Passenger classification and fares

Fare calculation and discount rates

Fare calculation

Discount rate (based on fare paid with transportation card)

How to use the transportation ticket for the subway

• The transportation ticket is non-transferrable (each passenger, except members of groups of passengers, must have his or her own ticket charged with the fare amount).
• Travelers using prepaid cards should make sure that the cards have enough money on them to cover the base fare and return the used single-journey ticket at a Deposit Refund Machine to receive a deposit refund.
• Travelers who are still riding the subway five or more hours after swiping their transportation ticket will be charged the base fare again.
• Passengers must swipe their transportation ticket every time they enter or exit a turnstile and present their ticket, along with their ID (when necessary), upon the request of a subway employee.
• Passengers who accidentally pass through a turnstile for a train going in the wrong direction can exit the turnstile and re-enter on the other side within 5 minutes in the same station without being charged the fare again (at the first station only).
  • Note: Not applicable to passengers with a single-journey ticket.
  • Note: However, passengers who accidentally take the wrong train at a transfer station and need to exit the turnstile to take a different line will be charged the fare again.

Refund policy

• Fares are refunded in case of train delays and cancellations (for refund requests made within 7 days of incident)
• *Note: Passengers using prepaid or charge cards will receive a cash refund for one base fare (no need to swipe card). Passengers who transferred from subway to bus also receive a cash refund, but only upon request and for the base fare of one of the modes of transportation (card must be swiped and only the base fare is refunded; the incremental fare is non-refundable.)
• Tickets that are unused or do not work can be refunded in any Seoul Metro station. However, unused single-journey tickets and group tickets are fully refunded. In the case of group tickets, passengers can get a refund at the station where they purchased the ticket. For a commuter railway ticket, the value of either the number of days remaining or number of rides remaining (whichever is lower) is refunded. The price of the transportation card is not refundable.

Bicycle policy

• Bicycles are allowed on subway trains only on Saturdays and national holidays.(To learn about the bicycle-related rules of a subway line operated by an organization other than Seoul Metro, please refer to the bicycle policy of the given subway line operator.)
• Cyclists are allowed to take their bicycles only on designated train cars (first and last cars).
• Cyclists should use the safety equipment for bicycles (if installed).
• Bicycles should not be taken on elevators, escalators, or wheelchair lifts.
• Any behavior that disrupts subway operation or causes inconvenience to other passengers is prohibited.
• Cyclists bear sole responsibility for any damage to or loss of their bicycles or injury to themselves and/or other passengers caused by their bicycles.
• Some issues (days/times/track sections where bicycles are allowed to be brought onto subway trains, etc.) may be negotiable. Rules for track sections that are not operated by Seoul Metro will be decided by the respective operator.

Penalty fare policy

• Penalties of 30 times the single-journey fare for adults (or single-journey ticket for children for penalties applied to children) are imposed on passengers for the offenses listed below, except when reported to subway employees:
  • 1. Entrance to the Seoul Metro subway system or boarding of a train without paying the fare
  • 2. Loss of a subway ticket while on board a train
  • 3. Possession of an invalid ticket
  • ▶ Tickets are invalid when :

    • ① riders who are not eligible for transit fare exemption benefits use a free single-journey ticket or a free transportation card
    • ② adults use a single-journey ticket intended for children or a transportation card intended for adolescents or children
    • ③ adolescents use a single-journey ticket or transportation card intended for children
    • ④ passengers use a damaged or forged ticket
    • ⑤ passengers use an expired ticket
    • ⑥ passengers do not present their ID when requested
    • ⑦ passengers take the subway in other improper ways
  • 4. Entrance to the Seoul Metro subway system without going through the faregate
  • 5. Refusal to show a valid ticket to a ticket inspector
  • 6. Use of a group ticket for more than the number of people that is supposed to be in the group (numbers of adults, adolescents, and children are indicated separately)
  • 7. Use of a transportation card that is invalid and reported lost or stolen or has been suspended
  • 8. Failure of a free transportation card holder to present a form of valid ID
  • ▶ Note

    • riders who are not eligible for transit fare exemption benefits use a free single-journey ticket or a free transportation card
    • adults use a single-journey ticket intended for children or a transportation card intended for adolescents or children
    • adolescents use a single-journey ticket or transportation card intended for children
    • passengers use a damaged or forged ticket
    • passengers use an expired ticket
    • passengers do not present their ID when requested
    • passengers take the subway in other improper ways

Prohibited and restricted items

• If an employee believes that a passenger may have prohibited/restricted items in his or her possession, the employee may search the passenger’s belongings. Any passenger who refuses to cooperate with such search may be refused boarding.

Behaviors not permitted in subway stations or on trains

• Employees have the right to restrain or make an audio/video recording of a passenger who is committing any of the actions listed below. Employees also have the right to refuse transport or make said passenger leave the vehicle en route.
  • 1. Having a prohibited/restricted item or object that could potentially cause harm to others inside the train or in the vicinity of the station/platform
  • 2. A passenger who is unaccompanied by a guardian despite the fact that he or she is unable to travel alone due to the passenger’s age, physical/mental condition, or tendency to engage in actions that put his/her own safety at risk
  • 3. Actions that may irritate or pose a risk to the safety of other passengers
  • 4. Selling products, making speeches, or proselytizing (religious, etc.) to others inside the train or station
  • 5. Making of loud noises (singing loudly, violent language, etc.), sleeping (lying down), or smoking inside the train or station
  • 6. Disrupting train operation by interfering with the opening or closing of the station’s automatic entry doors
  • 7. Posting/distributing advertisements or discarding industrial, household, or any other type of waste inside the train or station
  • 8. Pressing the emergency stop button inside the station without reason, arbitrarily manipulating a device or object inside the train or platform (e.g. opening the station’s automatic entry doors), or entering an area that is not open to public access
  • 9. Refusing to comply with an employee’s directions related to the use of the subway or disrupting an employee’s performance of his or her duties via physical violence or verbal threats
  • 10. Not wearing a mask as a means of preventing a communicable disease based on the central (or local) government’s policy on infectious disease response
  • 11. Using 1) a personal mobility device (including vehicles operated by manual or non-manual means and mobility devices permitted by the Road Traffic Act) inside a subway station or on a train or 2) activating a drone or an object or toy (excluding wheelchairs and strollers) that has the potential to cause harm to other passengers
  • 12. Engaging in any other activity that may cause harm to the train and/or its passengers

For more detailed information, please refer to the Seoul Metro website (http://www.seoulmetro.co.kr).
This Passenger Transport Terms and Conditions may be translated into English and other languages. In the case of a conflict or discrepancy between a translated version of these terms and conditions and the Korean version, the Korean version shall take precedence.