Gimpo Airport to Seoul, Korea: Line 9 Express, Airport Railroad, Bus or Taxi — Fares and Minutes to Myeongdong, Hongdae and Gangnam

Last updated: 3 November 2026. Train fares and times come from the Airport Railroad's fare table and its timetable in force since 23 October 2026, and from the Seoul Line 9 operator's station timetables, including the new weekday timetable that starts on 16 November 2026. Bus and taxi figures come from Gimpo Airport's own Korean pages. All were read on 3 November 2026. ₩1,325 = US$1 (Federal Reserve, 23 October 2026).

The best way from Gimpo Airport to Seoul depends on where you are sleeping, because two train lines leave from the same station and go to different parts of the city. For Hongdae, take the Airport Railroad (AREX, 공항철도) all-stop train: ₩1,650 by card and 15 minutes to Hongik University Station. For Myeongdong, take the same train to Seoul Station (22 minutes, ₩1,750), then Line 4 for two stops. For Gangnam, take the Line 9 express (9호선 급행) to Sinnonhyeon, about 33 minutes.

Two things catch people out. The AREX express train you may have read about does not stop at Gimpo. And neither the airport's bus list nor the limousine company's stop lists show a limousine from Gimpo to Myeongdong, Hongdae or Gangnam. If you have a lot of luggage, the fallback is a taxi at ₩15,000 to ₩28,000, not a coach.

The domestic terminal curb at Gimpo International Airport, Seoul, October 2013. Photo: Lee Beom-su, Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1).

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Quick Guide: Gimpo Airport to Seoul by destination

*Our calculation or estimate, explained below. The operators publish the distance rule but we could not read a station-to-station fare for these trips. Your card is charged the exact amount at the exit gate.

Gimpo Airport to Hongdae: the easy one

Take the AREX all-stop train (일반열차) towards Seoul Station and get off at Hongik University Station. No transfer, ₩1,650 by transit card, and about 15 minutes (14½ on the AREX timetable, rounded up here and throughout). The train makes two stops before yours: Magoknaru and Digital Media City.

On weekdays the typical gap between trains at Gimpo is about 4½ minutes in the rush hours, 6 minutes in the middle of the day and 8 minutes after 20:00. On weekends and holidays it is about 6½ to 8 minutes, a little longer after 20:00.

The taxi loses here on every count except the bags. The airport's estimate is ₩15,000 and 40 minutes, so the train is about nine times cheaper and takes less than half as long.

An AREX train near Gyeyang, April 2024, showing Seoul Station on its display. Photo: Takeshi Aida, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Gimpo Airport to Myeongdong: one change at Seoul Station

There is no one-seat train to Myeongdong. Take the AREX all-stop to the end of the line at Seoul Station (22 minutes, ₩1,750), then change to Line 4 towards Bulamsan (불암산) and ride two stops: Hoehyeon first, then Myeongdong.

AREX runs deep under Seoul Station, so the change is a real walk with escalators, not a cross-platform step. With a suitcase, we would allow 35 to 45 minutes in total. That figure is our estimate. It adds the walk and the short Line 4 ride to the AREX timetable time.

The fare is the part we could not read directly. AREX publishes ₩1,750 from Gimpo to Seoul Station, and the extra distance on Line 4 is short, so expect ₩1,750 or ₩1,850 by card. You pay one fare for the whole trip, not two.

A taxi to the Lotte Hotel Seoul in Myeongdong is estimated by the airport at ₩20,000 and 50 minutes.

You might like: Last Train in Seoul: When Trains Stop, if your Line 4 connection is close to midnight.

Gimpo Airport to Gangnam: Line 9 express, and read the sign

For Gangnam, Sinnonhyeon, Bongeunsa (COEX) or the Express Bus Terminal, use Line 9. Express and local trains share one track, so the next train at the platform may be either. The difference is large:

We matched each train across the operator's station timetables and show the most common running times. Weekday figures hold for both the current timetable and the one starting 16 November. Rush-hour trains run a little slower.

Sinnonhyeon is not Gangnam Station, and this trips up a lot of people. It sits one stop north on Gangnam-daero. You have two ways to finish:

• Walk. Roughly 10 minutes down the main road, by our reckoning.
• Change to the Shinbundang Line for one stop to Gangnam Station. The Line 9 operator's fare page says this section carries a separate ₩700 surcharge on top of the distance fare (adult rate).

The Line 9 fare also has to be worked out. The rule on the operator's fare page is ₩1,550 for the first 10 km, then ₩100 for every further 5 km. City reports put the distance at around 25 km, which gives about ₩1,850 to ₩1,950 to Sinnonhyeon by card. We could not read a published figure for this pair of stations.

When the express is the wrong choice

The express is at its worst on weekday mornings. The operator's own crowding chart rates Yeomchang, Yeouido and Noryangjin as 혼잡 극심 (extremely crowded) from 07:30 to 08:30, and it advises people at Dangsan and Yeouido to take the local train instead. Boarding at Gimpo, you get on near the start of the line, but expect to be pressed in with your case by the time you reach Yeomchang.

So with a big suitcase on a weekday morning, wait or take a taxi. The same chart lists all five of its stations (Gayang, Yeomchang, Dangsan, Yeouido, Noryangjin) as 원활 (smooth) from 09:00.

What changes on 16 November 2026

The Line 9 site has a new weekday timetable from 16 November 2026. At Gimpo, weekday express departures go from 115 to 121 a day, and locals from 124 to 122. As reported from Seoul's announcement, trains towards VHS Medical Center change from one express and one local to two expresses for each local between 05:40 and 07:00, and the gap from 07:00 to 08:30 shortens from 6 minutes 20 seconds to 6 minutes. The Gimpo timetable shows the two-to-one pattern. First and last express times do not move, and the midday gap stays at about 11 minutes. The operator warns the timetable may still change before that date.

A Line 9 train at Gaehwa Station, June 2010. Photo: 충북선 무궁화호, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

You might like: Getting Around Korea in 2026, for how fares and transfers work across the whole network.

The AREX train you cannot board at Gimpo

Most AREX results lead with the express train (직통열차), which runs non-stop between Incheon Airport and Seoul Station (fares in our Incheon guide). It passes through Gimpo without stopping. From Gimpo, the only AREX train is the all-stop.

Paying by single-journey ticket (1회용 교통카드) adds ₩100 to the fare and a ₩500 deposit that you get back at your destination. The Line 9 operator's ticket page says single tickets get no transfer discount with other transport, so a reloadable T-money card pays for itself quickly. Our Korea payment guide covers where to buy one, and why the foreign card in your wallet may not open the gate. Since 17 March 2026, kiosks at stations on Lines 1 to 8 have sold and recharged transport cards, starting with the Seoul Climate Card and one- to seven-day passes, with overseas cards at a 3.7% fee. We have not confirmed this for Line 9 or AREX machines.

The Line 9 operator's fare page gives a 20% discount on the base fare for rides starting before 06:30, on a prepaid or postpaid transit card only.

Limousine buses: why Gimpo is not Incheon

If you have been reading about Incheon, you may expect a coach to your hotel door. From Gimpo, that mostly does not exist. Gimpo Airport's own route list shows just three limousine lines into the Seoul area, 6003, 6014 and 6101:

The company that runs 6003 and 6014 charges ₩8,000 adult and ₩6,000 child between Seoul and Gimpo. Its own site also shows Gimpo on a 6008 line through Singil, Mullae and Yeomchang, which the airport does not list. Its Myeongdong and Hongdae coaches (6001, 6002, 6015) go to Incheon, and their stop lists do not include Gimpo. None of its route summaries names Gangnam.

The one city bus worth knowing is 601. It runs from Gimpo through Yonsei University, Gyeongbokgung Station, Anguk (for Insadong), Jongno and Gwanghwamun without a change. The airport's listing, which carries no date, shows 04:00 to 22:50, every 6 to 10 minutes, ₩1,500, from international 1F stop 4 and domestic stop 6. Check it before you rely on it. No journey time is given, and this is a long surface route, so it suits one bag and no hurry.

Buses and taxis outside Gimpo Airport, October 2013. Photo: Lee Beom-su, Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1).

Taxis: the airport's own estimates

Gimpo Airport publishes these estimates. The airport sits inside Seoul, in Gangseo-gu.

The meter starts at ₩4,800 for the first 1.6 km on a regular taxi, then ₩100 per 131 metres or per 30 seconds. Traffic moves the fare. The night surcharge for regular taxis is 20% from 22:00 to 23:00, 40% from 23:00 to 02:00, and 20% from 02:00 to 04:00. A 23:30 ride to Gangnam therefore lands near ₩39,000 on those estimates. Deluxe and large taxis add 20% from 22:00 to 04:00.

A taxi for Hongdae is a poor deal for one person, but for four people with cases it costs about ₩2,100 more each. For Gangnam, it adds at least ₩5,000 each and saves you a Line 9 standing ride plus the last stretch with bags. Off-peak, that is a fair trade. In the evening rush, the train is the safer bet.

You might like: Seoul Safety Guide: Taxi Scams, Street Recruiters, and Etiquette, before you get into any car at an airport.

Last trains from Gimpo Airport

The late Line 9 trains stop short. Check this if your flight lands after 21:30:

The trap is the weekend. A Saturday or Sunday arrival in Gangnam has an hour less than on a weekday, and the last express leaves at 22:27. Myeongdong has the same issue: our last train guide shows the last Line 4 train north from Seoul Station at 00:47 on weekdays but 23:44 on weekends, so on a weekend you need to leave Gimpo by about 23:05 to make it.

Per a 2018 Korean journal paper, Gimpo's night curfew runs 23:00 to 06:00. We did not find a current airport notice. If your flight lands late and you miss all of this, the taxi rates above apply, with the 40% surcharge. We did not find a night bus on the airport's own bus list. One small change on 16 November: the weekday 00:22 local to Dongjak moves to 00:21, the time shown above.

Finding the station from either terminal

Gimpo has separate international and domestic terminals, and both connect to one station, Gimpo Airport Station (김포공항역). It serves AREX, Line 5, Line 9, the Gimpo Goldline and the Seohae Line, so read the coloured signs and follow AREX or Line 9 by name.

Line 5 is also there, and it is the direct train to Gwanghwamun, Jongno 3-ga and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park. We could not read a current Line 5 timetable, so we give no time for it.

If you land at the wrong terminal for your connection, a free airport shuttle bus (공항순환버스) links them. The terminal-only loop runs 08:00 to 23:00 every 12 to 15 minutes. Board at the international terminal outside gate 1 on floor 1 (turn right, stop 5), or at the domestic terminal outside gate 4 on floor 1 (turn left, stop 8).

The airport's site also promotes a Zimcarry baggage delivery service for domestic arrivals. We did not confirm the price. Our hands-free travel guide explains Korea's luggage services.

The Line 9 name sign at Gimpo International Airport Station (902). Photo: LERK, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Gimpo or Incheon: check your ticket first

Gimpo (GMP, 김포국제공항) is the older, closer airport, inside Seoul itself. It handles domestic flights and only eight international cities, including Tokyo Haneda, Osaka, Taipei Songshan and Shanghai Hongqiao. Most long-haul flights land at Incheon (ICN), which is a different journey with different fares.

If your ticket says ICN, this page is the wrong one. Go to our Incheon Airport to Seoul guide. If you are connecting through Incheon and want to leave the airport, see the layover guide.

FAQ

Q: How do I get from Gimpo Airport to Seoul? A: By train. Gimpo Airport Station is on AREX and Lines 5 and 9. AREX reaches Hongik University in 15 minutes for ₩1,650 and Seoul Station in 22 minutes for ₩1,750. The Line 9 express reaches Sinnonhyeon in about 33 minutes.

Q: Is there an airport limousine bus from Gimpo to Myeongdong or Gangnam? A: Not on the airport's own route list, which shows only 6003, 6014 and 6101, to Daerim, Gwangmyeong and the Surak and Nowon area. The operator's Myeongdong coaches 6001 and 6015 go to Incheon and do not list Gimpo as a stop.

Q: How much is a taxi from Gimpo Airport to Myeongdong? A: The airport estimates about ₩20,000 and 50 minutes in a regular taxi, or ₩36,000 in a deluxe taxi. Add 20% to 40% between 22:00 and 04:00.

Q: What is the fastest way from Gimpo Airport to Gangnam? A: The Line 9 express to Sinnonhyeon, 33 to 36 minutes on weekdays and 31 to 32 on weekends. Check the destination sign for the red express marking, because a local train takes about 54 minutes. Gangnam Station is one stop further by the Shinbundang Line or about a 10-minute walk.

Q: What time is the last train from Gimpo Airport? A: The last AREX to Seoul Station leaves at 00:16 every day. The last Line 9 express leaves at 23:28 on weekdays and 22:27 on weekends.

Q: Can I pay with a foreign credit card on the subway? A: Do not plan on it, because it may not open the gate. Use a T-money card or a single-journey ticket. Kiosks on Lines 1 to 8 have accepted overseas cards at a 3.7% fee since 17 March 2026, but we have not confirmed that for Line 9 or AREX machines. Our payment guide has the details.

Sources

• AREX fares: Airport Railroad (공항철도), all-stop fare table and fare rules, read 3 November 2026.
• AREX times: Airport Railroad timetable in force from 23 October 2026 (xlsx, weekday and holiday sheets). Run times, gaps and last trains are calculated from this file. The express timetable is on the direct train page.
• Line 9 times: Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation (서울시메트로9호선) station timetables, current and from 16 November 2026. Running times are matched by us across station tables.
• Line 9 fares, the Shinbundang surcharge, the early-morning discount and the transfer rule: fare page. Single tickets: ticket page.
• Line 9 express stops: train guide. The 16 November service changes: Wikitree (위키트리) report on Seoul's announcement. Crowding: crowding page.
• Limousine and city buses: Korea Airports Corporation, Gimpo Airport public transport (김포공항 대중교통), bus tab.
• Limousine fare table and route list: Airport Limousine (공항리무진).
• Taxi fares and estimates: Gimpo Airport, taxi tab.
• Station lines: Gimpo Airport, subway tab. Free shuttle: Gimpo Airport, airport shuttle tab.
• Night curfew: Journal paper on Korean airport noise policy, 2018.
• Overseas cards at kiosks: The Star, 16 March 2026.
• Last Line 4 trains: EpicKor's last train guide, from Seoul Metro timetables.