Korea&YouBooking Train Tickets in Korea: KTX, KORAIL, and the 2026 Merger
How to book, pay, and manage your ticket without a Korean ID
Korea's rail network runs on KORAIL, and trains split into two broad tiers: high-speed (KTX) and conventional (ITX-Saemaeul, Mugunghwa, and others). For a Seoul–Busan trip, KTX takes about 2 hours 40 minutes; the slower Mugunghwa takes 5-plus hours at roughly half the price. For a day trip, take the KTX — for a short hop or a tight budget, the conventional trains are perfectly comfortable.
One important update if you've read an older guide: until recently, high-speed rail was split between KORAIL's KTX and a separate operator, SRT, each with its own app. That's over — the two operators' merger was formally approved on August 3, 2026, and a single integrated app, Korail+, now handles booking for both. Full unified train operation begins September 1, 2026. If you see an older guide telling you to book SRT separately at Suseo Station, that's now outdated — trains from Suseo still run, they're simply booked as KTX now.
Quick answer: Book at korail.com or in the Korail+ app — both draw on the same seat inventory at the same prices. Sign-up needs only an email address and a numeric password, no Korean ID or phone number required, and foreign-issued Visa, Mastercard, and JCB cards are accepted directly on the English site.
Where to Book
• Website: korail.com, with a full English interface.
• App: Korail+ (코레일+), the newly integrated app that replaced the older KORAIL Talk and the separate SRT app.
• Both draw on the same inventory — a seat booked on the website shows up in the app and vice versa, at identical prices. Use whichever is more convenient.
Step 1 — Search for Your Train
• Go to korail.com. If it loads in Korean, use the Language menu in the top right to switch to English.
• Enter your Departure and Arrival stations — select from the autocomplete list rather than typing freely.
• Pick your travel date and an approximate time; results show every train departing at or after that time, not just that exact slot.
• Set the number of passengers, then click Search.
Booking opens one month before departure and closes 20 minutes before the train leaves on the website (10 minutes at station vending machines; station counters sell right up to departure). Friday evenings, Sunday afternoons, and major holidays like Seollal and Chuseok sell out within hours of opening.
Step 2 — Choose Your Train and Seat Class
Results list departure order with availability by class on the right. Compare travel time, not just departure time — some trains make more stops than others on the same route. Economy class (일반실) is what most people book; First class(특실) costs roughly 40% more for wider 2+1 seating and a complimentary drink and snack. If a class shows Sold out, try another train or the other class — and if everything is sold out, a standing ticket (입석) is sometimes available at a small discount, with no assigned seat.
Step 3 — Register and Pay
This screen registers you with KORAIL, and it's deliberately light — just an email address and a 6-to-13-digit numeric password, no letters or symbols allowed. No Korean phone number or ID is required.
• Enter your email with no spaces — your ticket is sent here.
• Set and confirm your numeric password. This is the only way to retrieve, change, or refund your ticket later through My Ticket, and it must be typed exactly the same way every time, including case, so it's worth writing down.
• Agree to KORAIL's terms and click Next to pay.
• When a Korean/Foreigner choice appears at payment, select Foreigner — the Korean option asks for a resident registration number you won't have. Visa, Mastercard, and JCB are all accepted, though expect a foreign transaction fee from your own bank.
Once payment goes through, save your ticket as a PDF or screenshot immediately. There's no paper ticket to collect at the station — you can also retrieve it anytime under My Ticket using your email, password, and the name you booked under.
Cancelling and Refunds
Refunds are processed through My Ticket on the website or app, any time up to departure. Once the train has left, online refunds close and you'll need a station ticket counter; once it has arrived, no refund is possible at all. The fee is a percentage of the fare and rises the closer you cancel to departure, with weekends and holidays charged more heavily than weekdays. As a rough guide: cancelling more than a day ahead on a weekday is typically free, while cancelling in the final hour after departure can cost around 70% of the fare. Rates are revised periodically, so check korail.com before cancelling anything expensive.
Tips & Precautions
• There are no ticket gates. Nobody scans your ticket getting on — just find your printed car and seat number and sit there. This isn't an invitation to ride free; inspections happen, and the penalty is a steep multiple of the fare.
• Trains leave exactly on time. Not approximately — a train scheduled for 18:24 starts moving at 18:24. Be on the platform 10 minutes early; there's no grace period.
• You don't need a Korean phone number for any of this. You sign in with the same email and numeric password on both the website and the Korail+ app, so you can book your first trip before you have a local SIM.
The Bottom Line
Booking a Korean train needs nothing more than an email address, a numeric password, and a foreign credit card — genuinely one of the least bureaucratic things on this entire list. What's actually worth knowing well is the KORAIL Pass for longer trips, and the everyday etiquette of riding — both covered in the next post.