Getting Around

Kimp'o Airport is 18km west of the city center, and it handles international and domestic flights. There are plenty of buses and taxis from the airport to the center of town. Buses around town run from approximately 5.30 am until midnight, and the network is extensive. Minibuses are privately owned and operate illegally, but the government tolerates them because they provide services to isolated areas not reached by the public network.

Seoul's subway has four lines, and eight lines are planned to be running by 2002. A basic charge covers most of the metropolitan area, and there are additional charges for connections with the KNR network that runs farther afield in South Korea.

Driving in Seoul is a near-death experience, and during rush hours the traffic can be gridlocked. Taxi operators solved the chronic shortage of taxis in Seoul by creating an unofficial and complicated system of 'share taxis'--as long as there's a spare seat in the cab the driver will be looking for another paying passenger. It will pay to copy down the price on the meter when you get in, and subtract it from the price when you get out.