Seoul travel tips: what to watch out for

Real Korea travel, explained by a Korean who lives here. This is what we tell our own friends before they land: how not to overpay for a taxi, what to do if it happens anyway, and the few other things that catch visitors out. Checked 15 October 2026.

Taxis: know the fare before you get in

Most taxis in Seoul are honest, and the meter is cheap by big-city standards. Overcharging does happen, mostly to visitors coming from the airport or leaving a concert late at night. Knowing the rules is most of the defence.

• A regular (orange, silver or white) taxi starts at ₩4,800 for the first 1.6 km in the daytime. The full table is on how costs work.
• Late at night the meter itself goes up: +20% from 22:00 to 23:00 and from 02:00 to 04:00, +40% from 23:00 to 02:00. That is a real, legal surcharge, not a scam.
• Leaving Seoul city limits adds 20% for that part of the trip. Night and out-of-city surcharges can stack, up to 60% in total. Trips to Incheon Airport are an exception: the out-of-city surcharge only starts outside the shared airport taxi zone.
• Highway tolls are added on top and you pay them.
• Black "deluxe" taxis (모범택시, mobeom) and large van taxis cost more: from ₩7,000 for the first 3 km. If you did not want one, wait for the next car.
• The fare is whatever the meter shows. A driver who names a flat price, refuses to turn the meter on or says the meter is "broken" is a reason to get out before you set off. Say miteogi kyeo juseyo (미터기 켜 주세요, "please turn on the meter").

If you think a taxi overcharged you

• Ask for a receipt before you leave the car: yeongsujeung juseyo (영수증 주세요). Since December 2025 Seoul taxi receipts are in English as well as Korean and show the total fare, pick-up and drop-off times, any night or out-of-city surcharge, and how to file a complaint.
• Note the taxi's plate number, the time and where you got in and out. A photo of the plate is enough.
• Scan the QR code on the complaint sticker inside the taxi. Seoul has put these stickers in its taxis so passengers can report on the spot.
• Or call 120, the Seoul city call center (Dasan 120, 24 hours), which handles taxi complaints.
• At Incheon and Gimpo airports, look for the taxi survey cards: they link to a report form in English, Chinese and Japanese.
• The city investigates the reports it gets and fines drivers when overcharging is confirmed.

At the airport

• Take a taxi only from the marked taxi stand outside the terminal: Terminal 1 on the arrivals floor (1F), Terminal 2 on B1. Ignore anyone who walks up to you inside the arrivals hall offering a ride; that is illegal touting.
• A taxi with a Seoul or Gyeonggi plate at Incheon Airport is normal. The airport is a shared taxi zone, so it is not a sign that something is wrong.
• Usually the airport train is simpler than a taxi: see the AREX fares on how costs work.

Booking a taxi with an app

Hailing through an app avoids haggling because the trip is logged. Kakao Mobility runs K.Ride for visitors (since June 2024): it is in English, Chinese and Japanese and takes overseas credit cards, but you must register a card before you can book, it only offers its higher tiers and it adds service and cancellation fees. Check the price in the app before you confirm.

Friendly strangers with questions

Around busy stations and university areas (Sinchon, Hongdae, Myeongdong) you may be stopped by one or two polite people who ask about your energy, your face or your ancestors, or invite you to a tea ceremony or a survey. They are recruiting for a religious group. It is not dangerous, but it can eat an afternoon. A smile and "no thanks" while you keep walking is the normal local response.

Crossing the street

• Cars can turn right on a red light in Korea after stopping. Even when your walk signal is green, look right before you step off.
• Delivery motorbikes and e-scooters do ride on pavements. Keep to one side on narrow streets.

Numbers to save

Lost something? Korean police list found items at lost112.go.kr. If you left it in a taxi, the receipt (plate number and time) is what gets it back.

Sources

• Seoul Metropolitan Government, taxi fares (base fares, night and out-of-city surcharges, deluxe taxis, 120), page updated 14 October 2026.
• Kyunghyang Shinmun, 20 January 2026 (QR complaint system in taxis, 120 for taxi complaints, fines).
• Asia News Network, 20 January 2026 (bilingual receipts from December 2025, complaint stickers in Seoul taxis).
• The Korea Herald, 6 August 2025 (taxi survey cards at Incheon and Gimpo airports).
• Incheon Metropolitan City, 9 July 2025 (crackdown on illegal taxi touting at Incheon Airport, shared airport taxi zone).
• Study in Korea (Ministry of Education) (Incheon Airport taxi stands: Terminal 1 on 1F, Terminal 2 on B1).
• Korea JoongAng Daily, June 2024 (K.Ride launch, languages, card registration).
• Busan Metropolitan City, 1330 Korea Travel Hotline and GOV.UK travel advice (112, 119).

The rest (meter phrases, street recruiters, crossing the street) is local know-how, not an official rule. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.