How to Get a Taxi in Korea

When is a taxi worth it?

You can get almost anywhere in Seoul by public transit, but there are times a taxi is the better call: when you have a lot of luggage, when there are three or four of you and splitting the fare costs little more than the subway, and after midnight once the subway has stopped running. Seoul taxi meter rates are set by the city, so they are cheap compared with other major cities.

At the weekday rush hours, though, the roads jam and the subway is almost always faster. The meter keeps charging for time while the taxi crawls, so the fare goes up too. For when and how badly the roads jam, see the Seoul subway and bus guide.

How much does it cost?

Fares for a standard (mid-size) taxi in Seoul, in effect since February 2023:

• Base fare: ₩4,800 (first 1.6 km)
• Distance fare: ₩100 per 131 m
• Time fare: ₩100 per 30 seconds when moving slowly
• Late-night surcharge: 20% from 22:00–23:00 and 02:00–04:00, 40% from 23:00–02:00
• Out-of-city surcharge: an extra 20% once you leave Seoul

Black deluxe taxis (모범택시) and large taxis start at ₩7,000 (first 3 km), with higher distance and time rates. The service is good, but the same trip costs noticeably more.

Option 1: Hail one on the street

The surest way, and you don't need an app.

• A taxi with 빈차 ("vacant") lit in red on the windshield is free. 예약 ("reserved") means it has already accepted a booking
• Raise your hand to stop one. Waiting at a taxi stand in front of a station or hotel makes it easier
• The most reliable way to give your destination is to show the Korean name or address on your screen. English pronunciation often doesn't get through

Option 2: Book with an app

Once your destination is in the app, you don't need a shared language, and you can see an estimated fare before the car arrives. There are four main apps a visitor can use.

Kakao T

Most taxi bookings in Korea go through this app. It has the most drivers, so it finds you a car fastest.

• The app is available in English and Japanese
• Signing up requires SMS verification and linking a Google, Apple or email account. Foreign numbers are accepted, but the code sometimes doesn't arrive on roaming or on a travel SIM or eSIM
• You can register a foreign-issued card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB), though some issuers get rejected
• If card registration fails, choose pay the driver directly. You book in the app and pay the driver by card or cash when you get out
• A standard taxi call has no booking fee. A Blue call (Kakao's affiliated taxis) adds a fee that varies with demand

k.ride

A separate app Kakao Mobility built for international travelers. It dispatches the same drivers as Kakao T.

• Sign up with a Google or Apple account or an email address. No Kakao account needed
• Pays automatically with a foreign-issued card or an international wallet such as Alipay
• Destination search and chat with the driver are auto-translated in more than 100 languages
• The catch: you can't book a standard taxi. Only the higher tiers -- Blue, Venti (large), deluxe and Black -- so the same trip costs a little more than a standard Kakao T call

TABA

A taxi app just for international tourists, launched in December 2023 with support from the Seoul city government.

• Verify with your home country phone number and pay with a foreign card
• Available in English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and Thai
• About 200 major Seoul sights are built in -- tap one and it becomes your destination
• It is centered on Seoul, so cars can be hard to get elsewhere

Uber

The Uber app works in Korea as it is, with the account and card you already have. In Korea, Uber mostly dispatches regular taxis under Uber Taxi.

• The biggest advantage: no new sign-up
• It has far fewer drivers than Kakao T, so it can take a while to find a car
• A service fee of up to ₩5,000, depending on demand, is added to the meter fare

So which should you use?

• No app at all: hail on the street. In central Seoul during the day, that's usually all you need
• Least hassle: k.ride. Sign-up is easy and payment is automatic, which makes it the safest choice for travelers. You pay a bit more for it
• Cheapest and fastest: Kakao T. Once you get past SMS verification it has the most drivers, and standard calls carry no booking fee
• When nothing else works: Uber

How do you pay?

Most Seoul taxis have a card reader by the back seat or next to the front seat.

• Foreign credit cards: usually work, but can be declined depending on the reader and the issuer
• Transit cards such as T-money: tap it on the reader. See the T-money guide for how to get one
• Cash: Korean won only. Drivers may not have change for large bills, so ₩10,000 notes are handy

Carry cash or a transit card as a backup in case your card is declined.

From the airport into Seoul

Incheon Airport has a taxi stand at each terminal, with separate lines for standard, deluxe and large taxis. Standard taxis charge the meter fare plus expressway tolls.

There is also the International Taxi, driven by drivers who speak foreign languages. From the airport into Seoul the fare is fixed by destination zone, so you know the price before you arrive. You can book ahead by phone (1644-2255) or on its website.

Good to know

• You open and close the door yourself. The doors aren't automatic, unlike in Japan
• Seatbelts are required in the back seat too
• If you leave something in a taxi, the car number on your card receipt or in the app's trip history is your best lead
• If a driver refuses your ride or overcharges you, you can report it to the 120 Dasan Call Center. If language is a problem, the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline can help in your language