Busan Subway
Busan Subway Guide is here to help make your first journey on the subway in Busan easier. There are 5 lines that make up the train / subway transportation system in Busan. The subway lines are Line 1 (Orange), line 2 (Green), line 3 (Gold), line 4 (Blue) and the Busan – Gimhae light rail. For a map of the Busan Subway System visit out Busan Subway Map page.
There are a few types of tickets that can be used while travelling on the subway in Busan.
1. The easiest way for tourists is the single journey ticket. You can buy a ticket at the subway gate entrance and use this ticket for one journey only. This ticket is a paper ticket and can be bought beside the ticket gate. When purchasing the ticket there is a touch screen panel. The screen is in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese. There are two fare types 1,100 won or 1,300 won. The 1,100 won ticket is called section one and allows you to travel up to 10 km. The 1,300 won ticket is called section 2 ticket and is for distances of 10 km or more. When you click your station on the touch screen it will tell you which ticket to buy. Put in your money and the paper ticket will print out. The machine usually accepts 20, 50, 100 and 500 won coins and 1,000 won notes. Newer machines accept up 10,000 won in notes.
2. One day pass ticket. This ticket can be bought at the ticket machine in Busan Subway stations. The ticket costs 3,500 won and lets you use all Busan Subway lines up until the last train of the day. This ticket is also a paper ticket.
3. A rechargeable card. The cards used in Busan are called Hanaro card or Mybi Transportation Card. They both offer the same services. Both cards are smart cards that can recharged and used for the subway, buses or many other things in Busan. These cards allow you to enter the platform each time without having to queue up to buy a ticket. These cards can be bought at the train station or in convenience stores. The cards also come in different styles such as phone straps. The card costs 3,000 won. To recharge your card, use the automatic charge machine at the station. These cards also offer a 10% discount off the subway. If you leave a train station and get a bus within 30 minutes, the price of the busfare becomes only 250 won.
Both cards can also be used in Seoul.
The T-Money system card that is used in Seoul can also be used in Busan.
Busan Subway Prices:
Ticket prices: 1,100 won up to 10km
1,300 won over 10 km
10 % discount with smart cards
3,500 won for a one day unlimited pass
Entering the ticket gate at the station:
The Busan subway has turntable style gates. When entering the gate, put your ticket into the machine and walk through. You ticket will come out the other side of the machine and you must keep it so you can exit at the next train station.
If you are using a smart card you do not have to insert your card anywhere, just place it briefly on top of the sensor on the ticket gate and walk through or press your body against the turntable.
Riding the Train:
The trains have information in English and Korean on the maps. The announcements are in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese. Usually in the corner of the train they will have seats for the elderly, disabled, people with an illness and pregnant women. The trains can get very busy at rush hour.
Leaving the ticket gate:
When you have gotten off the train you will have to leave through the ticket gates. The process is the same as when entering the ticket gate but this time the machine keeps your ticket. If you travelled over 10 km but bought a 10 km don’t worry you can use the fare adjustment machine beside the exit. This can also be used for the smart cards.