Seoul to other cities: KTX, bus or flight?

All cities at a glance (one adult, one way)

KTX fares are Korail's integrated table from 1 September 2026, as published by Korail and regional press. Four routes (Daejeon, Yeosu, Jeonju, Mokpo) have no published figure yet, so we show the last known fare and point you to the KORAIL+ app rather than guess. Bus fares are the weekday daytime deluxe (우등) price on Kobus, checked 2 October 2026.

Source: Korail · Verified 10 Oct 2026 · All sources & changelog

What changed in September 2026

SRT, the second high-speed operator, was merged back into Korail on 1 September 2026. Its trains now run as KTX-Sancheon, Suseo station in southern Seoul sells the same tickets as Seoul Station and Yongsan, and high-speed fares fell by about 10% on average — Seoul to Busan went from ₩59,800 to ₩54,400. One app, KORAIL+ (코레일+), replaced both KorailTalk and the SRT app.

• Three Seoul terminals: Seoul Station (Lines 1, 4, AREX) and Yongsan (Line 1) for the north-west of the city, Suseo (Line 3, Suin-Bundang) if you're staying in Gangnam or Jamsil. Same price from any of them.
• Which line: Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gyeongju, Ulsan and Pohang are the Gyeongbu line (from Seoul Station). Gwangju, Mokpo, Jeonju and Yeosu are the Honam/Jeolla line (mostly from Yongsan). Gangneung is the separate KTX-Eum service from Seoul Station or Cheongnyangni.
• Booking: KORAIL+ app or letskorail.com (English, foreign cards accepted, seats open 1 month ahead). Trip.com and Klook resell with a small markup and are easier if a Korean payment page rejects your card. Friday evening and Sunday afternoon trains sell out days ahead.
• KORAIL Pass: the foreigner-only rail pass (2 days ₩131,000, 3 days ₩186,000, 5 days ₩275,000) pays off only with two or more long rides — Seoul–Busan return alone is ₩108,800. Check whether the former SRT departures from Suseo are included before buying.
• First class: about 40% more than standard, wider seats, no meal. Not worth it under two hours.

Bus, train or plane?

• Under 2 hours by KTX (Daejeon, Jeonju, Gwangju, Gangneung, Daegu): take the train. The bus saves ₩10,000–20,000 but doubles the time.
• Busan: KTX, unless you're on a tight budget — the ₩26,700 standard bus (₩39,700 deluxe) takes over four hours and Seoul traffic can add an hour. Flying is only quicker if you're already near Gimpo Airport.
• Jeju: only by air (or a slow ferry from Mokpo or Wando). Flights from Gimpo, not Incheon; fares are set by each airline and swing widely by day, so compare Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way and Korean Air and book early for weekends.
• Express bus deluxe (우등) seats are 3-across recliners and on most routes the only class offered in the daytime; "premium" (프리미엄) adds lie-flat seats for a few thousand won more, and the cheaper standard (일반) bus runs only once or twice a day where it exists. Buy at Kobus or at the terminal; no advance booking needed on weekdays.