■ Inter-city Buses: There are four kinds of inter-city buses: the Udeong Gosok, which is the most comfortable and includes a public phone and a video; the Gosok express bus (cheaper long-distance); the Jikhaeng (first class local and direct route); and the Wanhaeng (round-about with frequent stops).

■ City Buses: During less hectic commuting hours, getting around on the local city bus can be interesting, quick and cheap. The drier usually turns up his radio, so everybody can listen to the local baseball game, a soap opera, or to the latest hits. Confucian ethics generally prevail on board the bus: students offer their seats to mothers toting babies and to the elderly, and out of mutual consideration, those seated relieve those standing of their schoolbooks and shopping bags. Smoking is prohibited.
Buses run frequently from 5am to around 11:45pm daily. The fare is W900 and can be paid in cash or by prepaid bus card. In addition to the regular city buses, there are “Seat Style Buses”, which follow similar routes but with fewer stoops and for a somewhat higher fare. These are designed for commuter use and generally make few stops downtown.

■ Subway: Roomy, inexpensive, color-coded, prominently signed in English and Hangeul (Korean language), Seoul’s subway system is the most convenient form of public transport for foreigners. There are eight lines, and the subway also hooks up with the Korean national Railway.
One-way tickets cost a basic W900, although you can buy stored value tickets for up to W10, 000. Trains run from 5am to midnight at three-minute intervals during rush hours, and six-minute intervals at other times. Smoking is prohibited on platforms as well as in the cars.

■ Taxis: Taxis are cheap and plentiful (except late at night, when they can be hard to find), fill in the gaps left by the bus and subway networks, and provide a handy alternative when you don’t feel like braving the crowds. Cabs scluster outside subway stations, shopping center, and hotels and in ranks in busy city areas. Most drivers do not speak English, however, they provide an interpreter if you request.
There are two types of taxi-regular and deluxe. Cabs may be hailed to the curbside and sometimes can be shared with other passengers bound in the same direction. This taxi-sharing system is called hapseung.

■ Car: Many foreign teachers decide to buy a vehicle. However, it is far from necessary. Public transportation is clean, cheap, quick, easy, and always available. You will notice pretty quickly that driving in Korea can be a little aggressive. If you do decide to join the multitude of vehicles on the road, be sure to consider your safety as your number one concern.
Even if you think you may just rent a car for the weekend for a road trip, you should be sure to get an international driver’s license. Otherwise, you cannot drive legally in South Korea. To obtain this license is quite easy, all you have to do is bring your license to be inspected and get a couple of photos taken. This is done at home before leaving. Contact your local license bureau to find out where you can apply near home.