How to Book the KTX: Tickets, Fares and the 2026 Changes

Fares checked on Korail's English booking site for a weekday in September 2026. Slower services on the conventional line cost less.

When do KTX tickets go on sale?

At 7am, one month before the day you travel. Korail's own example: tickets for 28 March go on sale on 28 February. Online sales close 20 minutes before departure, ticket machines 10 minutes before, and station counters at departure.

If you are travelling on a Friday evening, a Sunday or a public holiday, book on the morning sales open.

Where should you book?

On Korail's English website, or through Trip.com.

Korail's English site takes credit cards and does not need a membership for an ordinary ticket: you enter an email address and a password, and use the same pair to find the booking later. Its Korean site is not an option, because non-member booking there needs Korean identity verification. The app, renamed KORAIL+ on 3 August 2026, supports seven languages.

Trip.com has sold Korail tickets as a partner since 2018 and says it issues e-tickets for boarding. Our pick is Trip.com for anyone who would rather not open a Korail account: Korail's overseas partners sell tickets without a Korail membership, and Korail's own website and app required one for Chuseok 2026 bookings. Before paying, compare the total at checkout with Korail's own fare.

Train · Trip.com

KTX tickets

Trip.com's Korail booking in English, with e-tickets for KTX routes such as Seoul to Busan.

Check availability on Trip.com

Avoid sellers Korail has not authorised. Korail has named RailNinja and RailMonster as unauthorised, and showed one charging far above the official Seoul to Busan fare.

What changed on 1 September 2026?

The KTX and SRT became one network. Korail took over high-speed operations, renamed SRT trains KTX-Sancheon, and cut fares by an average of 10%, which brought Seoul to Busan down from 59,800 won to 54,400 won. Korail says the lower fares have a minimum guaranteed period of three years.

For a visitor, the practical change is that trains from Suseo, on the Gangnam side of Seoul, now appear in the same search as trains from Seoul Station. Guides and blog posts that tell you to book the SRT separately were written before the merger.

Which station do you leave from?

Seoul Station for most visitors, because it is central. Yongsan and Suseo are the other two main departure points, and Suseo suits anyone staying south of the river. Korail's English site lists all three.

At the other end, trains from Seoul arrive at Busan Station. For Gyeongju, the high-speed station is now called Gyeongju: the old Singyeongju Station took the name on 28 December 2023, after the original downtown station closed.

The fastest Seoul to Busan trains on Korail's timetable take 2 hours 18 minutes. Most take between 2 hours 35 and 2 hours 50 minutes, so check the journey time before picking the cheapest departure.

Related guideWOWPASS vs T-money vs Climate Card: Which Transit Card to GetT-money is the default transit card for Korea. A Climate Card pass beats it on Seoul-heavy trips. WOWPASS only earns its fee as a prepaid shopping card.

Is the KORAIL PASS worth it?

Rarely. Since 11 December 2025 the pass comes as a 2, 3, 4 or 5-day select pass, used on days you choose within 10 days of the start date. The 2-day pass is 131,000 won and the 5-day pass 275,000 won for adults.

A Seoul to Busan return costs 108,800 won at standard fares, less than the cheapest pass. The pass starts paying for itself at three or more long journeys inside the 10 days. It needs a passport and a credit card, first-class seats are charged at 50% of the first-class seat price, and Korail's pass page still says the pass does not include SRT, a line it has not updated since the merger. Do not count on it for Suseo trains until Korail says otherwise.

How do you board?

With the ticket open on your phone. Korail says a screenshot or copied ticket is not valid, and boarding without a ticket costs a penalty equal to the standard fare.

Seats are assigned on the ticket, in standard or first class. Luggage has to be something you can carry yourself, no more than two pieces, and it cannot take a seat or block the aisle.

What if you need to cancel?

Cancel online before departure. After the train leaves, refunds are handled only at station ticket offices, and the fee depends on the day and how late you are.

If you miss the train, Korail says the ticket can be refunded at a station ticket office before the train's arrival time at your destination. Refunds to overseas cards take between two weeks and a month to appear.

Once the train is booked, the city at the other end needs a base: where to stay in Busan compares the areas, and the South Korea travel guide covers the rest of the route.