Korail provides frequent train service to all major South Korean cities. Two rail lines, Gyeongui and Donghae Bukbu Line, to North Korea are now being reconnected. The Korean high-speed rail system, KTX, provides high-speed service along Gyeongbu and Honam Line. Major cities including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju have subway systems. Express bus terminals are available in most cities.
Construction of South Korea's largest airport, Incheon International Airport, was completed in 2001. By 2007, the airport was serving 30 million passengers a year. Other international airports include Gimpo, Busan and Jeju. There are also seven domestic airports, and a large number of heliports.
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| Banpo Bridge connects the southern and northern parts of Seoul that are separated by the Han River. |
Korean Air, founded in 1962, served 21,640,000 passengers, including 12,490,000 international passengers in 2008. A second carrier, Asiana Airlines, established in 1988, also serves domestic and international traffic. Combined, South Korean airlines serve 297 international routes. Smaller airliners, such as Jeju Air, provide domestic service with lower fares.
South Korea is the world's fifth largest nuclear power producer and the second-largest in Asia as of 2010. Nuclear power in South Korea supplies 45% of electricity production and research is very active with investigation into a variety of advanced reactors, including a small modular reactor, a liquid-metal fast/transmutation reactor and a high-temperature hydrogen generation design. Fuel production and waste handling technologies have also been developed locally. It is also a member of the ITER project.
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| Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea. |
South Korea is an emerging exporter of nuclear reactors, having concluded agreements with the UAE to build and maintain four advanced nuclear reactors, with Jordan for a research nuclear reactor, and with Argentina for construction and repair of heavy-water nuclear reactors. As of 2010, South Korea and Turkey are in negotiations regarding construction of two nuclear reactors. South Korea is also preparing to bid on construction of a light-water nuclear reactor for Argentina.
South Korea is not allowed to enrich uranium or develop traditional uranium enrichment technology on its own due to US political pressure, unlike most major nuclear powers such as Japan, Germany, and France, competitors of South Korea in the international nuclear market, providing a noticeable impediment to South Korea's indigenous nuclear industrial undertaking that has sparked occasional diplomatic rows between the two allies. While South Korea is successful in exporting its electricity-generating nuclear technology and nuclear reactors, it cannot capitalize on the market for nuclear enrichment facilities and refineries, preventing Korea from further expanding its export niche. South Korea has sought unique technologies such as pyroprocessing technology to circumvent these obstacles and seek a more advantageous competition.The US has recently been wary of South Korea's burgeoning nuclear program which South Korea insists will only be for civilian use.
Rail transport in South Korea
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| KTX train |
Korea Train Express began service in April 2004, at Korea's first high-speed service. Intercity services are provided by Saemaeul-ho and Mugunghwa-ho. Saemaeul-ho generally stops less than Mugunghwa-ho and provides more comfortable seats and service. Tonggeun (commuter train, not to be confused with subways) serves some selected lines. They stop in all stations and seat reservation is not available.
New service, Nuriro-ho, was recently added between Seoul and Sinchang Station. Nuriro-ho serves commuters around Seoul Metropolitan Area, providing shorter travel time than Seoul Subway. The rapid trains have same cost and seat reservation as Mugunghwa-ho. Korail plans to expand the service area. There's also a plan to introduce Vitro-ho, which planned to replace Saemaul-ho.
Subways in South Korea
South Korea's six largest cities — Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon and Incheon — all have subway systems.
Seoul's subway system is the oldest system in the country, with the Seoul Station – Cheongnyangni section of Line 1 opening in 1974.
Trams
The first tram line in Seoul started operation between Seodaemun and Cheongnyangni in December 1898. The network was expanded to cover the whole downtown area (Jung-gu and Jongno-gu districts) as well as surrounding neighbourhoods, including Cheongnyangni in the east, Mapo-gu in the west, and Noryangjin across the Han River to the south.
The networks reached its peak in 1941, but was abandoned in favor of cars and the development of a subway system in 1968. Seoul Subway Line 1 and Line 2 follow the old streetcar routes along Jongno and Euljiro, respectively.
Buses
Regional services
Highway bus lane on Gyeongbu Expressway in Korea, Republic of
Virtually all towns in South Korea of all sizes are served by regional bus service. Regional routes are classified as gosok bus (고속버스, "high speed" express bus) or sioe bus (시외버스, "suburban" intercity bus) with gosok buses operating over the longer distances and making the fewest (if any) stops en route. Shioe buses typically operate over shorter distances, are somewhat slower, and make more stops.
Local services
Local bus in Seoul
Within cities and towns, two types of city bus operate in general: jwaseok (좌석, "coach") and dosihyeong (도시형, "city type") or ipseok (입석, "standing"). Both types of bus often serve the same routes, make the same (or fewer) stops and operate on similar frequencies, but jwaseok buses are more expensive and offer comfortable seating, while doshihyeong buses are cheaper and have fewer and less comfortable seats. Many small cities and towns do not have jwaseok buses and their buses are officially called nongeochon (농어촌, "rural area" bus).
Some cities have their own bus classifying systems.
Bus type Seoul Busan Daegu Daejeon
Jwaseok Rapid: Gwangyeok (광역), red
Trunk: Ganseon (간선), blue Rapid: Geuphaeng (급행)
Coach: Jwaseok Rapid: Geuphaeng
Trunk Coach: Ganseon jwaseok (간선좌석) Rapid: Geuphaeng, red
Trunk: Ganseon, blue
Doshihyeong/Ipseok Trunk: Ganseon, blue
Branch: Jiseon (지선), green Regular: Ilban (일반) Circulation: Sunhwan (순환)
Trunk: Ganseon
Branch: Jiseon Trunk: Ganseon, blue
Branch: Jiseon, green
Village Branch: Jiseon, green
Circulation: Sunhwan, yellow Village: Maeul-bus (마을버스) N/A Branch: Jiseon, green
Outer: Oegwak (외곽), green
Village: Maeul-bus
Other services
A limousine bus departing from Incheon International Airport bus station to Jamsil subway station in Seoul
Incheon International Airport is served by an extensive network of high-speed buses from all parts of the country. Beginning in the late 1990s, many department stores operated their own small network of free buses for shoppers, but government regulation, confirmed by a court decision on June 28, 2001, have banned department stores from operating buses. However, most churches, daycare centres and private schools still send buses around to pick up their congregants, patients or pupils.
Roads and Expressways in South Korea
Expressway arteries throughout South Korea
Highways in South Korea are classified as freeways (expressways/motorways), national roads and various classifications below the national level. Almost all freeways are toll highways and most of the expressways are built, maintained and operated by Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC).
The freeway network serves most parts of South Korea. Tolls are collected using an electronic toll collection system. KEC also operates service amenities (dining and service facilities) en route.
There are also several privately financed toll roads. Nonsan-Cheonan Expressway, Daegu-Busan Expressway, Incheon International Airport Expressway, Seoul-Chuncheon Expressway and parts of the Seoul Ring Expressway are wholly privately funded and operated BOT concessions. Donghae Expressway was built in cooperation between KEC and the National Pension Service.
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| Approaching Seoul from Incheon International Airport |
Total length of the South Korean road network was 86,989 km in 1998. Of this, 1,996 km was expressways and 12,447 km national roads. By 2009, combined length of the expressways had reached approximately 3,000 km, it mostly equal to the whole area of South Korea
Total Expressways National Roads Paved Unpaved
86,990 km 3,000 km 12,447 km 64,808 km 22,182 km
Waterways
Virtually cut off from the Asian mainland, South Korea is a seafaring nation, with one of the world's largest shipbuilding industries and an extensive system of ferry services. South Korea operates one of the largest merchant fleets serving China, Japan and the Middle East. Most fleet operators are large conglomerates, while most ferry operators are small, private operators.
There are 1,609 km of navigable waterways in South Korea, though use is restricted to small craft.
Ferries
The southern and westerns coasts of the country are dotted with small islands which are served by ferries. In addition, the larger offshore Jeju and Ulleung Islands are also served by ferry. Major centres for ferry service include Incheon, Mokpo, Pohang and Busan, as well as China and Japan.
Ports and Harbours
The cities have major ports Jinhae, Incheon, Gunsan, Masan, Mokpo, Pohang, Busan, Donghae, Ulsan, Yeosu, Jeju.
Merchant Marine
In 1999, there was a total of 461 merchant ships (1,000 GRT or over) totalling 5,093,620 GRT/8,100,634 metric tons deadweight (DWT). These are divisible by type as follows:
bulk 98
cargo 149
chemical tanker 39
combination bulk 4
container 53
liquefied gas 13
multi-functional large load carrier 1
passenger 3
petroleum tanker 61
refrigerated cargo 26
roll-on/roll-off 4
specialised tanker 4
vehicle carrier 6
Air travel
Korean Air was founded by the government in 1962 to replace Korean National Airlines and has been privately owned since 1969. It was South Korea's sole airline until 1988. In 2008, Korean Air served 2,164 million passengers, including 1,249 million international passengers.
A second carrier, Asiana Airlines, was established in 1988 and originally served Seoul, Jeju and Busan domestically and Bangkok, Singapore, Japan and Los Angeles internationally. By 2006, Asiana served 12 domestic cities, 66 cities in 20 foreign countries for commercial traffic and 24 cities in 17 countries for cargo traffic.
Combined, South Korean airlines currently serve 297 international routes. Smaller airliners, such as Air Busan, Jin Air, Eastar Jet and Jeju Air, provide domestic service and Japan/Southeast Asian route with lower fares.
Airports in South Korea
Construction of South Korea's largest airport, Incheon International Airport, was completed in 2001, in time for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. By 2007, the airport was serving 30 million passengers a year.The airport has been selected as the "Best Airport Worldwide" for four consecutive years since 2005 by Airports Council International.
Seoul is also served by Gimpo International Airport (formerly Kimpo International Airport). International routes mainly serve Incheon, while domestic services mainly use Gimpo. Other major airports are in Busan and Jeju.
There are 103 airports in South Korea (1999 est.) and these may be classified as follows.
Airports with paved runways:
total: 67
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 20 (1999 est.)
Airports with unpaved runways:
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 32 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 203 (1999 est.)
- All About South Korea
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