Korea Express Bus Booking: KOBUS and Bustago for Foreigners

What to do

Book express buses on KOBUS (kobus.co.kr) and intercity buses on Bustago (bustago.or.kr) or its app. Tmoney, which runs KOBUS, announced that from August 2026 the site accepts foreign-issued cards without a membership. If online payment fails, buy at the terminal counter, where foreign cards have been accepted since 31 July 2024.

Korea has two long-distance bus networks. Express buses (gosok bus) run between big cities with few or no stops. Intercity buses (siwoe bus) reach smaller towns and often stop on the way. Each network has its own booking system, so check which type serves your route before you search.

	Express bus	Intercity bus
Booking site	KOBUS (kobus.co.kr)	Bustago (bustago.or.kr)
Apps	KOBUS app	Bustago app, InterCity Bus app
Help line	1644-9030	1644-2992
Walk-up	Card on board if seats are free	Terminal counter

Can I pay with a foreign credit card?

Yes, in most cases. The Korea Herald reported on 1 July 2026 that Tmoney would let foreign-issued cards pay on KOBUS from August 2026, with no sign-up needed. The same report said Tmoney planned to extend this to intercity buses in September 2026.

For intercity buses, the transport ministry said in July 2024 that two apps take foreign cards online: Bustago and InterCity Bus, an app made for foreign users. Business news outlet MTN reported on 7 October 2026 that the Bustago app now verifies overseas Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards inside the app, for both express and intercity tickets.

At the terminal, the ministry says every intercity bus terminal has taken foreign cards at the ticket counter since 31 July 2024. That makes the counter your fallback if a website rejects your card.

How do I book on KOBUS step by step?

1. Open kobus.co.kr. The home page has a language menu with English, Japanese and Chinese.
2. Choose your departure and arrival terminals, the date and the number of passengers.
3. Pick a departure time and a seat. Fares differ by bus class and departure, so read the price for your bus.
4. Pay by card.
5. Choose how to get the ticket.

KOBUS offers three ways to get your ticket. A mobile ticket in the app needs no printing. A home ticket can be printed yourself. You can also collect a paper ticket at the terminal counter, but you must bring the same credit card you paid with.

The KOBUS website stops selling seats on a same-day bus 1 hour before departure.

How do I book an intercity bus on Bustago?

Bustago is the shared booking service for intercity bus terminals around the country, run under the national federation of bus cooperatives. Use the website or the Bustago app to search terminals, see free seats and pay.

What does a KOBUS refund cost?

KOBUS refunds are free until two days before departure. The fee then depends on the day you travel, under rules KOBUS has applied since 1 May 2025.

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%
After departure, before arrival	60% (70% from 2027)	60% (70% from 2027)	60% (70% from 2027)
After arrival	100%	100%	100%

KOBUS says the fee after departure is 60% in 2026 and 70% from 2027. If you bought a ticket on the day of travel, you can cancel within 1 hour of buying it without a fee.

Changes are cheaper than refunds. KOBUS lets you change the time, number of seats or bus class once, free, up to 1 hour before departure. You cannot change the date.

Check the public holiday calendar before you book, because Seollal and Chuseok carry the highest fees and sell out first.

Can I just turn up and ride?

Yes, on express buses with free seats. KOBUS says you can tap a transit card or credit card when you board, as on a city bus. A T-money card works for this and for the subway ride to the terminal.

Walk-up only works if seats remain. On Friday evenings, Sundays and holiday weekends, book ahead.

Common mistakes

• Searching KOBUS for a town only intercity buses serve. If your route does not appear, try Bustago.
• Paying in the Tmoney GO app. The Korea Herald reported that it keeps accepting only Korean-issued cards.
• Leaving the booking card at the hotel. Counter pickup on KOBUS needs the card you paid with.
• Trying to move a KOBUS ticket to another day. Only time, seats and class can be changed, so cancel early and rebook.
• Waiting until the last hour to book on the KOBUS website. Use the counter instead.

When this does not apply

This page covers express and intercity buses between cities, not airport or city buses. For a long trip such as Seoul to Busan, compare the bus with the KTX, which you book on Korail. Bus rules change, so check KOBUS or Bustago before you travel.