Incheon Airport Terminal 2 (인천공항 제2터미널) → 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 Using the Airport Bus to go to Daejeon directly
- Step 1 @ Incheon Airport Terminal 2 (인천공항 제2터미널)
- Step 2 @ Daejeon Government Complex (대전청사) Bus Stop
Method 2 Using trains via Seoul station
Method 3 Tranfer from a bus to a KTX train at KTX Gwangmyeong Station
Local information

Method 1 Using the Airport Bus to go to Daejeon directly

Step 1 @ Incheon Airport Terminal 2 (인천공항 제2터미널)

For most visitors, this is the most recommended method to visit IBS. From the Incheon Airport, you can take the airport bus to the Daejeon Government Complex. The bus will take you directly. The bus ride will take roughly 3 hours.

Arrivals are on the first floor and most of the transportation options are in the Transit Center Basement 1. Buy your bus ticket at the kiosks or manned ticket office for Daejeon Government Complex (대전청사) Bus Stop. Pass the rail options (AREX) and your bus is located to the left at platform 5. There is seating near the platforms and you can recharge your phone or other electronics at one of the outlets. Your bus departure time and seat number will be on the ticket. The first bus leaves at 6:00 AM and the last bus leaves at 23:00.

Bus Schedule (as of May 2024)

Departure	Arrival	Class	Fare for an Adult (KRW)
출발	도착	등급	요금(어른)
06:00	09:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
06:20	09:26	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
06:30	09:36	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
06:40	09:46	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
07:00	10:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
07:20	10:26	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
07:40	10:46	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
08:00	11:06	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
08:20	11:26	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
08:40	11:46	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
09:00	12:06	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
09:20	12:26	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
09:30	12:36	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
09:40	12:46	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
09:50	12:56	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
10:10	13:16	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
10:20	13:26	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
10:30	13:36	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
10:50	13:56	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
11:00	14:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
11:10	14:16	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
11:30	14:36	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
11:50	14:56	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
12:10	15:16	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
12:30	15:36	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
12:50	15:56	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
13:20	16:26	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
13:30	16:36	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
13:40	16:46	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
14:00	17:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
14:20	17:26	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
14:40	17:46	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
15:00	18:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
15:20	18:26	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
15:40	18:46	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
16:00	19:06	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
16:20	19:26	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
16:40	19:46	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
16:50	19:56	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
17:00	20:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
17:20	20:26	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
17:40	20:46	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
18:00	21:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
18:20	21:26	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
18:30	21:36	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
18:40	21:46	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
19:00	22:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
19:20	22:26	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
19:40	22:46	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
20:00	23:06	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
20:20	23:26	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
20:30	23:36	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
20:50	23:56	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
21:10	24:16	Deluxe (우등)	26,100
21:30	24:36	Premium (프리미엄)	34,000
22:00	01:06	Deluxe (우등)	28,700
22:30	01:36	Deluxe (우등)	28,700
23:00	02:06	Deluxe (우등)	28,700

The prices are the same for all four stops in Daejeon (North Daejeon, Daedeok Culture Center (Doryong), Government Complex, and Daejeon Bus Terminal). Although the Daedeok Culture Center is also close to IBS, there are not many taxis waiting at the stop. If you don’t mind walking with luggages, then it is possible to get off at the Daedeok Culture Center (Doryong) stop and walk for 30 minutes to IBS. Otherwise it is difficult to get a taxi at this location and we recommend the Government Complex stop.

flowchart TD;
subgraph ICN["Incheon Airport"]
direction LR
    icn2["Terminal 2"]  
    --20 min. -->icn1["Terminal 1"]
end
subgraph Daejeon
direction LR
    nd["North 
    Daejeon
    북대전"]
    --> doryong["Daedeok Culture Center
     (Doryong)
    대덕문화센터(도룡)"]
    --5 min.--> gov["Daejeon 
    Government Complex
    대전청사"]
    --> dt["Daejeon 
    Bus Terminal
    대전복합터미널"]
end

ICN == 2 hours 35 min.==>Daejeon


Bus Ticket Kiosks	Bujs Ticket Office

Doors to bus platforms	Bus platform 5

Price: KRW 26,100 for deluxe and KRW 34,000 for premium. Night buses (after 10pm) are 10% more expensive.
Schedule: Earlist at 06:00. Last at 23:00.
Online booking at https://intercitybuse.tmoney.co.kr/ : You can check the time schedule and the current availability of the seats. But it is not yet clear whether it accepts a credit card issued by foreign banks – please let us know if it works.
- Departure: IncheonAirportT2
- Destination: DaejeonGovComplex

Daejeon Government Complex (대전청사) Bus Stop

Other than a very small sign, there is no written signage and this bus stop doesn’t appear on many maps. Don’t let that stop you as many people get off buses here; so many that there is always a queue of taxis waiting to pick up passengers.

Step 2 @ Daejeon Government Complex (대전청사) Bus Stop

Now, you are within 3km from the IBS Guesthouse/Dormitory.

After you arrive at the Government Complex Bus Stop, there should be taxis waiting for you. It is recommended for you to take a taxi to IBS. The taxi fare should be around 6,000 KRW and it should take less than 10 minutes.

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.

Method 2 Using trains via Seoul station

Step 1 @ Incheon Airport Terminal 2 (인천공항 제2터미널)

If you prefer to take the train, you can take an AREX (Airport Railroad Express) train at Incheon International Airport Station across the street from Terminal 1. All stop AREX trains are to the east (your left) and non-stop express AREX trains are to the west (your right).

Non-stop express trains take 51 minutes, cost KRW 11,000, leave roughly every 40 minutes, have seats like traditional trains, and will take you directly to Seoul Station. Often, you can preorder tickets at the discount price of KRW 8,700 or less at various websites, such as Klook. The earliest train leaves at 5:15 AM and the last train leaves at 10:40 PM. Typically there are plenty of seats available all the time.

All-stop trains take 66 minutes, cost KRW 4,950 including a refundable KRW 500 for a single journey ticket, leave roughly every 7 minutes, have seats like traditional subways, and ride until the last stop (Seoul Station). First train leaves at 5:24 AM and last train to the Seoul Station leaves at 11:32 PM.

Instead of a single journey ticket, you can buy a transportation card called the T-money card at the airport and use it for the all-stop AREX train and other public transportation in Korea. Some people reported that you need Korean cash to buy the T-money card.

Timetables and updated information are available at www.arex.or.kr.

After arriving at Seoul Station, follow the crowds up 1 small escalator, 1 long escalator, scan your transit card, if you have a single journey ticket then refund it in the separate refund machine, 2 more escalators, and now you are in the center of Seoul Station.

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

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 3 Tranfer from a bus to a KTX train at KTX Gwangmyeong Station

Step 1 @ Incheon Airport Terminal 2 (인천공항 제2터미널)

The KTX Gwangmyeong Station is located in Gwangmyeong, a city in the Gyeonggi Province. The KTX Gwangmyeong Station is roughly 50 km away from the Incheon Airport.

You can use a bus number 6770 or 6004 to go to the KTX Gwangmyeong Station (KTX광명역) from Incheon International Airport. Arrivals are on the first floor and most of the transportation options are in the Transit Center Basement 1. Buy your bus ticket at the kiosks or manned ticket office for KTX Gwangmyeong Station (KTX광명역). You can also use the T-Money Card to pay for the bus fare in the bus.

Bus Number 6770

Bus#6770 Timetable: 6:00, 6:20, 6:50, 7:10, 7:30, 7:50, 8:20, 8:40, 9:10, 9:40, 10:10, 10:40, 11:00, 11:20, 11:40, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:20, 15:40, 16:00, 16:20, 16:40, 17:00, 17:20, 17:40, 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, 19:20, 19:40, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:20, 21:40, 22:00, 22:30
Price: KRW 16,000
Platform: Platform 45

KTX Gwangmyeong Station is the last and essentially the only stop of this bus after the Incheon Airport.

Bus Number 6004

Bus#6004 Timetable: 6:50, 7:25, 6:50, 7:25, 8:05, 8:45, 9:15, 9:50, 10:20, 10:50, 11:15, 11:50, 12:20, 12:50, 13:30, 14:10, 14:45, 15:20, 15:55, 16:25, 17:00, 17:35, 18:10, 18:35, 19:05, 19:35, 20:05, 20:40, 21:10, 21:45, 22:15, 22:45
Price: KRW 17,000
Platform: Platform 26

KTX Gwangmyeong Station is the first stop of this bus departing from the Incheon Airport Terminal 1. The bus will continue after KTX Gwangmyeong Station; the last stop of this bus is Gasan Digital Complex 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.

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.

You can also take a KTX train to Seodaejeon Station (서대전역), another KTX train station in Daejeon. The travel time is roughly same and you can take a taxi from Seodaejeon Station to your final destinations. Often Seodaejeon Station has more available tickets than Daejeon Station.

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

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

Bus

Local information

Local Information