KORAIL PASS for foreign visitors: prices, what it covers and a group cost calculator
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
The KORAIL PASS is a rail pass sold to foreign visitors: ₩131,000 for 2 days, ₩186,000 for 3, ₩234,000 for 4 and ₩275,000 for 5 for an adult, and about half that for a child aged 6 to 12. You choose 2 to 5 travel days within 10 days from the starting date. It covers standing and non-reserved seats on KTX and regular KORAIL trains; it does not cover SRT, metropolitan subway trains or special tourist trains.
Official pass prices
| Pass | Adult (age 13 and over) | Child (age 6–12) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 day select pass | ₩131,000 | ₩66,000 |
| 3 day select pass | ₩186,000 | ₩93,000 |
| 4 day select pass | ₩234,000 | ₩117,000 |
| 5 day select pass | ₩275,000 | ₩138,000 |
The page defines an adult as "age from 13" and a child as "age between 6 to 12", plus one child under 6 free per adult over 13. Koreans cannot buy it: "Unavailable for persons with Korean nationality."
Group cost calculator
This adds up the official prices for your group. It does not compare the pass with regular tickets, because the official English pages do not print a KTX fare table.
Not covered: what happens if there are more children under 6 than adults (the page only states one free child per adult), first-class seat charges, and any date restrictions the website announces.
What the pass covers
- Trains you can use: standing and non-reserved seats on KTX (including KTX-Sancheon and KTX-Eum) and regular trains: ITX-Cheongchun, ITX-Saemaeul, Saemaeul, Mugunghwa, Nuriro and regular tourist trains.
- Trains you cannot use: SRT trains, metropolitan subway trains and special tourist trains.
- Seats: up to 2 seats per person per day (1 per day if you use a transfer ticket). Economy seats are included; first class costs 50% of the first-class seat price for that route.
- No double booking: the same journey cannot be reserved twice on the same date.
Rules before you buy
| Rule | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| To buy | A valid passport and credit card are required. All information must match the passport exactly. |
| Changes | You cannot change the type of pass, passenger type or personal information after purchase. |
| Refunds | No refund fee a day before the pass's starting date. Refunds are not possible after the starting date. |
| Who can use it | Only the person named on the pass. Selling or transferring it is illegal and results in additional charges. |
| Proof on the train | Valid pass or seat reservation ticket, including the mobile screen from the website; a screenshot of a train ticket is not valid. Bring the passport. |
| Delays | No compensation for train delays and suspensions. |
| Misuse | Standard fare plus an additional fare of 10 to 30 times the standard fare. |
Where the official pages disagree
| Topic | Page A | Page B |
|---|---|---|
| How early can you reserve a seat? | "About Korail Pass" page: "Seat reservations become available two months before the departure date". | "PASS details" notice (dated 2024-11-01): "You can buy tickets from 07:00 one month before your desired departure date". The general Ticketing Guide says "two months before". |
The pass page and the general ticketing guide say two months; the pass-specific notice says one month. The notice is the only page with a date (2024-11-01), but the pass page itself prints none, so we cannot say which is newer. Treat one month as the safe assumption and check the booking screen after you buy.
- Last time to book: the notice says tickets can be bought until 20 minutes before departure on the KORAIL website, until 10 minutes before at ticket vending machines, and until departure at train stations.
How to use the pass, in order
- On the KORAIL site choose "Book Korail Pass", pick the pass length and passenger type, and enter the starting date.
- Reserve seats from "MY TICKET" – "SEAT RESERVATION". Add your departure dates first: you must select departure dates within 10 days of the starting date.
- If seats are sold out, board on a standing seat with the valid pass and your passport.
- Board with the pass, passport and, if you reserved a seat, the seat reservation ticket.
The pass page prints no revision date; it was read on 2026-10-19. The "PASS details" notice is dated 2024-11-01. The KORAIL English site is rendered by script, so the text was captured in a browser.
Official sources
- KORAIL — About Korail Pass — pass prices, age bands, conditions, seat rules; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- KORAIL — Notice: PASS details (2024-11-01) — when tickets can be bought, covered trains, seat limits per day (checked 2026-10-19)
- KORAIL — Notice: KORAIL PASS information (2024-11-01) — what the pass is; SRT, subway and special tourist trains excluded (checked 2026-10-19)
- KORAIL — Book Korail Pass — purchase screen notes: passport match, no changes, refund before the start date (checked 2026-10-19)
- KORAIL — Korail Pass benefits — affiliate benefit: AREX express ticket ₩13,000 to ₩12,000 (checked 2026-10-19)
- KORAIL — Ticketing Guide — general ticket purchase window (two months) and payment by credit card (checked 2026-10-19)
Prices change. If an official page shows a different number from this page, the official page wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.