South Korea
Country Details
Name: South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea; 대한민국; Daehan Minguk
Language: Korean
Currency: South Korean Won (KRW); (₩)
National railway system
National Railway Operator
Korean Railroad (Korail - in Korean).
There is a Site for Visitors in English.
Super Rapid Train [SRT] services are operated by SR Corporation, known as Supreme Railways, with Korail having a major shareholding.
Incheon Airport Railroad Express AREX is owned by the KNRA.
Infrastructure Authority
KRNA Korea Rail Network Authority; 한국철도시설공단
UIC code
numeric 61; alpha KNR
Timetable
Information is available at the Man in Seat 61.
Journey Planner
The Korail English journey planner.
or
the Rail Ninja one.
Actual Train Times
A South Korea Live Rail Map shows current progress of AREX, KTX, SRT high speeded, ITX and Mugunghwa intercity trains.
Downloadable Timetable
The downloaded excel format timetables, both effective from 2 April 2015, are in Korean only but with station names in English as well.
Printed Timetable
None known.
Summary timetables are available in some editions of the European Rail Timetable.
Engineering Information
None.
Maps
Printed Maps
- Quail Map Company's Korea, North and South, Railway Map ISBN: 978 1898319 21 4 was published in 1996.
Web-based Maps
- Korail system map but doesn't show the Yeongdeok to Samcheok section of the Donghae Line [East Sea Line] opened in January 2025 nor the Imseong-ri to New Boseong section, of the Mokpo–Boseong HS Line, opened at the end of September 2025.
- World Transit Maps South Korea.
- More recent map in Korean characters only.
- South Korea Railroad Map; click on “image hosted on flickr” to enlarge the map.
- A South Korea Live Rail Map with positions of trains.
Ticketing
KORAIL Train Tickets can be booked at Train Tickets. Korea Rail Pass information is available on the KORAIL ticket website. Note that the Happy Rail Pass appears to be restricted to foreigners who live in Korea.
Infrastructure
Gauge
Standard.
Electrification
25kV 60 Hz on all the Korail operated network except the Ilsan Line, plus AREX.
1,500 V DC on all rapid transit networks including the Korail Ilsan Line
Rule of the road
Left; right on some of the Seoul metro lines not operated by Korail.
Other Railways
None.
Tourist Lines
- Jeongseon Auraji Rail Bike
- Other Rail Bikes
- Gangchon Rail Park
- Seomjingang River also at Gokseong Train Village
- Haeundae Beach Train at Haeundae Blueline Park. This ~5 km line apparently runs on part of the former route of the Donghae line.
Metro
- Metro Operator sites for Busan Metro, Daegu Metro, Incheon Subway, Seoul Metro.
- UrbanRail has diagrams and plans for Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, Incheon.
A map with the location of Urban Railways is on the Korearailway website. There are links to route maps of the city metros on the same page.
Trams/LRT Systems
The 5 km Wirye Line standard gauge tramway in Seoul is scheduled to open in the second half of 2026. It will serve the Wirye New Town residential area in the south-east suburbs. The trams will be battery powered and it is the first tramway in Seoul for 57 years.
Recent and Future Changes
The Mokpo – Boseong HS Line officially opened on 26 September 2025 with first trains on 27 September 2025. Some 83 km of new single track electrified line, between Imseong-ri and Miryeok, via New Boseong has been built over a period of some 23 years.
On 1 April 2025 the Gyooe Line, in Gyeonggi Province, resumed operations after a 21 year hiatus, reconnecting the cities of Goyang, Yangju, and Uijeongbu.
Sections of the Donghae Line [East Sea Line] opened as follows:
- The Yeongdeok - Samcheok section opened 1 January 2025, completing 166 km of new alignment between Pohang and Samcheok.
- The Bujeon to Ilgwang and Taehwagang to Moryang sections opened 28 December 2021.
- The Pohang - Yeongdeok section opened 26 January 2018.
Super Rapid Train [SRT] services were launched on 9 December 2016 from Suseo station in Seoul, via PyeongtaekJije station. By 1 September 2023 direct services were operating on the Jeolla Line, Donghae Line and Gyeongjeon Lines.
In July 2016, the government approved the following new lines:
- Chuncheon - Sokcho (94 km) in the northeastern province of Gangwon.
And south of Seoul
- A link from the Seoul – Busan high speed line to Eocheon station on the Su-In Line (3.5 km)
- A link at Soejeong-ri (4.7 km) to enable more high speed trains to serve Suwon.
The 231 km Honam high-speed railway, Honam (HSR), between Osong and Mokpo, was inaugurated on 1 April 2015 after some 5 years of construction.
Special Notes
None.
Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services
See South Korea - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services.
