Bustago (bustago.or.kr): Book Korea Intercity Bus Tickets

What is Bustago and when do you need it?

Bustago (bustago.or.kr) is the national booking service for intercity buses (siwoe bus) in Korea. You need it when your bus stops in smaller towns on the way, not when you ride a non-stop express bus between big cities.

The system runs under the national federation of bus cooperatives and is operated by EZL (eB Card). Bustago lets you reserve online or on a smartphone and print a ticket at home without queuing at the terminal.

Express buses (gosok bus) use a different system, KOBUS. If your route is a big-city pair such as Seoul to Busan, read the KOBUS express bus guide as well.

	Intercity bus	Express bus
Booking site	Bustago (bustago.or.kr)	KOBUS (kobus.co.kr)
Route style	Stops in towns on the way	Few or no stops

Is the Bustago website in English?

Yes. The Bustago website has English, Japanese and Chinese versions next to Korean.

The English site covers search, reservation, a booking list and a cancellation fee page. One warning: the English fee page shows a different table, so check the Korean fee page (or the table below) for current rates.

Can I pay with a foreign card on Bustago?

Yes, in the app. The transport ministry said in July 2024 that two apps accept foreign cards for intercity buses: Bustago, which works for both local and foreign users, and InterCity Bus, a Tmoney app made only for foreigners. The ministry added that from 16 August 2024 either app would show every intercity route and take a foreign card.

Business news outlet MTN reported on 7 October 2026 that the Bustago app added card authentication (3D Secure) for overseas Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards. That report covers both express and intercity tickets inside the app.

At the terminal, the ministry says every intercity terminal has accepted foreign cards at the ticket counter since 31 July 2024. That counter is your fallback.

How do I book on Bustago step by step?

After you pay by card, confirm the booking in the “View, modify or cancel tickets” menu. Bustago warns that a browser error can hide whether a reservation succeeded, even after the card was charged.

If you booked without an account, Bustago says the menu asks for the card number you paid with, or your date of birth and phone number.

How do I collect a Bustago ticket?

Bring the card you paid with. Bustago says you can show it at a staffed ticket window or insert it into the automatic reservation ticket machine at the terminal.

If that card is lost, Bustago says a staffed window can issue the ticket using your date of birth and phone number. A reserved ticket cannot be issued once your bus has left, so arrive early. VisitKorea says boarding usually starts 5 to 10 minutes before departure.

What does a Bustago refund cost?

Bustago refunds are free until 2 days before departure, and any booking cancelled within 1 hour of making it is also free if the bus has not left yet. After that the fee depends on the day you travel.

When you cancel	Mon to Thu	Fri to Sun and holidays	Seollal and Chuseok
2 or more days before	No fee	No fee	No fee
1 day before to 3 hours before	5%	7.5%	10%
Under 3 hours before departure	10%	15%	20%
Up to 1 hour after departure	40%	40%	40%
1 to 4 hours after departure	60%	60%	60%
4 or more hours after departure	100%	100%	100%

The 60% rate applies from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027, and Bustago says it rises to 70% from 1 May 2027. The holiday rate covers two days before Seollal or Chuseok, the day before, the day itself and the day after. Bustago rounds fees down to the nearest ₩100.

Card refunds can take time. Bustago says reversing a card payment may take up to 7 days, depending on your card company.

What goes wrong for visitors, and how do you fix it?

The website keeps refusing your card. The ministry named the apps, not the website, as the place to pay with a foreign card, and the Bustago app added an overseas card check in October 2026. Switch to the app rather than retrying the browser. If the app also fails, go to the terminal counter, which has taken foreign cards since 31 July 2024, as long as seats remain.

Your route does not appear. A missing route usually means the bus is an express service, so search KOBUS instead. In Seoul, VisitKorea lists Seoul Nambu Terminal as intercity only and Dong Seoul Terminal as both types, so check the terminal name before you ride the subway there.

The machine will not print your ticket. The kiosk needs the same physical card you paid with. Use a staffed window, where your date of birth and phone number can stand in for a lost card.

You missed the bus and assumed the booking would cancel itself. A booking you neither collect nor cancel is not refunded automatically. Bustago treats a booking that was neither issued as a ticket nor cancelled by the departure time as a 100% no-show, so cancel before the bus departs.

The refund rate you read was different. The English fee page shows a different table. The table above comes from the Korean page, which lists separate weekend and holiday rates.

When this does not apply

Bustago covers intercity buses only, not airport limousines or city buses. For long trips, also compare the KTX (see Seoul to Busan) and check the holiday calendar before booking around Seollal or Chuseok. Rules change, so check bustago.or.kr before you travel.