The Seoul Subway System

I'd like to talk about the Seoul Subway system. Many people visiting in Seoul ask me about their destinations. Perhaps, the Seoul metro is complicated for them.
Anyway, the Seoul Metro offers the Seoul subway map. It's available for English, Chinese or Japanese. If you need it, you can connect to www.seoulmetro.co.kr .
On the top of right side, you can click an English icon as you want. (Before downloading, Acrobat Reader should be installed in your computer.)
There are eight line and four local lines including the Airport Railroad in Seoul area. Although Seoul city is not huge, compared to other capital cities, it has many lines. It means that you can have your journey easily and lots of Korean people usually take the subway. If you visit to Seoul, you would realize that there are a lot of people packed in subway.

How to use the Seoul metro?
When you get a subway map, you can see that each line has each color. Yes! You got it! Seoul Metro has been classified in colors symbolized for line numbers.
Then, check up your destination. Where are you going to? Actually, it must be helpful with comparing to the map for travellers. And you should check the shortest way not to squander your precious time in Korea. Because the subway system is not simply composed, I strongly recommend you have to imagine how you get to your destination in the shortest time.


Can I get help from the Korean?
If you have been to Korea, you may know that Korean people can't speak english fluently or they have tendency to avoid and look at you strangely. Don't worry. You can ask young people. There is one thing you should do when you ask. Speaking in English, you should speak slowly with easy words. Even if the Korean can't speak in english, the Korean would get your meaning.
Actually, I have guided American students studying Asian Culture in L.A toward their guest house. They asked me why Korean couldn't speak in English. They thought weirdly because they had heard the young Korean is eagerly to study English for their own future. I just answered it's kind of Korean personality against other languages.

How to purchase a ticket?
You can get a ticket from vending machines. But I am not sure that the machines provide English voice service. If you get a thought the machine could cheat you or eat your money, you can directly go to an officer.
I think the officers working for Seoul metro can speak in English well. So, you can say your destination and how many tickets you need. The fare depends on distance. Originally, KRW 1,000 is a basic fare and KRW 100 would be added per 5km. (In my experience, less than 5km) In addition, there is not a kind of unlimited ticket or round trip ticket. It's only available for one way by one ticket.

How to enter the gates?
There are two types. One is similar to Hongkong subway, and the other one looks up-to-date. Anyway the usage is the same. Try it. The line 1 to 4 have old one like Hongkong, The other lines have the latest system. You can just put your card or ticket into the hole following the arrow sign. Then you can go into the gate and take the ticket coming up from the other hole.

How to do while getting on?
The corner seats are given priority to the disabled like the old, the pregnant, and so on. Even though you take a general seat, you should yield the old to your seat. Why? It's kinda Korean courteousness originated from Confucianism. If you don't want to do so, you can pretend to doze off. Anyway, the Korean old will not hate you, unless your seat is given one of them, because you are a visitor interested in Korea.
While getting on, you will see like very loudly talkative people. (they are usually old.) And you will hear and feel like that they speaking in Chinese, not in Korean language. It sounds like "JJING JJANG JJONG." Unfortunately, I can't exactly catch the meaning what they say sometimes even though I'm totally Korean. Anyway, I think every person can see that kind of people anywhere.

How to feel Seoul people life in subway?
I strongly recommend you take it on rush hours during weekdays. The peak times are from 7am to 9am and from 7pm to 10pm. Take the subway bounded into residence area! Your nose can perceive something like Kimchi or Doenjang. (It's kind of soybean paste.) And then, close you eyes and imagine why Korea had grown up shortly. Whatever!!!
I don't know the information is helpful. If you can get more informations, visit to the site, http://www.smrt.co.kr/Eng/Subway/Howto/Subway_method.jsp.