Korea's compact size and dense transport network mean almost any city or town is reachable in a few hours, by train or bus. Here's the general shape of it.
The high-speed train network
Two operators run the same high-speed lines: KTX (Korail) and SRT (a separate, slightly cheaper operator). The main lines:
- Gyeongbu Line — the busiest: Seoul → Daejeon → Daegu → Busan, roughly 2.5 hours end to end.
- Honam Line — southwest: Seoul/Yongsan → Iksan → Gwangju / Mokpo, roughly 2.5–3 hours to Mokpo.
- Jeolla Line branches off the Honam line toward Jeonju and on to Yeosu.
- Gyeongjeon/Jungang Line (KTX-Eum) — east/southeast: Seoul (Cheongnyangni) toward Andong, Yeongju, and on to Busan via the inland route.
- Gangneung Line — Seoul (Cheongnyangni/Seoul Station) → Gangneung on the east coast, about 2 hours.
Which Seoul station matters. Long-distance trains leave from different stations depending on the line: Seoul Station (Gyeongbu/Gyeongui lines), Yongsan Station (Honam/Jeolla lines — Gwangju, Mokpo, Yeosu, Jeonju), Suseo Station (SRT's own terminal, south of the river, also serving Busan/Mokpo/Yeosu), and Cheongnyangni Station (Gangneung and the inland east). Double-check which one your train leaves from — it's easy to assume it's always Seoul Station.
Booking: KTX and regular trains through letskorail.com (Korail), SRT through etk.srail.kr.
Intercity and express buses
Where there's no train line — or the train doesn't run often enough — an intercity or express bus almost certainly does. Korea's bus network reaches nearly every town, including places like Sokcho, Yangyang, Chuncheon, and islands connected by bridge or ferry. Seoul's main terminals are the Seoul Express Bus Terminal and adjoining Central City Terminal (both at Express Bus Terminal station, lines 3/7/9) for most of the country, and Dong Seoul Bus Terminal for the east.
A worked example: Seoul to Mokpo
Take the Honam Line KTX or SRT from Yongsan (KTX) or Suseo (SRT) — about 2.5–3 hours depending on the train. An express bus from Seoul's terminals is the budget option, at roughly 3.5–4 hours. The same Honam line pattern applies to Gwangju (a bit closer) and, via the Jeolla branch, to Jeonju and Yeosu.
When it's not obvious
For a specific date and time, or anywhere very small, the fastest way to check is:
- Naver Map or KakaoMap — both do live public-transport routing across the whole country, including intercity trains and buses, and are far more capable for Korea than Google Maps.
- letskorail.com / etk.srail.kr directly for exact train times and fares.
- A domestic flight is worth comparing for the furthest corners (Jeju, Yeosu, Ulsan, Pohang) — short hops are often cheap and frequent.
Exact fares and timetables change, so treat the routes and stations above as the map to navigate by, and check current times before you book.