Local Information

Travel Instructions

  • IBS
    • IBS, Main Entrance 1: The entrance pass can be picked up at the reception in the main lobby. You may need a photo ID to pick up the pass. Since the reception is located in the Building B (Theory Building) already, after passing through the security gate using the entrance pass, go straight until you see the elevator on the right, next to the cafeteria. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. The Discrete Mathematics Group is located on the left side of the elevator, right above the reception and the main entrance. The eduroam Wi-Fi is available. If you don’t have the eduroam account, please contact your host to get the guest Wi-Fi account.
    • IBS Guesthouse / Dormitory 2 You will need to find the key code in the email instruction in order to enter the building. There is no front desk or reception here. In the emergency, please go to the reception at the main building 1; the security guard will be there for 24 hours. Wi-Fi is available for free.
  • Hotels
    • Onoma Hotel (오노마호텔) 4, I-Hotel (아이호텔) 15, ICC Hotel (ICC호텔) 8, Lotte City Hotel (롯데시티호텔) 10, Gaon Residence Hotel (가온레지던스호텔) 19
  • Groceries: Open every day.
    • GS The Fresh 11 (9 am - 11 pm), Farmers 161 13 (9 am - 9 pm; Local produce, fruits, vegetables, etc.)
  • Post Office 21
  • Banks
    • Shinhan Bank (신한은행) 4 (9th Floor), Woori Bank (우리은행) 20
    • ATM of the Woori Bank is located in the 1st floor of the IBS Main Building 1.
  • Bakery: Sungsimdang 14 (Open at 8 am)
  • Cafe (having sandwiches for breakfast)
    • Sungsimdang Cafe (성심당 카페) 14 (2nd Floor): Open at 8 am. Brunch menu (Salad, Toast, Sandwich) is available from 8 am to 7 pm. Tea, Coffee.
    • Starbucks (스타벅스) 4 (38th Floor, open at 8 am), 7 (Open at 7:30 am / 8 am (Wed, Sat, Sun))
    • Paul Bassette (폴바셋) 4 (39th Floor). Open at 9 am.
    • Caffe Pascucci: Across the street from 8. Open at 8 am.
  • Restaurants
    • Shinsegae Department Store (신세계백화점) 3: B1F for food court, bakeries, grocery. 5th Floor for various restaurants (Korean, Chinese, Indian, Hong Kong, etc.) and another food court called the Hanbat Grand Food Hall (한밭대식당). Outback Stakehouse on 7th Floor.
    • Il Forno (일뽀르노) 4 (39th Floor, Italian, Self-service restaurant).
    • Lieto Firenze (리에또피렌체) 7 (2nd Floor, Italian).
    • Foodmaru 7 (Food Court. Closed on Monday)
    • Gyeongbokgung Kappo Jeju (경복궁갓포제주) 5 (2nd Floor, Korean).
    • Various Restaurants in hausD Street Mall 12 (1st Floor, 2nd Floor).
    • Udonya (우동야) 9. Japanese Udon. Run by Sungsimdang.
    • McDonald’s 22 (Opening Hours: 06:00-01:00)
    • Mannyeon-dong 24 (Various restaurants)
    • Restaurant Guide Book around Daejeon Convention Center (PDF File)
  • Sightseeing
  • Pharmacy
    • JEONG Pharmacy (정약국) 4. 4th Floor. Closed on Sunday. Open at 10am. Closed at 7:30pm on weekdays, 4:30pm on Saturday.
    • ON Pharmacy (온약국) 24.
  • Convenience Stores (open 24 hours)
    • Emart24 (이마트24) 6 5 (2nd Floor).
    • GS25 located between 11 and 12
    • CU 6 9
    • 7Eleven 12

Other information

No Tips in Korea

  • No tipping is necessary in Korea. It is not customary to tip at restaurants, hotels, taxi, or for services.

Breakfast

One of the best options for breakfast near IBS is the famous bakery Sungsimdang (성심당). It is conveniently located across the street from the Lotte City Hotel (롯데시티호텔) inside the Daejeon Convention Center (DCC). The bakery opens daily from 8 AM, making it a perfect spot for an early morning treat. It’s very close to IBS, so you won’t have to go far. Don’t be intimidated by the long queue at Sungsimdang; it’s often for a particular mango or strawberry cake. You can just walk in and buy any other bread without waiting in line.

On the second floor of the Daejeon Convention Center, there is also a brunch cafe (브런치카페) run by Sungsimdang. The brunch menus are available from 8am to 7pm. You need to enter the building and take the elevator to the second floor.

A closer option is Starbucks on the 38th floor of the EXPO tower, the building having the Shinsegae department store. It opens daily from 8am. You can buy a coffee and a sandwich there and enjoy the great view of Daejeon. It opens at 8am and closes at 10pm.

On the 39th floor of the same building, there is a cafe called Paul Bassett with a pizza restaurant called Il Forno. It opens at 9am and closes at 10pm.

IBS has a cafeteria which is open daily during weekdays. It is located on the 1st (ground) floor. You can buy a breakfast coupon KRW 3,000 at the machine by cash or credit card and replace it with a sandwich and a drink at the counter.

Convenience Stores

Convenience stores are are open 24 hours. You can buy snacks, drinks, and daily necessities there. They also have ATMs and you can buy and charge the transportation card. Here is a list of the most popular convenience stores in Korea:

  • CU (씨유), GS25 (지에스25), 7-Eleven, Mini Stop, Emart 24

SIM Card

  • If your smartphone supports an E-SIM, then it is best to buy an E-SIM online by installing an app. Airalo is highly recommended. They have a E-SIM covering 18 countires in Asia including Korea, that costs US $5 for 1GB data for 7 days or US $13 for 3 GB data for 30 days. Warning: The SIM card for Korea is more expensive than the SIM card for covering Asia.
  • If you need a physical SIM card, you can buy it at the Incheon airport. You can visit the bookstore in the Incheon airport (K-Books) or the convenience store (CU); they are specialized for international visitors.
  • In Daejeon, one can go to the KT Plaza Dunsan branch (KT플라자 둔산점) located near the E-Mart. The address is 51 Dunsanbuk-ro Seo-gu Daejeon. The store is open from 9am to 7pm on weekdays.

Maps on the smart phone

  • Neither Google Maps nor Apple Maps works well in Korea. Due to the national security law, they are not allowed to show the map of Korea in detail. Google Maps has a limited support for public transportation in Korea but it does not support walking or driving directions. Apple Maps does not support public transportation in Korea but has a walking or driving direction.
  • Instead, use Naver Map or Kakao Map produced by local companies. They are the most popular map apps in Korea.
  • Note that neither maps shows IBS on the top of their search results for IBS or “기초과학연구원”.

Taxi

Taxi in Korea are relatively cheap compared with other countries. You may expect to pay around In Daejeon, the basic charge is 4,300 KRW for the first 1.8km and then 100 KRW for every 132m. There is also an extra charge for time, 100 KRW for every 34 second. In the midnight from 11pm, there is the night charge, that is 20% higher than the day charge. The taxi fare is displayed on the taxi meter. You can pay by cash, credit card, or the public transportation card (T-money card). Most taxis accept credit cards.

Taxi drivers in Korea do not expect tips.

Taxi-hailing apps

Kakao Taxi is the most popular taxi-hailing app in Korea. You can use it to call a taxi. It is available in English. Unfortunately, some people find it difficult to use it without a Korean phone number.

  • k.ride: A new taxi-hailing app for international visitors made by the number 1 taxi-hailing app, Kakao Taxi. Android iOS (news)
  • Kakao Taxi: Android, iOS
  • Uber: Uber is also available in Korea.

Both Kakao Taxi and Uber have the same price, as the taxi service will be provided by the same regular taxi.

City Buses in Daejeon

  • From 2023, buses in Daejeon do not accept cash. You can pay by T-money card. You can buy such a transportation card at convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) or at subway stations.
    • There is a T-Money card dedicated for foreign tourists, called Korea Tour Card. It is available at the Incheon airport.
  • As of 2024, the bus fare for adults is 1,500 KRW. You can transfer to another buses or subways within 30 minutes for free, if you use the public transportation card.

Electricity

Korea uses 220V and 60Hz. The plug type is C or F. You may need a plug adapter and a voltage converter if your device does not support 220V.