SUBWAY:

Seoul has a modern and efficient system of public transportation that includes both subway trains and buses. Seoul has eight major subway lines that run all throughout the city and even go into the suburbs and surrounding areas.   It is a great system, the trains come about every 5 minutes and are clean.  If you're unused to subways you may find it a little daunting, but don't get worried - it's actually very easy.  As an added convenience, the signs are in both Korean and English.  If you plan to ride on the subway, there are several things to keep in mind:

 1.  It is very popular because it avoids the traffic of automobiles.  The trains themselves will be pretty packed during peak hours.

2.  (2008) Fares now vary much more than they used to. It is useful to ask at the counter, stating your destination. There are ticket machines but you need to spend a while familiarising your self with them before trying.  There is a ticket called "T money" that you can top up; it's also valid on buses..

3.  The easiest thing to do is to pick up a subway map at the tourist offices and look it over before trying to embark on your journey.  Beware of very poor signage at the stations.  There are virtually no subway maps, and the few you will find are very small, posted about eight feet high, mostly in Korean, with lettering too small to read.  The other map, located only by the tracks, is the general plan of the whole area, too small to read and figure out.  Best to pick up a printed paper map at the subway booth or at the tourist offices.  Transfer stations are indicated by little swirly icons.

 4.  The subway lines are color coded, and it can be difficult to see the difference between the "navy blue" line, the "blue line", and the "purple line", as they all look very similar.  The lines are also numbered but these numbers are only prominent on the tourist maps and are not always labeled on the maps in the subway.  If you cannot find an english speaking ticket agent, you can usually get help from other subway riders.  

5.  One thing that was well indicated were the neighborhood maps.  Use them to pick the right exit for where you are going, or you will waste hours of time.  There are also very few escalators, so don't take heavy luggage on the subway a taxi is a much better option.   And they are in need of a few more lines, as some places which may not seem too far, may require 3 connections, and take a very long time to get a short distance, especially going to the COEX mall area. 

BUSSES:

As of 2004, Seoul has had a new bus system. Now you can easily locate the routes that you want to travel based on a color coded system, which is easy to figure out because the maps and routes are also translated in English. The colors are Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow. Costs can vary from 800-14,000 won, depending on the line and how far you are traveling.