Gimpo International Airport (김포국제공항) is Seoul's close-in airport, about 20 km by rail west of Seoul Station. It handles the domestic network (Jeju, Busan, and five smaller cities) plus short-haul international flights to Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Kansai, Nagoya, Taipei Songshan, Kaohsiung, Shanghai Hongqiao, and both Beijing airports. One underground station beneath the domestic terminal, Gimpo International Airport Station (김포공항역), serves Subway Line 5, Line 9 (including its express trains), the AREX airport railroad, the Gimpo Goldline, and the Seohae Line. Seoul Station is 22 minutes away on AREX for ₩1,750 (about $1.30), Hongdae is 14 minutes for ₩1,650 (about $1.20), and Line 9 reaches the Gangnam side at Sinnonhyeon for ₩1,850 (about $1.35) in about half an hour. A taxi costs about ₩22,000 (about $16) to City Hall or ₩28,000 (about $21) to Gangnam Station by the airport's own estimates.
The two terminals
The domestic terminal (국내선) is the big one. Arrivals and baggage claim are on the first floor along with the luggage storage counter (05:00 to 21:00), a Shinhan Bank exchange desk (07:00 to 21:00), rental car counters, a 7-Eleven, and the intercity bus ticket office; check-in is on the second floor and the gates are on the third. The international terminal (국제선) next door has arrivals on the first floor, with the SKT, KT, and LG U+ roaming counters beside Gate 1 (06:30 to 23:00 within flight hours), the Seoul Tourist Information Center, and another exchange desk; check-in is on the second floor. There is no carrier counter in the domestic terminal, so if you need a Korean SIM after a domestic flight, use the free "Gimpo_Airport Free Wi-Fi" and buy an eSIM online.
A free shuttle bus (공항순환버스) links the two terminals: go out Gate 1 of the international terminal and turn right to stop 5, or out Gate 4 of the domestic terminal and turn left to stop 8. It runs 08:00 to 23:00 about every 12 to 15 minutes (from 06:00 on a longer loop through the cargo area). The terminals close overnight: the Korea Airports Corporation FAQ says Gimpo, Gimhae, and Jeju terminals shut at 23:00 and do not admit passengers until 05:00, so an early flight means a hotel, not a bench. Domestic check-in closes 20 minutes before departure and international check-in 40 minutes before.
For a transit card, the convenience stores inside the terminals sell T-money, and the ticket machines at the station downstairs load them. If you already have one from another Korean city it works here.
Step by step: to the subway
- In the domestic terminal, walk to the west end of the arrivals floor and take the escalator signed 지하철 / Subway down to the station. From the international terminal, use the shuttle or walk to the domestic terminal first.
- Load a T-money card at the machines, or buy a single-journey ticket (₩100 more than the card fare plus a ₩500 deposit you get back at your destination). Tapping a card before 06:30 gets 20% off the base fare.
- Pick your line by destination. AREX (공항철도) toward Seoul Station (서울역) for Hongdae, Gongdeok, and Seoul Station; Line 5 (5호선) toward Hanam Geomdansan or Macheon for Yeouido, Gwanghwamun, and Jongno; Line 9 (9호선) toward VHS Medical Center (중앙보훈병원) for Yeouido, the Express Bus Terminal, and Gangnam. The station is a Line 9 express stop, so an express (급행, marked in red on the boards) toward Gangnam skips the small stations.
- Follow the color of the line you want through the transfer corridors. Gimpo Airport is a big five-line interchange, and the walk between platforms takes a few minutes, so do not plan a tight connection.
Costs
Adult fares with a transit card from Gimpo International Airport Station, and travel times from Seoul Metro's own route search (all-stop trains; Line 9 express trips are shorter, but Line 9 does not publish express times). Dollar figures are approximate at about ₩1,360 to the dollar. The Seoul subway base fare is ₩1,550 (about $1.15) for the first 10 km, plus ₩100 for every 5 km after that.
| Where you are going | Line | Fare | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul Station (KTX, Lines 1 and 4) | AREX all-stop | ₩1,750 (about $1.30) | 22 minutes, no change |
| Hongik University (Hongdae, Line 2) | AREX all-stop | ₩1,650 (about $1.20) | 14 minutes |
| Gongdeok (Mapo, Lines 5 and 6) | AREX all-stop | ₩1,750 | 17 minutes |
| Myeongdong | AREX to Seoul Station, then Line 4 | ₩1,850 (about $1.35) | About 40 minutes |
| Yeouido | Line 5 or Line 9 | ₩1,650 | 26 minutes on Line 5 |
| Gwanghwamun and Jongno | Line 5 | ₩1,750 | 35 minutes |
| Express Bus Terminal (Lines 3, 7, and 9) | Line 9 | ₩1,850 | 30 minutes all-stop, less by express |
| Sinnonhyeon (Gangnam Station area) | Line 9 | ₩1,850 | 33 minutes all-stop, less by express |
| Jamsil | Line 9 express to Sports Complex, then Line 2 | ₩2,050 (about $1.50) | About an hour |
| Incheon Airport Terminal 1 / Terminal 2 | AREX all-stop toward Incheon | ₩4,350 / ₩4,950 (about $3.20 / $3.65) | 37 / 45 minutes |
Buses and taxis, for comparison:
| Option | Fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul city bus 601 or 605 | ₩1,500 (about $1.10), card or cash | 601 to Gwanghwamun and Jongno from 04:00, 605 to Seoul Station from 05:15; both until 22:50 |
| Airport limousine 6003 or 6014 | ₩8,000 (about $5.90) | To Mokdong, Guro, and Daerim (6003) or Gwangmyeong (6014); the same buses continue to Incheon Airport in the other direction |
| Taxi to Hongdae | About ₩15,000 (about $11) | 40 minutes, airport estimate |
| Taxi to Myeongdong | About ₩20,000 (about $15) | 50 minutes |
| Taxi to City Hall | About ₩22,000 (about $16) | 60 minutes |
| Taxi to Dongdaemun | About ₩26,000 (about $19) | 70 minutes |
| Taxi to Gangnam Station or Jamsil | About ₩28,000 (about $21) | 60 minutes |
| Taxi to Incheon Airport | About ₩45,000 (about $33), tolls included | 40 minutes |
The airport describes its taxi figures as the minimum without congestion. The meter starts at ₩4,800 (about $3.50) for 1.6 km and adds ₩100 per 131 m, with 20% on top from 22:00 to 23:00 and 02:00 to 04:00 and 40% from 23:00 to 02:00. There is no out-of-city surcharge for Seoul, Incheon, Bucheon, Gimpo, Gwangmyeong, or Goyang, because Gimpo Airport sits in a shared taxi zone covering all six.
Options compared
Train, almost always. Gimpo's station is the reason the airport is so easy: no ticket counter, no traffic, and a direct line to most of the places visitors stay. AREX is the pick for Hongdae, Mapo, and Seoul Station; Line 9 express for anything in Gangnam; Line 5 for Yeouido, Gwanghwamun, and the Jongno hotels. The express AREX train from Incheon does not stop here, so ignore the 직통열차 signs and take the all-stop train (일반열차).
Bus if your stop is on the way. Route 601 runs from the airport through Magok, Balsan, Mapo-gu Office, Yonsei University, Gyeongbokgung, Anguk (for Insadong), and Jongno every 6 to 10 minutes for the flat ₩1,500 city fare, and 605 reaches Dangsan, Yeongdeungpo, Noryangjin, and Sinyongsan on its way to Seoul Station. Both leave from bay 6 outside the domestic terminal (bay 4 at the international terminal). They are slower than the train and useful mainly when your hotel is near a stop and you have one bag.
Taxi with luggage or a group. Two or three people with suitcases going to Myeongdong pay about ₩20,000 for a taxi against ₩5,550 in subway fares, and skip the escalators. Regular taxis wait across the road from the domestic arrivals doors (gates 6 and 8) and outside the international terminal. The International Taxi service for foreigners no longer staffs a desk at Gimpo, though you can still book one by phone at 1644-2255.
Transferring to Incheon Airport
Gimpo and Incheon are on the same AREX line. The all-stop train reaches Incheon Airport Terminal 1 in 37 minutes for ₩4,350 and Terminal 2 in 45 minutes for ₩4,950, with the first train toward Incheon at 05:43 and the last at about 00:02. Airport limousine 6003 and 6014 also run between the two airports for ₩8,000 from bay 7 at either terminal (04:39 to 20:47 for the 6003), taking about 30 to 35 minutes to Terminal 1 in normal traffic, and a taxi is about ₩45,000 including tolls. The Incheon Airport guide covers what to do once you are there.
First and last trains
AREX trains toward Seoul run from 05:42; the last one that goes all the way to Seoul Station leaves at about 00:16, and a final train at 00:34 ends at Digital Media City. Line 5 trains toward downtown start at 05:34 and the last full-length runs leave around 23:20, with later trains short-turning at Aeogae until 00:19. Line 9 express trains run from 05:30 to about 23:30 and the last all-stop train toward Gangnam leaves at 23:45. The last airport limousine 6003 leaves at 23:59 and the city buses stop around 22:50. Since no flight lands after 23:00, a scheduled arrival always has a train.
Gotchas for foreigners
- Two terminals, one station, under the domestic terminal. After an international arrival, budget the shuttle or the walk before you reach the escalator.
- The AREX express does not stop here. If you are heading to Incheon Airport, the 직통열차 will not pick you up at Gimpo; ride the all-stop train, which is also cheaper.
- Read the Line 9 board. Express trains (급행) and all-stop trains (일반) share the platform. An express toward Gangnam is the fastest thing in this station, but it only stops at Magongnaru, Gayang, Yeomchang, Dangsan, Yeouido, Noryangjin, Dongjak, Express Bus Terminal, Sinnonhyeon, and the major stations beyond, so check that your stop is on that list before boarding one.
- The terminal locks at 23:00. You cannot wait inside overnight for a 06:00 flight.
- Your passport is your ID on domestic flights. Korean passengers use their national ID; you use your passport, so keep it out of the checked bag.
- Luggage storage is not a locker. The staffed counter on the domestic first floor charges by size, from ₩5,000 to ₩10,000 per 24 hours according to the Korea Airports Corporation FAQ, and closes at 21:00.
- The Goldline is for Gimpo city, not Seoul. The Gimpo Goldline (김포골드라인) runs the other way, to the new towns in Gimpo City, 32 minutes to its far end. It is a commuter line, not a tourist route.