[LIFEHACKS] Find your way around Seoul on the subway

The public transportation system in Korea is quite extensive and well-developed. Of the public transportation systems available, the subway often serves as the most convenient option for both Koreans and international visitors.

Passengers wait to board the subway at Sindorim Station during rush hour. Subway stations are usually packed during rush hour, which is generally between 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. [YONHAP]

The public transportation system in Korea is quite extensive and well-developed. Ranging from buses to subways, as long as you know how the system works, you’ll be able to get yourself pretty much anywhere using a travel pass.

Of the public transportation systems available, the subway often serves as the most convenient option for both Koreans and international visitors. When traveling inside the Seoul Metropolitan Area, using the subway might be your safest bet. It covers an expansive area, allowing you to get almost anywhere, and is usually right on time — so you’ll never have to worry about being late.

The map of the subway system may look intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, getting from A to B couldn't be easier.

After locating a subway station that’s close to you, read through this article and follow it step-by-step. You’ll have the knowledge of a local!

How can I find my way around the subway system?

You can get to your desired station by looking at a subway map in a subway station and tracing the route from your departure station to where you want to go. But to save time and energy, you can use the app KakaoMetro that will do the hard work for you.

KakaoMetro

On KakaoMetro, users can get a full view of all the subway lines. It boasts an interactive map that allows the user to select a station from the map to depart from and arrive at. If you are unsure of how to locate the station you are in on the app, you can tap the arrow at the bottom right corner and the app will show you the station you are in.

It also provides a range of useful information, including the fare prices, the duration of their trip, and the time the subway departs and arrives. Users can set an alarm through the app, which will notify them when it is time to transfer to a different line and when they need to get off.

It also provides information about which subway car is the best to ride in to minimize transfer times, a tool that busy commuters find especially useful. Additionally, the app will sometimes suggest two different subway routes — a fast option for those who are running short on time and a simple route if you want to minimize the number of changes.

Users can also share their time of arrival to others through KakaoTalk or see other routes that they can take if they have KakaoMap installed on their phone.

Although its inability to support English when trying to use the search bar to manually enter a station can be tedious, the app shows both the English and Korean name of the stations on its subway map, which can be helpful for those who are not comfortable using Korean.

KakaoMetro shows a full view of all the subway lines when the app is loaded, left. Once the departure and arrival stations are entered, the app will show fare prices, the duration of the journey and the time the subway departs and arrives. [SCREENSHOT]

What are some subway ticketing options?

There are a number of ways that a commuter can choose to pay for their subway fare — by cash, using their T-Money card or using a Korean credit or debit card with a contactless payment system.

If you are using cash, you will need to purchase single-journey tickets for every ride you take. These single-journey tickets can be purchased using a ticket vending machine located in every train station which requires an additional 500-won security deposit. The deposit will be returned back to you when you return your card to a deposit refund machine at your destination.

Single-journey tickets can be purchased using a vending machine, left. This requires an additional 500-won security deposit, which can be retrieved through a deposit refund machine, right. Some ticket vending machines also have a deposit refund function. [LEE JUNG-JOO]

You can also buy a T-Money card at a convenience store. The card itself can be bought with either card or cash, but can normally only be topped up with cash. T-Money cards can be topped up at card reload devices in the subway stations, or at any convenience store. Since a T-Money card only needs to be topped up when the card balance is low, it is much more convenient than buying a single-journey ticket for every subway ride. It also saves you money on each ride, and can also be used if you decide to use a cab as well.

A T-Money card is tapped on a card reader at a subway station. You must tap your transportation card on these card readers before entering and exiting a subway station. [YONHAP]

Most Korean credit and debit cards also include a contactless payment feature for public transport, although you may have to request this when setting up the card. International cards will not work.

What if I still get lost in the station? How can I get help?

If you read through this entire article and you still find yourself getting lost, don’t worry. There’s different ways in which you can seek help inside the station.

At each station, there is an information booth where an employee can answer any questions you may have about your subway journey, or how to locate notable landmarks around the station. If an employee is not present, you can also press the red button by the entrance to call employees located inside the station.

At each subway station, there is an information booth with a big 'i' where an employee can answer questions about your journey, or how to locate notable landmarks around the station. [LEE JUNG-JOO]

There are also maps inside the station that identify key places near the station and show which exit leads to which area. If you are unable to get your hands on an app like KakaoMetro, subway line maps are always there inside the platform to help you identify which way you should go.

Interactive maps, left and more traditional subway maps, right, are visible in every station to help identify key locations in the area and plan onwards journeys. [LEE JUNG-JOO]

Now you've got the hang of the subway, here's how to use it like a local: 1. Don’t use the seats at the far end of each subway car, or any seats in a row of seats that are pink. These seats are reserved for the elderly, people with disabilities or pregnant women. Even if these seats are not currently being used, most people will leave them free in case anybody that requires them gets on at the next station. You can use all the other seats that are available in the car, but it’s courteous to give up your seat to someone who needs it more.

2. If you have a backpack and are standing during your ride, wear it over your chest — especially if you are riding the subway during rush hour.

3. Refrain from speaking loudly or having loud phone conversations while on the subway. This also applies to buses, where speaking quietly is always encouraged.

4. Remember to stand on the right when going up or down an escalator, or walk down on the left.

5. It is frowned upon to eat inside the subway, or to carry drinks without a lid that could spill.

6. Rush hour is generally between 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The busiest stations are usually those located around business districts like Yeouido Station and Gangnam Station, or places where commuters make the most transfers such as Seoul Station. If you can, avoid riding the subway during this time, but if you must, be prepared as trains will be crowded with some pushing.

7. Even if the stations and subways are crowded during rush hour, the estimated time of arrival to your destination should still be accurate. So if you have to be somewhere by a certain time during rush hour, using the subway instead of the bus is still the safest bet.

8. If you need to store your belongings during your trip, most stations also have lockers that range from small to large that you can use for a small fee. You can pay for these lockers using your credit card or T-Money card.

BY LEE JUNG-JOO [lee.jungjoo@joongang.co.kr]