Seoul Station: find your train, transfer and exit

01

First identify your part of Seoul Station

Seoul Station is a group of connected railway facilities. A KTX ticket, an AREX Express ticket and a subway transport card do not mean the same entrance or gate. Decide which service you need before following a crowd.

Use the service name and floor together. Colours help, but read the words Express or All Stop as well. The diagram below describes the AREX side and the main KTX concourse; it does not put all subway facilities on one floor.

Station photos

Sources

Use these photos to recognise the buildings and concourse. Follow the current signs for gates and directions.

02

Arriving by AREX and continuing by KTX

Station photos

Sources

Use these photos to recognise the buildings and concourse. Follow the current signs for gates and directions.

A KTX carriage number such as 6 does not mean platform 6. Once at the correct platform, check the train number again, then find your carriage and reserved seat. Keep the issued ticket available for inspection.

03

Arriving by KTX and continuing by AREX

1. From your arriving train, follow the concourse signs to the main KTX hall on 2F. Check that your next airport is Incheon (ICN) or Gimpo (GMP).
2. In the hall, follow Airport Railroad / AREX signs. Choose Express or All Stop before entering a ticket gate.
3. For Express, go to B2, obtain or open the valid Express QR ticket, pass the Express gate and follow the boarding signs to B7.
4. For All Stop, follow All Stop / 일반열차 signs to its B3 concourse, prepare a valid transport card or single-journey ticket, pass its gate and follow the signs to the All Stop platform on B7.
5. Read the platform departure display. If travelling to Incheon Airport, check the destination and terminal rather than boarding solely because the train is on the airport line.

Gimpo Airport and Hongik University are All Stop destinations. The Express service does not serve them. If you reach the B2 airline check-in counters while looking for All Stop, follow the All Stop signs to B3 rather than buying an Express ticket by mistake.

04

AREX and Subway Lines 1 / 4: keep the right connection

05

Subway and KTX: use a route you can recognise

Check the departure station written on your ticket before travelling here. Seoul, Yongsan, Cheongnyangni and other Seoul-area stations are different boarding places; a destination city alone does not identify your departure station.

06

Leaving for the airport: choose the service before the gate

1. Read the airport code and terminal from your airline booking. Incheon T1 and T2 are separate stops; Gimpo is a different airport.
2. For an Express booking made through a reseller, read that booking's redemption instructions. A payment receipt or exchange voucher is not automatically the issued AREX QR ticket.
3. For All Stop, make sure the balance is on the transport function of your card. Shopping-card balance and transport balance can be separate.
4. Check today's board and service notices. Some All Stop trains terminate before the airport; the first departing train is not always the correct one.
5. Follow the gate and platform for the service you actually chose. Allow enough time to reach the platform before the departure time on your ticket, including the time needed to find your way.

This guide does not freeze a fare, first train or last train into the walking directions. Check the current operating notice and your departure-day timetable before a flight connection.

07

City Airport Terminal on B2: an optional check-in stop

The City Airport Terminal is for eligible same-day international departures from Incheon Airport and requires an AREX Express ticket. It is not a general airport ticket office or a service for every airline and passenger.

1. Before bringing bags here, confirm your airline, operated flight, airport terminal and baggage are eligible on the current official terminal guide. Special-assistance and oversized-item conditions need separate checking.
2. Go to the B2 City Airport Terminal and follow its entry procedure with the Express QR ticket. Have your passport, flight booking and baggage ready.
3. Complete airline check-in / baggage drop and, if using the service, the separate departure-immigration procedure. Receiving a train ticket does not complete airline check-in.
4. Afterward, board your booked Express train from its B7 platform area. At Incheon Airport, follow the procedure explained by the terminal staff; security screening and reaching the airline boarding gate still take time.

These hours and eligibility conditions can change. Check the current AREX terminal notice, especially for an evening flight, a codeshare or baggage needing special handling.

08

Street exits, taxis, buses and a route with luggage

Before leaving, choose a specific destination or meeting point and its station side. The subway, railway concourse and surrounding roads are not one single exit. A street exit number is not a KTX platform number.

AREX's official Express approach guide distinguishes arrivals from Exits 1–14 through the 2F KTX hall, and arrivals from the Exit 15 side towards B2. Use this as an orientation check, then follow the current sign for your chosen service.

For a taxi, follow Taxi signs to the signed rank, or use the exact pickup point shown by your booking. Send the pickup-side / meeting-point information to the driver rather than only writing Seoul Station.

For a bus, check the stop name or stop ID, direction and route on the current journey plan. There are several stops around the station; the first bus stop you see may be on the wrong side of the road.

The historic Culture Station Seoul 284 building is a cultural venue beside the station, not the KTX main concourse. A photo of the old brick building should not be your only meeting-point instruction.

1. With a suitcase, wheelchair or stroller, look for the lift symbol and check the served floors before entering. A lift on one leg does not prove the entire transfer is step-free.
2. Ask staff for the complete lift route to the platform or street side you need. Do not carry heavy bags down an escalator just to keep following this guide.
3. If using a locker or baggage service, check the exact location, size, availability and collection hours there. No particular locker or empty compartment is guaranteed by this guide.

09

If you are lost, at the wrong gate or running late

Before moving again: check your service name, destination, ticket type and next floor. Save the relevant section while you have a connection. The suggested checkpoints are editorial guidance; follow station staff and temporary diversion signs when they differ.