The South Korean government will offer express and intercity bus discount vouchers worth up to 9,000 won to improve transportation convenience for foreign tourists and boost visits to regional areas.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization will support discounts on nationwide bus ticket bookings for one month starting Tuesday, in partnership with travel platforms Hanpass and Klook. Hanpass and Klook are leading companies participating in the "Tourism Transportation Public-Private Council" operated by the two organizations.
The Korea Tourism Organization will provide a 5,000 won discount voucher that foreigners can use immediately when booking tickets, and Hanpass will additionally offer a 4,000 won discount of its own. Combining the two benefits, a discount of up to 9,000 won applies.
The number of foreign visitors using express buses is on the rise. According to statistics from the National Passenger Vehicle Terminal Operators Association, the number of foreign visitors using terminals has been steadily increasing since overseas card payments were introduced at express and intercity bus terminals in July 2024. In the first quarter of this year, foreign users numbered approximately 382,000, a 32.2% increase from the first quarter of last year (approximately 289,000).
"As the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea has been setting record highs from January to April this year, we will continue to improve transportation infrastructure and the environment so that foreign tourists can travel more conveniently across the country," said Kang Jung-won, head of the Tourism Policy Office at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Praise After Experiencing Korean Express Buses
There have been cases of foreign tourists leaving favorable reviews after actually using express buses. According to a report by Indian media outlet NDTV last year, a video of a Korean express bus experience shared on Instagram by Indian travel and food blogger Akanksha Monga surpassed 1 million views and drew attention.
In the video, she said, "I bought a bus ticket from a small city to Seoul, and it cost about 2,000 rupees (about 32,000 won)," adding, "At first I thought it was a bit expensive, but my mind changed as soon as I got inside the bus."
Akanksha said, "When boarding (the bus), you first have to scan a QR code," and after showing the bus interior, she marveled, "This is just a moving luxury hotel." She said, "I've heard of business class flights, but this is a business class bus."
She also showered praise on the services provided inside the bus. The bus she rode was equipped with a wireless phone charger, a personal TV screen that connects to one's own phone, reclining seats for comfortable lying down, soft side lighting, and curtains for privacy. Akanksha repeatedly emphasized, "Korea didn't just make a bus, they made a moving luxury capsule."
In her video description, she added, "I wish we had buses like this in our country too. Koreans are living in 2050, and this bus trip proved it," and "I recently rode a Korean express bus and still can't forget its luxuriousness." The bus Akanksha rode is presumed to be one of Korea's premium express buses. Premium buses, which are about 30% more expensive than first-class buses, are equipped with a table, lighting, and a USB port for phone charging at each seat.
