KTX tickets for visitors: buying, boarding and refunds

Where can you buy a KTX ticket?

KTX tickets are sold through Korail's own channels, which are: Buy via the KORAIL website (www.korail.com), the KORAIL Talk mobile app, ticket vending machines, or train stations (not available at subway stations).

Note the exclusion at the end of that list: subway stations do not sell these tickets, so if you are on the way to the train, buy online or wait until you reach the railway station itself.

The website and the KORAIL Talk app let you book without going to a station. Ticket machines and station counters are there for when you are already at the station. If you need paper proof of a ticket you bought on your phone: To get a receipt for a ticket bought on a smartphone, visit the ticket office inside the train station.

Whichever channel you use, check the date, the departure time and both stations before you pay. If you do need to cancel a booking, the refund rules further down this page apply.

How far ahead, and how late, can you buy?

Tickets go on sale well before the travel date: Tickets go on sale 07:00 one month before the desired departure date, so tickets for popular dates can be booked as much as a month ahead.

Each channel stops selling at a different point before the train leaves:

Website: until 20 minutes before departure. Ticket vending machines: until 10 minutes before departure. Train stations: until departure.

This matters on the day. If the website has stopped selling for the train you want, a ticket machine may still sell it, and the counter keeps selling right up to departure.

Buying on the day, step by step

1. Check departures on the website or app before you leave your accommodation.
2. If seats are available and you are ready to pay, book there and keep the app signed in.
3. If you are already at the station, use a ticket machine or join the counter queue.
4. Leave time to find the platform after paying, since the counter sells right up to departure.

Can you pay with a foreign credit card?

Yes. Overseas credit cards are accepted for KTX ticket payment; a refund on an overseas card takes between two weeks and one month to be credited back, depending on the card issuer's settlement cycle.

Two points follow from that. First, the refund on a card issued abroad arrives on your card's own timetable, not the railway's, so a refund you request near the end of your trip may appear after you are home. Second, refunds go back to the card, not into your hand: A ticket paid for by credit card cannot be refunded in cash; the refund goes back to the same card.

If the online payment fails, try a different channel, such as a ticket machine or the station counter, before giving up on a train. For payment problems you cannot solve at the station, call the Korail (Korea Railroad Corporation) call centre on +82-1599-7777. Its listed hours are 08:00–20:00.

Can you board the KTX with a ticket on your phone?

Yes, as long as it is the live ticket. The rule is: A screenshot or captured image of a mobile ticket is not valid for boarding; the original mobile ticket must be shown live from the booking app or website, not a saved image.

In practice that means opening the booking in the KORAIL Talk app or on the website when you board, rather than relying on a screenshot you took earlier. Keep your phone charged and the app signed in before you reach the platform, and check that the booking shows the correct train and seat.

Whatever form your ticket takes, carry it for the whole journey. You must have your ticket with you when boarding; additional fares may be charged without a valid ticket. If you lose your ticket you cannot remain on the train, change your journey, or request a refund.

What do children pay on the KTX?

Children and toddlers get discounted fares rather than travelling on an adult ticket. The rule for KTX tickets is: Children aged 6 to 13 get a 50% ticket discount; toddlers under 6 get a 75% discount, up to 2 children per guardian, and ride free if no seat is required.

For a family, that means a child in the discounted age band pays a reduced fare, while a toddler who does not need a seat rides free. If you want a toddler to have a seat of their own, the toddler discount applies. The toddler rule has a per-guardian limit, so check it if you are travelling with several very young children.

These fares are for ordinary KTX tickets. A KORAIL PASS uses its own age rules, covered in the section on the pass below.

How much luggage can you take on the KTX?

The luggage rule is about what you can manage yourself: A passenger must be able to carry their own luggage (no more than two pieces), and it must not occupy a seat or block the aisle.

Plan around that before you pack for a rail leg:

• Combine bags so you are within the piece limit.
• Make sure you can carry each bag on your own.
• Keep bags off seats and out of the aisle for the whole trip.

Bicycles have their own rule: A bicycle must be folded before boarding; a non-foldable bicycle must be disassembled and placed in a bag.

If a bag is more than you can manage on the train, Seoul Station (서울역) has staffed luggage storage: Staffed luggage storage is between Exit 1 and Exit 2 on B1.

What happens if you miss your KTX train?

A missed train can still be partly refunded, as long as you act before the train reaches its destination. Where you ask for the refund depends on timing: A refund can be requested from the [MY TICKET] menu on the KORAIL website before the train's departure time; after departure it must be requested at the station counter; no refund is possible after the train's arrival time.

The cancellation charge rises as departure gets closer and again after the train has left. In most bands there is one rate for Monday to Thursday and another for Friday to Sunday and bank holidays:

The published bands leave a short gap either side of the departure time itself, for which the pages checked for this guide give no rate.

If you can see you will miss a train, cancel through the MY TICKET menu on the website before it leaves. That keeps the charge lower and saves a trip to the counter. If it has already left, go to a station ticket office as soon as you can. Once it has arrived, no refund is possible.

For a ticket paid by credit card, the refund goes back to that card under the rule in the payment section, so allow time for it to show on your statement.

What if you lose your ticket or run into another problem?

A lost ticket is handled differently from a missed train. If you lose your ticket you cannot remain on the train, change your journey, or request a refund. If the ticket purchase can be confirmed by credit card, a new ticket can be reissued by paying the fares and charges again at the station counter or with the train attendant; this does not apply to standing or non-reserved tickets with no designated seat.

That is one more reason to pay by card and to keep the card with you: the reissue rule depends on confirming the purchase by credit card.

Other situations and what to do:

• You board without a ticket. Boarding a train without purchasing a ticket first results in a penalty worth 1 times the standard fare, charged in addition to the fare itself.
• You need to move the payment to another credit card. The payment can be changed to another credit card within 30 days from the ticket's departure date.
• You left something on the train. Call the lost and found line on +82-1599-7777. When you collect it: Collecting a lost item at a train station requires bringing your ID; sending someone else requires a power of attorney, a copy of your ID, and their own ID.
• Nothing here fits. Speak to staff at a station ticket office, or call the call centre during its listed hours.

Is a KORAIL PASS a better fit than single tickets?

If you plan several train trips, look at the pass as well as single tickets. It is a separate product with its own rules: The KORAIL PASS allows foreigners visiting Korea to travel across the country by train at a reduced price; it does not include SRT, the metropolitan railway, or temporary tourist trains.

Before you buy, note these conditions:

• A valid passport and credit card are required to purchase a KORAIL PASS.
• Adult rate applies from age 13; child rate applies from age 6 to 12; one child under 6 travels free per adult over 13.
• Refunds on a KORAIL PASS are only available before the pass’s starting date; unavailable afterward.

The pass does not cover SRT high-speed rail trains, which are sold through their own channels: Websites (www.srail.co.kr or etk.srail.co.kr), the SRT App, a ticket machine, or a station counter.

If you do book SRT, note where its trains start and finish: SRT departs from Suseo Station in Suseo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul — SRT's first and last station, connected to Subway Line 3 and the Bundang Line via a transfer passageway.

Compare the pass price with the single fares for your actual route before deciding.