Getting around the city and apps
T-money is the standard transit card, a few thousand won at any convenience store and topped up with cash. Tapping a foreign bank card at the gate still does not work, but since 17 March 2026 you can at least buy and recharge with one at supported machines. The Seoul Climate Card gives unlimited city travel from 5,000 KRW a day.
- T-money is the standard transit card, 3,000 to 4,000 KRW at any convenience store, topped up with cash.
- Tapping a foreign bank card at a metro gate or on a bus still does not work. Since 17 March 2026 you can use one to buy and recharge tourist cards at supported machines, which is the part that used to force you to find an ATM first.
- The Seoul base fare is 1,550 KRW with a card, 1,650 KRW for a cash single ticket.
- The Climate Card Tourist Pass gives unlimited Seoul metro and city buses: 1 day 5,000, 2 days 8,000, 3 days 10,000, 5 days 15,000 KRW, with a 7-day option too. It is not valid on AREX from the airport or on airport buses.
- Naver Map is the app that actually works for transit routing and walking directions in English; Google Maps does not.
- k.ride is the taxi app built for foreigners - a foreign number and a foreign card both work. On Kakao T, choose "pay to the driver" before you order.
Transit in the Korean cities is integrated, punctual, and needs a tap in and a tap out - on the metro and on buses alike. Missing the tap-out is charged as a penalty on your next ride.
Paying
- T-money is the standard card, bought at any convenience store for 3,000 to 4,000 KRW and topped up with cash at station machines or over the counter.
- A foreign bank card still cannot be tapped at the gate. What changed on 17 March 2026 is that visitors can buy and recharge tourist transit cards with an overseas-issued credit or debit card at supported vending machines - so you no longer need Korean cash before you can move.
- The base fare in Seoul is 1,550 KRW with a transit or bank card, 1,650 KRW for a cash single ticket, after the June 2025 increase.
Climate Card Tourist Pass
Unlimited rides on the Seoul metro and city buses for a fixed number of days: 1 day 5,000 KRW, 2 days 8,000, 3 days 10,000, 5 days 15,000, with a 7-day version as well.
- Sold at tourist information centres, at the customer safety centres in stations on lines 1 to 8, and at convenience stores near stations.
- It activates the day you charge it, not on a date you choose.
- It is not valid on the AREX from Incheon Airport, nor on airport buses. Budget for those separately.
Apps worth installing
- Naver Map - the one that works. Public transit routing and walking navigation, in English. Google Maps is crippled in Korea by mapping-data export restrictions.
- Subway Korea - light and fast, works offline, gives you the quickest transfers on the Seoul and Busan metros.
- k.ride - Kakao Mobility's taxi app for foreign visitors. It accepts a foreign phone number and links an international card for automatic payment.
- Kakao T - the dominant national taxi app, but registering a foreign card for automatic payment frequently fails. Select "pay to the driver" before you send the order, then pay by card or T-money at the end.
- Uber - works through the local UT taxi network, which makes it the least-setup option if you already have the app.
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