Seoul’s subway ticket kiosks to accept overseas cards from March 17

Commuters ride a subway in Seoul, South Korea, March 10, 2026. A 3.7 per cent service fee will apply to transactions made with overseas-issued cards, according to the city government. - Reuters

SEOUL: Seoul’s subway system will begin accepting overseas-issued payment cards for transportation card purchases and recharging starting March 17, a move aimed at easing a long-standing inconvenience for foreign visitors using the city’s public transit.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said 440 new transportation card kiosks will be installed across 273 stations on Seoul Subway Line Nos. 1 through 8, allowing payments to be made with overseas credit and debit cards as well as via mobile payment platforms such as Kakao Pay and Naver Pay.