When to choose a taxi—and what to expect
Taxis shine for late nights (22:00–04:00), heavy luggage, and airport runs. Seoul’s official standard meter is ₩4,800 for the first 1.6 km, then ₩100 per 131 m or ₩100 per 30 s at low speed. Most cabs take cards, cash, and T-money. Always board at signed ranks—especially at airports—to avoid touts. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
Taxi types at a glance
- Regular (sedan): ubiquitous meter taxis.
- Deluxe/Jumbo: roomier service; ₩7,000 / 3.0 km daytime base.
- International Taxi: language-capable; flat-fare zones for Incheon⇄Seoul or metered with surcharges.
- Brand/affiliated (e.g., Kakao Black, Venti): app-based, often flexible/booking fees per policy. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
Official Seoul fare table (2025)
Add-ons: outside city-limits +20%; overlapping with late-night yields up to 60%. Low-speed time+distance apply; totals round to the nearest ₩10. :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
VisitSeoul provides a parallel fare view and notes International Taxi flat fares (~₩70,000–95,000) from Incheon to Seoul. :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}
Late-night & stacked surcharges
Windows: 20% (22:00–23:00), 40% (23:00–02:00), 20% (02:00–04:00). Stacks with the outside city-limits 20% to a cap of 60%. At Incheon Airport ranks, night surcharges of ~20–40% are posted; boundary rules apply when leaving the joint operation area. :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}
Airports ⇄ Seoul: where to board & how to price
Official Incheon pickup points
T1: 5C/6C/6D (Seoul/Gyeonggi), 5D (Incheon), 7C/8C (Deluxe/Jumbo). T2: 7C (Seoul), 7D (Deluxe/Jumbo), 3C (International). Live vehicle counts and rank maps are shown on the airport’s Taxi page. Avoid touts; use marked lanes only. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}
Flat vs. meter from Incheon
International Taxi zones (flat): A ₩70k / B ₩75k / C ₩85k / D ₩90k / E ₩95k (SUV/van/deluxe higher). If you choose a metered ride instead, international passenger 20% + night + outside-city surcharges may stack per SMG policy. Tolls (e.g., Incheon Bridge) are paid as incurred. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}
Kakao T & K-Ride: setup, booking, paying
Which app?
- Kakao T: the local default; multiple tiers (General/Blue/Deluxe/Venti/Black).
- K-Ride: Kakao Mobility for visitors—English UI, overseas card support, translation chat, and better address handling. :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}
Sign-in & address tips
K-Ride allows Apple/Google login and an English UI. If English addresses fail, paste the Korean address from Naver Map—apps will resolve it reliably. :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24}
Payments that actually work
- In-car: most cabs accept international cards, cash, and sometimes T-money.
- In-app: K-Ride supports overseas cards; Kakao T supports auto-payment when cards/points are added—fallback to pay-to-driver if your bank declines. :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25}
Call options & service fees
Kakao T General has no call fee; Deluxe may add a flexible 0–₩5,000 call fee; Blue/brand tiers follow affiliate policies. K-Ride may display a service fee depending on service type—check the fare breakdown before confirming. :contentReference[oaicite:26]{index=26}
Paying, receipts & tipping
Ask for a printed receipt (or check the app). Korea doesn’t expect tips. Splitting is possible if the driver agrees but may depend on hardware/bank rules. VisitSeoul/VisitKorea confirm cash, cards, and often T-money are accepted. :contentReference[oaicite:27]{index=27}
Safety, etiquette & reporting
- Doors are manual; buckle up.
- Use official ranks (airport & city). Seoul and Incheon run crackdowns and a QR complaint channel for visitors.
- Report issues: Dasan 120 (+82-2-120), KTO 1330 (+82-2-1330), Incheon Airport 1577-2600. :contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}
3-minute checklist & price sense
- Late-night? Avoid 23:00–02:00 when surcharges peak at 40%.
- Airport? Compare International Taxi flat vs. meter.
- Apps? Install K-Ride; test your overseas card; set pay-to-driver fallback in Kakao T.
- Ballpark: 6–10 km daytime often ₩10,000–18,000, more with traffic/night—trust the app estimate. :contentReference[oaicite:29]{index=29}