A view of the platform at Seoul Station. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 21 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s railway network is witnessing a major surge in foreign ridership, with nearly 3 million international travelers using high-speed and conventional trains in the first half of 2025 — nearly double the number from two years ago.
According to data from KORAIL and SR, operator of the Suseo High-Speed Rail (SRT), a total of 2.84 million foreign passengers used Korean trains between January and June, representing 3.3% of the country’s total 85 million rail passengers during the period. That marks a 13.3% increase year-on-year, and a 98.8% jump compared to the same period in 2023.
Tourism data from the Korea Tourism Organization further underscores the trend: among the 6.28 million foreign visitors to Korea between January and May, roughly one in three used rail transport.
KORAIL’s services — including KTX and ITX-Saemaeul — accounted for 2.79 million foreign passengers, while SR’s SRT trains drew 47,000 foreign riders. KORAIL trains saw 3.9% of passengers identified as foreign, compared to just 0.37% for SRT, a gap attributed to easier access to Seoul Station via airport rail from Incheon and Gimpo, unlike SRT’s terminal at Suseo.
The growth reflects a strong post-pandemic tourism rebound and the rail operators’ aggressive efforts to cater to foreign travelers. KORAIL has implemented foreigner-exclusive ticket counters, AI-powered multilingual translation services in 13 languages, and a fully revamped multilingual booking platform, enabling seamless access to seat selection, baggage delivery, and car rental services.
In a KORAIL survey of 301 foreign travelers conducted in May at Seoul and Busan stations, 96.7% expressed intent to use KORAIL again, while 97% said they would recommend it to others.
SR, meanwhile, introduced a multilingual mobile ticketing system in May, offering services in English, Chinese, and Japanese to enhance accessibility for foreign visitors.
If the current pace continues through the second half, total foreign railway ridership in 2025 is expected to exceed 6 million, surpassing last year’s total of 5.61 million and 2023’s 3.49 million.
“We are committed to expanding global and digital-friendly services to ensure seamless rail experiences for international travelers,” said a KORAIL official.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
