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South Korea · Review edition

South Korea, checked fact by fact.

Only sourced, verified records are shown. Every item includes who published it and when we checked it.

1 · At a glance

3 · Visa & entry

Singapore passport — entry to South Korea

Visa-free for up to 90 days, AND temporarily exempt from K-ETA until 2026-12-31 (KST) under the Ministry of Justice extension; with no valid K-ETA, the traveller files the free e-Arrival Card before arrival instead. What applies from 2027-01-01 had not been announced at verification time

Korea Immigration Service — K-ETA official portal · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Malaysia passport — entry to South Korea

Visa-free for up to 90 days, BUT Malaysia is NOT on the temporary K-ETA exemption list: most Malaysian visitors aged 18-64 must hold an approved K-ETA before boarding. Travellers aged 17 and under or 65 and over are exempt from the K-ETA requirement itself (they file the e-Arrival Card)

Korea Immigration Service — K-ETA official portal · verified 2026-11-09 · official

K-ETA (for nationalities that need it)

Apply ONLY at www.k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app — the government appoints no agents. Fee KRW 10,000 plus a 3% online payment fee, non-refundable. Assessment normally within 72 hours, so apply at least 72 hours before departure. Approval is valid 3 years (or until passport expiry) for multiple entries, and holders are exempt from submitting an arrival card

Korea Immigration Service — K-ETA official portal · verified 2026-11-09 · official

e-Arrival Card

Free electronic arrival card at www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr (launched 2025-02-24); submit within 3 days before arrival and it stays valid 72 hours. Paper arrival cards were phased out at the end of 2025, so from 2026 the e-Arrival Card is the standard for visitors who do not hold a valid K-ETA. Holders of a valid K-ETA and registered foreign residents are exempt

EpiKor — Korea e-Arrival Card vs K-ETA (based on official MOJ/e-Arrival Card guides) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

4 · Money & FX

Tourist tax refund — eligibility

Foreign visitors staying in Korea under 6 months can reclaim VAT/individual consumption tax on goods bought at Tax Free / Tax Refund shops: KRW 15,000 or more per receipt (lowered from KRW 30,000 in 2024), goods must leave Korea unused within 3 months. Services such as hotels and restaurants are not eligible

Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) — Comprehensive Tax Refund Guide · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Tourist tax refund — immediate refund limits

Immediate refund at the till (passport required, tax deducted from the price): single transaction under KRW 1,000,000 and total purchases of KRW 5,000,000 or less per stay. Above that, use a downtown refund counter (single transaction up to KRW 6,000,000) or claim at the airport/seaport on departure

Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) — Comprehensive Tax Refund Guide · verified 2026-11-09 · official

4 · Money & FX

5 · Payments

T-money transit card

Prepaid card sold at convenience stores (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, emart24) for about KRW 3,000-5,000 (card price only, no balance, not refunded). Works on subways, buses and many taxis nationwide. Top up with KRW cash only — KRW 1,000 to 90,000 per top-up, maximum balance KRW 500,000 — at convenience stores or subway machines. Remaining balance is refunded in cash at convenience stores minus a KRW 500 fee

ChaeChae — T-money Card in Korea (VISITKOREA and Tmoney official visitor guides) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

6 · Power

7 · Connectivity

8 · Internet access & VPN

9 · Ride-hailing & transport

Kakao T (main taxi app)

Korea's dominant taxi app, dispatching licensed taxis, with English/Japanese interfaces. Foreigners can register foreign-issued Visa, Mastercard, Amex and JCB cards for in-app payment (per Kakao Mobility), but sign-up requires SMS phone verification that often fails on foreign SIMs; the reliable fallback is 'Pay to Driver' — book in the app, then pay in the taxi by card, T-money or cash

KoreaHowNow — Taxi Apps for Tourists (sources: Kakao Mobility & Uber Korea, checked 2026-10-27) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

Maps: Google Maps limitation, Naver Map

Google Maps cannot give driving or walking turn-by-turn directions in Korea (place search and basic transit routing work): Korean law long restricted the export of high-precision (1:5,000) map data. A conditional export approval was granted in February 2026 but had not launched as of late 2026. Use Naver Map (strongest English support) or KakaoMap for navigation and live transit

DukPlace — Korea Travel Apps 2026 (checked 2026-10-14) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

Foreign licences / IDP

Visitors may drive on an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention (1968 Vienna is also recognised) carried together with the original home licence and passport; valid for up to 1 year from entry. The IDP must be obtained before departure — it cannot be issued inside Korea. SG and MY are both Geneva 1949 parties, so their licences work via IDP

SeoulKit — International Driving Permit Korea guide (Korea Road Traffic Authority rules) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

10 · Airport to city

ICN → Seoul Station: AREX Express

Non-stop express train, 43 min from Terminal 1 / 51 min from Terminal 2. Adult fare KRW 13,000 (the published list fare of KRW 18,100 to T1 / 18,700 to T2 is sold at a standing discount to 13,000); children KRW 9,500. Reserved seats and luggage racks; a separate express ticket is required — T-money is NOT accepted

Airport Railroad (AREX) — Express train fare information · verified 2026-11-09 · operator

ICN → Seoul Station: AREX All-Stop

All-stop commuter train, 59 min from Terminal 1 / 66 min from Terminal 2 (some trains take 2-6 min longer). Adult fare with a transport card: KRW 4,750 from T1 / KRW 5,350 from T2. Stops include Hongik Univ. (Hongdae), Digital Media City and Gimpo Airport; tap on and off with T-money like a subway

Visit Seoul (Seoul Metropolitan Government) — From the Airport to Seoul · verified 2026-11-09 · official

GMP → Seoul Station: AREX All-Stop

From Gimpo International Airport Station, the AREX All-Stop train reaches Seoul Station in about 22-23 min; adult transport-card fare about KRW 1,750. Gimpo station is also served by subway Lines 5 and 9

DayOneKorea — Gimpo Airport to Seoul guide (AREX fare table) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

No direct KTX from Incheon Airport

There is no KTX from Incheon Airport — the airport KTX service was discontinued in 2018. For KTX trains (e.g., to Busan), ride AREX to Seoul Station and transfer

KCulturenow — Incheon Airport to Seoul transport guide · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

11 · Language

English availability & translation app

Korean is the only official language. English appears on transit and tourist signage in Seoul but is limited in smaller towns and small shops. Naver's Papago is the standard translation app for Korean (menus, signs, conversation)

DukPlace — Korea Travel Apps 2026 (checked 2026-10-14) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

12 · Time zone & holidays

Public holiday system

Public holidays are set by law, with substitute holidays (daeche-gonghyuil) when major holidays fall on a weekend. The two great travel peaks are Seollal (Lunar New Year, 3 days) and Chuseok (harvest festival, 3 days): intercity trains and buses sell out and many family-run businesses close

TrulyKR — Korea's Major Holidays in 2026 (Korea Tourism Organization calendar) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

13 · Weather & seasons

14 · Safety & scams

Scam warning: fake K-ETA / e-Arrival Card sites

Look-alike websites charge high 'agency' or 'express' fees for K-ETA and the e-Arrival Card. The ONLY official domains are www.k-eta.go.kr and www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. The e-Arrival Card is always free; K-ETA costs a flat KRW 10,000 (+3% payment fee). The Korean government has appointed no agency for either

Korea Immigration Service — K-ETA official portal · verified 2026-11-09 · official

15 · Tipping & etiquette

Age counting (practical note)

Since 2023-06-28, Korea's legal and administrative standard is international age (0 at birth, +1 on each birthday) — forms, contracts and hospitals use it. The traditional 'Korean age' (1 at birth, +1 every Jan 1) survives only in casual conversation. A few rules still use 'year age': alcohol and tobacco can be bought from Jan 1 of the year a person turns 19

AllThingsK8282 — Korean Age Explained (Ministry of Government Legislation guide, checked 2026-09-29) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

16 · Emergency contacts

17 · Health & water

Controlled medication (MFDS permit)

Medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic ingredients — e.g., zolpidem and other sleeping pills, diazepam/alprazolam, methylphenidate (ADHD medication) — require PRIOR approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) whatever your nationality; a foreign prescription alone is NOT enough and unapproved import is punishable. Apply online at nedrug.mfds.go.kr (allow up to 10 business days); an approval covers at most 90 days. Cannabis in all forms, including CBD/THC products, is strictly prohibited

The Korea Herald — How to get permission to bring controlled medication into Korea (MFDS guidance) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

eSIM for South Korea

See the available travel eSIM for this destination.

View South Korea eSIM →