How to Ride the Seoul Subway: Directions, Transfers, Exits & Hours
A step-by-step guide to riding the Seoul subway: finding the right direction, the gates, transfers, numbered exits, first and last trains, express trains and etiquette.
1. Find your line and direction
Every line has a number and a colour (Line 2 is green, Line 4 sky blue). Platforms are split by direction and signed with the terminus or next station (“toward …”), so check you're entering the platform heading to your stop.
Line 2 is a loop with an inner (clockwise) and outer (anticlockwise) track. Pick the side by the next station's name on the sign and you can't go wrong.
2. Through the gates and on the train
Tap your card on the gate reader to enter; one card per person, as cards can't be shared on the same trip. On board, announcements in Korean and English (plus Chinese and Japanese on some lines) and screens show the next stop.
Leave the priority seats at each end of the car and the pink seats for pregnant women empty. Keep phone calls short and quiet, and don't park big luggage in the doorway.
3. Changing lines
At transfer stations, follow the signs in the colour and number of the line you want. Big stations can mean a 5–10 minute walk. Ride in the car and door listed under “Fastest transfer doors” on each station page and you'll come out right by the stairs to your next line.
Some lines, such as Line 9 and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line, run express trains (급행) that skip smaller stations. Check the sign on the train and the platform display before you board.
4. Picking the right exit
Exits are numbered and big stations have more than ten. Check which exit is closest to where you're going before you leave the gates; the wrong one can leave you on the far side of a wide road.
In Korea, Naver Map and KakaoMap give the most accurate exit numbers and walking directions; Google Maps handles transit routes but its walking directions are limited. On each station page you can also tap an exit to see it on the map.
5. Operating hours and last trains
Most lines run from about 5:30 am until around midnight. Last trains differ by line, direction and station, and weekends and holidays have fewer trains, so check the last train in a map app if you'll be out late.
Rush hours (7–9 am and 6–8 pm) are very crowded; avoid them if you're travelling with big suitcases.