Transportation in Korea

Today South Korea is one of Asia's favorite business and leisure travel destinations. The country welcomes over 2 million visitors a year. In spite of this influx, Korea has been quite successful in providing and maintaining an excellent public transportation system which includes air, railway, ferries, bus, subway and taxi services.

International Air Transport
The country's two major airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have scheduled direct flights every week from Korea to major cities in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. More than three quarters of the international flights land at Incheon International Airport, some 60 kilometers west of Seoul. Most other flights arrive at Gimhae International Airport in Busan and Jeju International Airport on the island of Jeju-do.
Domestic Air Transport
All South Korea's main cities are linked by air. Gimpo Airport is mainly used for domestic flights. Both Korean Air and Asiana Airlines provide domestic air transport service. The fares are reasonable and are discounted about 6% for week-day travel and 5% for children ages 2-3 involving one-hour flights at most. All airports are connected by convenient city bus routes to downtown areas.

Railway services
Trains in Korea are a good way to explore the peninsula. They are operated by Korea National Railroad. These include the new bullet train service called The Korea Express Train or KTX, Saemaeul, and Mugunghwa trains.

KTX is a high-speed train connecting Seoul with the south-eastern port city of Busan and the south-western city of Mokpo shortening travel time from Seoul to Busan to 2 hrs and 40 min from the 4 hr and 30 min; and from Seoul to Mokpo to 3 hours from 4 hours and 40 minutes..

Saemaeul trains are the high class and high priced air-conditioned luxury trains. Each of these has a dining car, as well as two-person and family compartments.

Reasonably priced and much more frequent, Mugunghwa trains are air-conditioned limited express trains. Most have dining and first class cars and some of the night trains have sleeping compartments as well.

Depending on the class and distance, fares range from 2,000 to 35,000. Rail passes (KR Pass) can be a good bet if you're planning on traveling around for a few days. They allow three, five, seven or ten days train travel. Reservations are usually not required, but it is recommended on the heavily traveled Seoul - Busan line and absolutely necessary on national holidays, and weekends especially during the summer and autumn tourist season.

The train stations are also marked in English, and are linked up with the subway systems in different cities.

Ferries
There are three types of ferries in Korea; vehicular, passenger and high speed hydrofoil. They provide both domestic and international services. Routes are available between Busan and Jeju-do Island, Mokpo and Hong-do Island, and Pohang and Ulleung-do Island. Most long distance ferries have third, second and first classes- some also have special rooms- and they charge by class and distance. The fares for third to first class to the longest route range from 24,000 to 150,000 and 180,000 to 220,000 for special class. More typical fares range from 3,500 to 50,000 depending on the distances. Ferries offer one of the most pleasant ways to see Korea.

Bus Services
Intercity buses: These connect virtually all cities and towns in the country and are an economical way to travel. Exclusive bus lanes are enforced in the daytime, which makes it less time-consuming. They make scheduled stops. A few ordinary buses also stop to pick up or let off passengers at various stops. 
Long distance express buses: Two services, regular express buses and deluxe express buses, provide efficient and comfortable access to all the major towns. Majority of the regular express buses leave at least once every hour. Deluxe buses offer amenities such as mobile phones and VCRs. Late-night deluxe express buses also run between large provincial cities. Intercity and express buses cost around 600 to 1,400.
City buses: These buses are numbered according to their routes, but since signs are usually in Korean, it is advisable to know the bus numbers in advance. The basic fare is between 600 to 700.
 
Subway services
Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju and several other cities have subways, which are convenient, cheap and comprehensible as all the signs and destinations are written in English as well. Fares vary according to destinations, with a basic fare of 700 – 800. Also, all the subway stations are well served by a bus service network.

Taxi services
Regular taxis cost 1600 minimum and go up 100 every 160 meters. The fare for black deluxe taxis is 4000, and goes up 200 every 250 meters. Deluxe cabs are found only in certain areas such as outside major hotels, financial/political areas and some downtown places. A lit red sign at the front window indicates that the taxi is available. After mid night cab fares go up 20%. Long-distance share taxis, known as bullet taxis, go between big cities and major tourist sights.

Rental Cars
Chauffeur driven and self driven rental cars can be hired in major cities and tourist areas.
Drivers must have one year of driving experience, an international driver's license valid for a year from the date of entry, a valid passport, and be at least 21 years of age. Rental fees vary from 68,000 to 265,000 for a day, depending upon the type of car. The speed limit is 60km/hr for most roads in the city and 80-100km/hr for city expressways.