Taking KTX for the First Time: Tickets, Platforms and Boarding

Before leaving your accommodation, open the issued ticket and check the travel date and departure station. Seoul Station (서울역) and Yongsan Station (용산역) are different stations. Set your map or taxi destination to the station named on your ticket.

Keep the ticket accessible through the journey. A payment receipt alone may not show the train, car and seat information you need for boarding. If you booked through an agency, follow its instructions for obtaining the actual ticket.

1. Find the details you will use at the station

The layout depends on where you bought the ticket. Locate these fields before you are standing under the departure board:

For a ticket purchased on KORAIL’s website, MY TICKET lets you retrieve the booking using the information entered at purchase. The email lookup uses your email address and ticket password; enter them exactly as originally supplied. The same page has a separate KORAIL PASS tab for pass bookings.

If your ticket says standing or non-reserved, this assigned-seat walkthrough does not determine where you may sit. Ask staff about the conditions of that ticket before choosing a seat. For problems before a ticket is issued, see our KTX and express-bus booking troubleshooting guide.

2. Match your train on the departure board

1. Find the departures display in the main rail concourse.
2. Match your train number and its scheduled departure time.
3. Read the platform and any delay or service notice on that same row.
4. Follow the platform signs, then check the display at the platform again before boarding.

If the destination label differs from your ticket’s arrival station, show the ticket to staff and confirm that this train stops where you need to get off. Do not choose a service using the destination name alone.

If you cannot find your train, recheck the date, station and departure time first. If the platform is not shown, continue watching the display or ask staff. A platform number from an old photo or another departure is not a reliable guide to your service.

These are reading aids; the wording and arrangement of signs can differ between stations.

3. Find your car before you board

On the platform, look for the car-position signs for your service. When the train is present, compare the number displayed beside the door with the car number on your ticket. Do not assume that car 1 is always closest to the stairs or that you can walk through every part of a train after boarding.

Let passengers get off, board the correct car and find your assigned seat. If someone is sitting there, compare the date, train, car and seat on both tickets; ask the train attendant to resolve any disagreement.

4. Plan for your bags and station transfer

KORAIL’s current carry-on guidance says you must be able to handle your own luggage, with no more than two pieces. Bags must not occupy a seat or block the aisle. Use the available luggage space and ask an attendant if you cannot store a bag securely.

Keep your ticket, phone and valuables with you. Before getting off, check both your seat area and any separate luggage space you used. If you notice a missing item immediately after leaving the train, report it to the station office; if still onboard, tell the attendant. Your train, car and seat numbers help identify the journey.

Arrival planning estimate: for a first visit, aim to reach the main rail concourse about 30 minutes before departure. This is an editorial planning buffer, not a KORAIL boarding deadline or a guarantee. Add time if you need a ticket counter, an accessible route or a transfer from another service. Arriving at a subway platform or taxi drop-off still leaves the walk to the KTX boarding area.

If you are storing bags before your rail journey, our luggage-storage guide covers the separate problem of leaving them before check-in or after check-out.

If the ticket, train or timing is wrong

You cannot open the ticket

Return to the booking channel you used. For a direct KORAIL web purchase, try MY TICKET with the original purchase information. If you still cannot retrieve it, take the booking reference and payment information to a staffed ticket counter before boarding. Do not assume a receipt or an unreadable screenshot settles the issue.

You missed the departure

Go to a staffed KORAIL ticket counter promptly. KORAIL’s guide says that after the departure time, refunds must be requested at a station counter; a refund cannot be requested after the ticketed train’s arrival time. Penalties depend on when you request the refund and the travel day. Have staff check your ticket and arrange the next journey; do not assume it is valid on the next train.

You boarded the wrong train or need to travel farther

Tell the train attendant immediately and show your ticket. KORAIL requires passengers who want to travel beyond their ticketed destination to pay the additional fare and obtain a new ticket before passing that destination. Ask the attendant to handle the change rather than waiting until you get off.

Two phrases to show station staff

Keep the ticket open until you are seated. It provides the details staff need when a sign, platform or seat does not match what you expected.