The Seoul subway is easy to ride once you know how to pay. You have two basic choices: a single-journey ticket or a reloadable transportation card such as T-money. This guide explains both, what the official sources say about buying, topping up and refunds, and where those sources disagree.
We read the Visit Seoul website, the T-money foreigner guide, the VisitKorea transportation card page and a Korea Herald report on 11 October 2026. Fares and rules change, so use the numbers as a snapshot and confirm at the station.
Option 1: Single-Journey Ticket
Visit Seoul says you buy this at a vending machine in the station. You pay the exact fare plus a 500 won deposit, and you get the deposit back by returning the card at a “Deposit Refund Device” at your destination station. It is simple for one or two rides, but you must remember the refund step.
Option 2: T-money Card
T-money is a reloadable transportation card. You tap it on the gate reader when you enter and again when you exit.
Where to buy. The T-money foreigner guide lists convenience stores such as GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, MINISTOP, Story Way, Emart24 and 365PLUS. It lists subway stations as top-up only: top-up machines, T-money vending machines, portable reload machines and the information center. VisitKorea says the card also sells at Seoul subway information centers on Lines 1 to 8. Visit Seoul puts the card price at 3,000 won, while VisitKorea says 3,000 to 5,000 won for a general card. We could not find a single official price.
How to top up. You bring the card and Korean won in cash to a sales location. The T-money guide says top-ups range from 1,000 to 90,000 won in 1,000 won units, and the balance cannot exceed 500,000 won.
Why use it. Visit Seoul says adults get 100 won off each ride compared with a single-journey ticket. The T-money guide says you get a transfer discount between subway and bus when you transfer within 30 minutes, or within one hour from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. It says up to four transfer discounts apply per day.
What Does a Ride Cost?
This is where sources differ, so read carefully.
- Visit Seoul shows a table effective 7 October 2023: adult 1,400 won with T-money and 1,500 won for a single-journey ticket (plus the 500 won deposit). The page still shows this table.
- Korea Herald reported that the base fare for adults with a transportation card rose to 1,550 won (teenagers 900 won, children 550 won), starting with the first train on 28 June 2025, according to Seoul Metro. The report also lists an early-morning discount for boarding before 6:30 a.m.
- The Airport Railroad’s fare page also describes a 1,550 won base fare in the Seoul area, which matches the newer figure.
So the current adult card fare is most likely 1,550 won for a short ride. We did not find the current single-journey ticket price on an official page. The vending machine screen will show the exact amount before you pay.
Visit Seoul says trains run from about 5:30 a.m. until midnight.
Refunds and Leftover Balance
The two official pages we read do not fully agree, so we list both.
- The T-money guide says a refund returns the balance in cash minus a 500 won service fee, and the card price itself is not refunded. It says partial refunds are available only at Tmoney Town and subway service centers, for 10,000 to 50,000 won in 10,000 won units, and only for plate-type cards.
- VisitKorea (page updated August 2026) says refunds over 50,000 won are only possible at Tmoney Town at Seoul Station, and that smaller amounts can be refunded at convenience stores.
- Tmoney Town is on the first floor of Seoul City Tower, near Seoul Station Exit 10.
A simple plan: top up small amounts, and spend down what is left before you leave. For questions, the T-money guide lists a foreign-language line: dial 120, then press 9.
Youth and Child Fares
The T-money guide says children (6 to 12) and youth (13 to 18) can get a discounted base fare if you register the card with a date of birth at a convenience store or subway information center, showing the card and an ID. It warns that adults who use a child or youth card face a fine of 30 times the base fare.
Climate Card for Short Stays
VisitKorea’s page describes the Climate Card as a different product. The physical card is 3,000 won, sold at Seoul Metro information centers and some convenience stores. Short-term passes are listed as 1 day 5,000 won, 2 days 8,000 won, 3 days 10,000 won, 5 days 15,000 won and 7 days 20,000 won. The page says the 30-day pass was discontinued as of 1 October 2026, and that the card is limited to use within Seoul from that date. It also says the pass activates when loaded and cannot be changed or reloaded until it expires. We did not compare the passes with pay-per-ride fares, because you would need your own trip count.
What We Could Not Confirm
- The current single-journey ticket price on an official page.
- Whether the Visit Seoul fare table has been updated since October 2023.
- Exact refund rules, because two official pages differ.
- Which exit to use at any specific station.
Sources
- Visit Seoul, Transportation page: fare table effective 7 October 2023, single-journey deposit, T-money, service hours. Read 11 October 2026.
- T-money, Foreigner Guide: sales locations, top-up limits, transfers, refunds, youth fares. Read 11 October 2026.
- VisitKorea, Transportation Cards (page last updated August 2026): card price, Climate Card. Read 11 October 2026.
- Korea Herald, report on the subway fare increase effective 28 June 2025. Read 11 October 2026.
- Airport Railroad (airportrailroad.com), all-stop fare page. Read 11 October 2026.
