250
Child (6-12 years old) 450 / 450
- -Children of age 6 and younger: Free
- -Total distances between 10km to 50 km (within Seoul) : ₩100 for each additional 5km
- -Total distances exceeding 50km (within Seoul) : ₩100 for each additional 8km
- -Total distances exceeding 30km (outside Seoul) : ₩100 for each additional 5km
- • Gwanak 02
SNU internal circulation - Nakseongdae station - Nakseongdae station
Get on the bus at Exit No. 4 of Nakseongdae station. After circling the school, it goes back to the Nakseongdae station. - • Bus fares
There are several types of buses in Seoul, all with different pricing. The fares range between ₩ 900/1,000 and ₩2,350/2,400. - • Recharging T-money
You can easily recharge your T-money card at convenience stores with the T-money logo (GS 25, CU, Mini Stop, Buy The Way, 7-Eleven, Story Way) and the Ticket Vending and Card Reload machines at subway stations. Just place your card on the designated place, click on the amount you want to deposit on your card and pay. The machines all have an English language option, as well as Chinese and Japanese. - • Integrated Transfer and Distance-based Fare System
If you have a T-money card, you can get discounts when transferring from subway to buses. This saves you a significant amount of money, since you have to pay for each ride separately if you don’t have a T-money card. Transfers can be made up to 4 times. To get a discount, don’t forget to place your card on the reader machine before getting off. The transfer must be made within 30 minutes after getting off the previous means of transportation. However, the transfer discount does not apply when getting on the same numbered bus you just got off. There is no transfer discount when transferring to a subway line after getting off the subway. If you pay attention to these simple rules, you can save a lot of money on your transportation fees.
Taxi
Taxis are inexpensive and abundantly available all over Seoul. They are not only comfortable and convenient, but also safe to travel around the city day and night. You can easily catch a cab on the street or at the taxi stands. Empty cabs have the sign “빈차” (Bincha) lighted up in red in the front window. Most taxis in Seoul accept credit cards and T-money card for payment (look for the “card taxi” sign). An increasing number of taxi drivers speak at least a little bit of English but free interpretation service is also available for foreigners (look for the free interpretation sign). There are two types of taxis available: regular and deluxe (in Korean: Mobeom) taxis. Regular taxis are usually white, silver or orange in colour while deluxe taxis are black. Deluxe taxis are more spacious, offer a more comfortable way of travel and a higher standard of service, but they also come at a higher cost.
The basic fare for regular taxis is ₩3,800 for the first 2 kilometers and then ₩100 is added for every 132 meters. If the taxi is traveling at a speed lower than 15 kilometers per hour, ₩100 is added to the meter every 31 seconds. There is a 20% surcharge during late-night hours (12am to 4am) and in case you are traveling outside of Seoul. The basic rate for deluxe taxis is ₩6,500 for the first 3 kilometers and then ₩200 is added for each 151 meters. If the taxi is traveling at a low speed, ₩200 is added for every 36 seconds.
Tipping is not customary in Korea; you are not expected to give a tip to the cab driver.
