New Bus Line for Night Owls
Even though public transportation is pretty accessible in Korea, it is necessary to take a taxi back home after a night out, especially on fire Friday ´Bulgeum´ (불금)! Buses stop running between midnight and 5 am, which makes it a little difficult for night owls. I remember staying up at a Burger king once because it was 3 am in the morning on a Friday night and it seemed almost impossible to find a taxi that would take me home. I had to wait for a few hours until I could catch subway back home.
Don’t worry too much though. Now, you no longer have to hassle with the taxi drivers because the new night bus line is here in Seoul! The night bus line had been on a trial period for about 3 months. Apparently, 2.2 million people used it and majority of people wanted the bus line to be expanded. As a result, it led the city of Seoul to add 7 more bus lines. Total of 9 night bus lines are in operation. Hooray!
The original bus lines are N26 and N37, and the new bus lines are N13, N16, N61, N62, N10, N30, and N40. It is probably easier and much straight-forward to look at the map and figure out what bus line may be useful to you. The bus lines are mainly going to be focused on areas where there are normally big crowds of people at night such as Hongdae, Jongno, Dongdaemoon, Gangnam, etc.
Don’t be afraid to take this bus if you are worried about the price because it will only be 1,850 won with a card. You can also transfer in main locations such as Seoul Station, Dongdaemoon, Jongno, Gangnam, etc. So, if you live in one of those main areas, it is more likely that you can pretty much take any bus that goes through the main stops.
You can also check the arrival time and detailed information on internet or through an app in real time though I do not think it is accessible in English. Perhaps you may find it useful just looking at the map. Party it up!