Take the same-ticket transit flight to Gimhae if your ticket allows it. Otherwise take AREX to Seoul Station and the KTX to Busan, which is about 4 to 4.5 hours by our sum. A direct express bus exists, and its timetable is not official. We read Asiana's transit flight notice, Incheon Airport's pages, VisitKorea and a bus timetable site on 12 October 2026.
The options at a glance
| Option | Time | Fare | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit flight to Gimhae | Flight time not confirmed. Minimum connection 70 to 90 minutes | Part of a single international ticket | One ticket from the US, no stop in Seoul |
| AREX plus KTX | About 4 to 4.5 hours, our sum | About ₩67,400: AREX express ₩13,000 plus KTX ₩54,400 | Anyone who cleared immigration at Incheon |
| Direct express bus | 4 h 41 min to 5 h 18 min, third-party timetable | ₩53,900 to ₩70,000 (third-party timetable) | A late arrival, or a low fare |
| Incheon to Gimpo, then fly | AREX 30 to 40 min, then about 55 min in the air | Not checked | A cheap fare only |
The transit flight to Gimhae
Booking: The Transit Exclusive Domestic Flight runs from Incheon to Busan and to Daegu for passengers connecting to an international flight. It is sold only on a single ticket with the international flight, and it cannot be bought for domestic travel alone (Asiana notice, 25 Jun 2025, read 12 Oct 2026)
Note: Coming from overseas, you transfer to the domestic flight at Incheon without immigration there, and clear immigration at Gimhae. Checked baggage goes through, and the international baggage allowance applies (same notice)
Note: Minimum connection time: 70 minutes, or 90 minutes from an Asiana international flight to KE1409 (Incheon to Busan) or KE1431 (Incheon to Daegu). The flights are operated by Korean Air (same notice)
Note: If you enter Korea at Incheon instead of a regional airport, you cannot board the Transit Exclusive Domestic Flight (same notice)
For the arrival at Busan, see our Gimhae guide. The notice is from June 2025, and we did not open Korean Air's own page, so check the flight number and time when you book.
AREX plus KTX
Getting there: AREX express to Seoul Station: 43 minutes from Terminal 1 and about 51 from Terminal 2, for ₩13,000 an adult (AREX express page, read 4 Nov 2026)
Getting there: KTX from Seoul Station to Busan: 2 h 37 min to 2 h 58 min for the first seven trains for 12 Oct 2026, in Korail's English search of 11 Oct 2026. The fare is ₩54,400 since 1 Sep 2026, down from ₩59,800 (Korail press release, 5 Aug 2026, read 4 Nov 2026)
Note: Our sum: 43 to 51 minutes, plus about 30 to 45 minutes to change and wait, plus 2 h 37 to 2 h 58 on the train, is about 4 to 4.5 hours. This is our estimate and not a timetable
Our Seoul to Busan guide says 2 h 15 min to 2 h 40 min on the KTX. Korail's own search on 11 October showed longer times for the first trains, so we use the search. You can also start from Suseo or Yongsan. Our station guide has the three stations.
The direct express bus
Getting there: Third-party timetable site, last modified 4 Oct 2026: Incheon Airport Terminal 1 stop to Busan Total Bus Terminal, 18 runs a day, first 05:50, last 23:50, 4 h 41 min or 5 h 18 min. Adult weekday fare ₩53,900 standard and ₩70,000 premium, with higher night fares (asamaru.net, read 12 Oct 2026)
Booking: Incheon Airport says the Terminal 1 booths sell bus tickets, and lists only a Gimhae contact, Samhwa Express Incheon Office, 032-438-2143. For intercity buses it points to the local government of each bus company (airport.kr, read 12 Oct 2026)
Busan Total Bus Terminal is at Nopo, at the north end of Line 1. Our Seoul to Busan guide says to add about 40 minutes to reach the centre.
| Detail | One source says | Another says | What we use |
|---|---|---|---|
| A direct bus to Busan | Third-party timetable, 4 Oct 2026: 18 runs a day from the Terminal 1 stop | Incheon Airport's page: only a Gimhae contact, no Busan route | Unconfirmed. Check the operator |
| KTX Seoul to Busan | Our Seoul to Busan guide: 2 h 15 min to 2 h 40 min | Korail search, 11 Oct 2026: 2 h 37 min to 2 h 58 min for the first seven trains | The Korail search, as a sample of early trains |
| KTX fare | Our older guides: about ₩60,000 | Korail press release, 5 Aug 2026: ₩54,400, down from ₩59,800, from 1 Sep 2026 | ₩54,400, Korail's figure |
| Transit flight connection time | Asiana notice, 25 Jun 2025: 70 minutes, 90 for Asiana arrivals | Not found on a second official page | The Asiana notice |
What is checked here and what is not
Checked on 12 October 2026: Asiana's notice of 25 June 2025 on transit-exclusive domestic flights, Incheon Airport's bus and Gimpo connection pages, VisitKorea's express bus page (updated 5 June 2026), and a third-party bus timetable page. The AREX, KTX and Gimpo flight figures come from our own guides, and the KTX sample from our station guide.
Re-checked on 4 November 2026, for the fares:
-
The AREX express page: ₩13,000 for an adult, 43 minutes from Terminal 1 and 51 from Terminal 2.
-
Korail's press release of 5 August 2026: the KTX fare from Seoul to Busan fell from ₩59,800 to ₩54,400 on 1 September 2026. The release does not name the seat class.
Not checked: Korean Air's own transit flight page, the flight time and today's schedule, the minimum connection time on a Korean Air ticket, any official fare for the bus, the KTX fare on Korail's live search (it showed a block for unusual activity on 4 November 2026), and whether a US card works on kobus.co.kr. We did not take any of these routes.
So, the train fares are Korail's and AREX's own figures, and the bus and flight details still need a check with the operator.
