Planes, Trains, and…Buses & Shuttles

Preparing for Your Move | Getting Settled | Making Osan Home

Trains

South Korea is among the most modern and technologically developed countries in the world, so it’s no surprise that the high-speed Korea rail map is very extensive and convenient for travelers. Apart from the public metro system, the country’s fast KTX & SRT speed trains are a favored transportation choice for connections from the capital of Seoul to the country’s other major destinations. For example, the most popular domestic KTX routes connect Seoul to Busan in just 2 hours!

Tickets can be bought online or at the station
It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance, when possible

Subways

All subway lines are color-coded and clearly display signs in Korean, English, and often Chinese. To ride the subway, purchase either a single-journey pass or a TMoney Card. Single-journey passes can be purchased in the subway stations and require exact fare to your destination plus a KRW 500 refundable deposit. TMoney cards can be purchased at most convenience stores. Transfers between subway lines are free, and TMoney users can transfer for free between bus and subway lines.

When entering a subway station, there are typically kiosks for purchasing single fares or reloading TMoney cards. English menus are commonly available.
Single-journey tickets are normally the orange block and TMoney reloading is typically blue.
To buy a single-journey pass, choose your destination and number of passengers.
Proceed through turnstiles by scanning your TMoney or single-journey pass. Keep in mind that single-journey passes only let you scan out at your selected destination.

Planes

Flying throughout Asia is accessible and straightforward. Here are a few airports to consider when booking travel:

Incheon International Airport (ICN – 64km from base, near Seoul)
- The primary airport for international travel
Gimpo International Airport (GMP – 57km from base, near Seoul)
- A good alternative option for international travel and direct flights to Jeju (CJU)
Cheongju International Airport (CJJ – 60.9km from base)
- A great option for direct flights to Jeju (CJU)
Daegu Airport (TAE – 197.5km from base)

Pro-Tips

Know if you’re flying out of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 before arriving. Try to arrive at your airline’s check-in counter 2 hours before your flight begins boarding to allow enough time for crowds and to transit security.
ITT offers shuttles to Incheon daily.
Read baggage policies – airlines can be very strict about baggage limitation enforcement.

Space Available (Space A) Travel

Space A general processes, instructions, and registration forms can be found here.
Visit the Osan Air Base Passenger Terminal website for more information.
The 72-hour flight schedule can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the page or clicking here.

Buses

The public bus system is a well-developed, cheap, and convenient form of transportation. All buses are color-coded: blue buses connect different districts of the city along main routes; green buses connect subway stations; main blue buses service residential areas; smaller green maeul (local) buses travel shorter routes within a single district or neighborhood; yellow buses travel in a circulation route in the city center; and red buses connect the city with surrounding areas.

Buy TMoney cards at any local convenience store. Note that TMoney cards can only be loaded with KRW, you cannot use credit/debit cards.
Scan your TMoney card on the bus each time you board and when you get off.
Use Google Maps for public bus routes/schedules.
Buses are not always on time, patience is recommended.

Shuttles

Osan’s ITT offers shuttles from base to Incheon International Airport and Kunsan Air Base for a fee.

There is also an Army-operated Inter-Garrison Bus that members can use to get to Camp Humphreys or other Army Installations in Korea.