Gimpo International Airport (GMP) (김포공항) → IBS Guesthouse/Dormitory (기초과학연구원 생활관)

IBS Guesthouse/Dormitory (기초과학연구원 생활관)

IBS Guesthouse/Dormitory

Address: 55 Expo-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea

Due to the construction, one of the two roads to the IBS Guesthouse/Dormitory is currently closed. Follow the red path in the figure below. If you are using a taxi, please tell the driver to go to the IBS Guesthouse/Dormitory by using the red path. If you are walking, you can use the green path to reach the IBS Guesthouse/Dormitory from the north. Construction

Method 1 Use a subway to go to Seoul Station
Method 2 Use a bus to transfer to a KTX train at KTX Gwangmyeong Station
Local information

Method 1 Use a subway to go to Seoul Station

Step 1 @ Gimpo International Airport (GMP) (김포공항)

You can use the all-stop AREX (Airport Express) subway to go to Seoul Station from Gimpo International Airport. The Seoul Station is a major transportation hub in Seoul and you can take the KTX train to Daejeon from the Seoul Station.

All-stop trains take 22 minutes, cost KRW 1,600, leave roughly every 7 minutes, have seats like traditional subways, and ride until the last stop (Seoul Station). First train leaves at 5:43 AM and last train to the Seoul Station leaves at 00:16 AM. Since the platform is deep underground, you will need extra 10 minutes in both Gimpo and Seoul Stations.

Step 2 @ Seoul Station (서울역)

If you want to exchange currencies, Seoul Station has a few official current exchange offices, and the rates are much better than at the airport. Their sell-rate and buy-rate do not differ a lot.

From Seoul Station, you can take trains to Daejeon Station.


Automated bilingual ticketing machines	Staffed ticketing counter

Tickets for trains can be purchased by tellers at ticketing counters, by machine, or online at

As of 2023, it is possible to buy tickets online at above website by using foreign credit cards. For visitors from China, it is also possible to buy the train ticket on WeChat or AliPay.

The ticketing counter closest to the AREX entrance is smaller and typically has a smaller line than the ticketing counter close to the main street entrance. Ticketing machines are located in between the two sets of counters and are closer to the street entrance than the AREX entrance.

Many of the ticket machines are marked as “domestic credit card only”. If you want to pay by a foreign credit card, you should use the ticket counter or the other ticket machines.

Refund fees are not too big; it is at most 10% of the ticket price if you request the refund before the train leaves. If you miss the train, you can still get a refund at the ticket counter after paying the fee up to 15%, 40%, or 70% of the ticket price depending on how late you are. If you arrive at the train station too early, you can go to the ticket counter to exchange your ticket for an earlier train, as long as seats are available.

KTX Trains

The KTX is a high-speed train that travels at speeds of up to 305 km/h. KTX standard seats cost KRW 23,700 and first class seats costs KRW 33,200 and are sometimes discounted. Travel time is roughly one hour depending on the number of stops in route. Tickets do occasionally sell out but trains run every 10 to 20 minutes. Please see the website above for current timetables.

Often KTX tickets on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday evening are sold out. If you are traveling on these days, it is recommended to buy tickets in advance.

Some KTX trains are slower as they use a slower track to visit Suwon. If you are in a hurry, make sure to check the timetable and choose the train that does not stop at Suwon. Those KTX trains are cheaper.

Slower trains

There are slower trains that take two hours to travel to Daejeon.

Available train types: ITX, Mugunghwa (무궁화)

These trains are cheaper than the KTX, from KRW 10,800 (Mugunghwa) to KRW 16,000 (ITX).

Step 3 @ Daejeon Station (대전역)

Now, you are within 8km from the IBS Guesthouse/Dormitory.

It is recommended for you to take a taxi to IBS. The taxi fare should be around 11,000 KRW and it will take about 20 minutes.

Taxi

Here’s the instruction to give to the taxi driver. Often taxi drivers do not know IBS but all of them are familiar with the big department store next to the IBS — Shinsegae Department Store, the tallest building of Daejeon.

Message to the taxi driver

신세계백화점 옆 기초과학연구원 생활관으로 가주세요

Please go to the Institute for Basic Science Dormitory (IBS), next to the Shinsegae Department Store.

Subway + Taxi

Go out the front of the train-based Daejeon Station aboveground building and go underground into the subway-based Daejeon Station. Go down the escalator, make several lefts, go down another escalator, and use your transit card (T-money) or purchase a single use token. Walk 15 steps, turn left, go down the escalator, and go to the platform on your left. Trains come every 10 minutes or so. In fifteen minutes you’ll travel eight stations, exit at Government Complex, Daejeon Station (정부청사 pronounced Jeongbu Chongsa), and go out Exit 3 or 4 and hop into a taxi. The ride is about 7 minutes, which will cost around 6,500 KRW. However, it is currently not possible to turn left from the main east-west road directly into the IBS entrance. Drivers will either need to go near the Daejeon Convention Center and then do a U-turn, or turn right past Studio Cube and then approach IBS from the West gate.

Bus

Although time-consuming, it is possible to reach IBS by bus. Depending on traffic, the bus ride will take more than 1 hour and cost KRW 1,500 with T-money card. Once arriving at Daejeon Station, go out the front entrance (Exit 1) and walk until you reach the street. Turn right and walk another 60 meters until you reach a bus top. Ride bus 606 or 707 and exit the bus at the Shinsegae Department Store (신세계백화점). As the buses have different routes after crossing the river. Regardless of the bus, exit as soon as you go over the bridge and be prepared for a walk less than 900m.

Method 2 Use a bus to transfer to a KTX train at KTX Gwangmyeong Station

Step 1 @ Gimpo International Airport (GMP) (김포공항)

The bus number 6014 will bring you to KTX Gwangmyeong Station. It will take roughly 70 minutes. The last stop of the bus is KTX Gwangmyeong Station / Gwangmyeong Bus Terminal. It costs KRW 8,000. The bus runs every 30~60 minutes. The first bus departs at 4:56 AM and the last bus departs at 8:55 PM.

Please check the destination carefully. The bus number 6014 runs from KTX Gwangmyeong Station/Gwangmyeong Bus Terminal to Incheon International Airport. Thus, you should take the bus at the airport to go to the KTX Gwangmyeong Station.

Step 2 @ Gwangmyeong Station (광명역)

From KTX Gwangmyeong Station, you can take KTX trains to Daejeon Station. Tickets for trains can be purchased by tellers at ticketing counters, by machine, or online at

For visitors from China, it is also possible to buy the train ticket on WeChat or AliPay.

As of 2023, it is possible to buy tickets online at above website by using foreign credit cards.

The KTX is a high-speed train that travels at speeds of up to 305 km/h. KTX standard seats cost KRW 21,300 and first class seats costs KRW 29,700 and are sometimes discounted. Travel time is roughly 40 minutes depending on the number of stops in route. Tickets do occasionally sell out but trains run every 10 to 20 minutes. Please see the website above for current timetables. Train types other than KTX exist but take two hours to travel to Daejeon and do not run as often.