10 things I love most about Korea - Day 1: The Subway System

I have been in Korea since the end of August and I have fallen in love with it's culture and it's way of life. I have been blown away by many things here, and in many ways, Korea has completely surprised me in terms of what I was expecting VS. the reality which I am now living. I wish you could all be here to experience this wonderful country. There are many things I miss about Australia, but there are also many aspects of Sydney life which I am glad to be rid of!

I have compiled a list of some of the things I love most about Korea. If you were to ask every foreigner in Korea to make a similar list, I can guarantee that they would each be different from one another. My plan is to publish 10 posts over 10 days, so stay tuned!

My list is obviously from the perspective of a Sydney-dweller, and so Sydney readers may find this an interesting read!

The Subway System

This is number 1 on the list because my goodness, it is the first main difference you will notice in terms of convenience. Anyone who travels with CityRail should come to Korea. It's as simple as that. When you come from a country with smelly, constantly-late, crowded-so-much-that-you-lose-oxygen trains (I love you, Sydney), you cannot help but crave the Seoul subway system. To summarise: the trains are NEVER late, they come every five minutes, you don't have to wait in line forever to buy tickets, and because it's Korea, everything is really fast-paced and people walk like they have purpose in life (even the ajimas), so you don't get stuck behind slow people. I will miss how easy it is to get around here!!

Like Sydney, Seoul has different lines - each a different colour and a different number. But unlike Sydney, there are not multiple platforms per station. Rather, there is just one, with a different train on either side. So, you can either go one way down the line, or the other way. Then, if you need to transfer lines, you can just hop off one train and onto the next, without having to buy a new ticket or anything! So you can go from station to station for a very cheap price. It makes for super easy travel and it is almost impossible to get lost. There is also a Subway app available in both English and Korean for your convenience - no internet required!

How the Subway app looks on the HTC One. The app is simply called 'Subway Navigation'.

The other most convenient thing about Seoul travel is the T-Money card. This has somewhat the same role as the new 'Opal' card in Sydney, however the difference is that it has been around for a while and it works on almost all forms of transport. So, I can beep onto the train in a second, onto the bus in a second, onto a ferry, and the card even works in taxis! You can reload the card at any convenience store or at card top-up machines, which can be found at any subway station. I will also point out that T-Money cards are the only way to pay for/get onto public transport, so everyone has one and so everything moves really fast! And because the trains come so frequently, the platforms are rarely crowded.

What a standard T-Money card looks like.

You can also customise your own T-Money card, which I think is pretty cool!! As long as you don't lose it, it is something that you will hold onto for a very long time. So, might as well spend the extra money!

A T-Money card with EXO on it!

The trains themselves are quite fast, and every subway operates within it's own glass tunnel (sort of like those glass tunnels in aquariums), so there is no danger of people falling onto the tracks (it is actually almost impossible). Very safe! People on the trains also usually mind their own business, so there are rarely distractions. Conversations are quiet and the only distracting thing is the fact that there are only a few seats and so if you are sitting on a seat, you will have someone's crotch in your face. Also, if you are a foreigner, prepare to get stared at a lot!!

Finally, here is a selfie taken on the subway with some of my best friends in Korea^^. You can see how touristy we look in comparison to all the other subway-travellers:

That's all for today's post! I will post again tomorrow!

Signed in Seoul,
Kristin

Kristin is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-Korea Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade