Seoul · Transport

How do I get my Seoul subway single-journey card deposit back?

Works · Official source

Seoul's guide says to return the single-journey card to a deposit-refund machine after the trip to recover KRW 500. This is the card deposit, separate from the fare.

Confirmed
  • Returning the single-journey card — Works
What to do

Keep the single-journey card until you have finished the subway trip.

Not confirmed
  • Your refund transaction

Last verified

On this page

What does the evidence cover?

The official guide describes the refund procedure; a particular machine's operation has not been tested.

  • [S221] Official source (EN) · Observed: Not confirmed · Checked:
Action or conditionVerdictEvidence
Returning the single-journey card

The guide links the KRW 500 deposit refund to inserting the used card into the refund machine after arrival.

 Works · Official source
  • [S221] Official source (EN) · Observed: Not confirmed · Checked:
Your refund transaction

No machine or refund transaction was tested.

 Not confirmed
  • [S221] Official source (EN) · Observed: Not confirmed · Checked:

What should I check next?

  1. Keep the single-journey card until you have finished the subway trip.

    • [S221] Official source (EN) · Observed: Not confirmed · Checked:

  2. At your destination, insert the card into a deposit-refund machine as described in the city guide.

    • [S221] Official source (EN) · Observed: Not confirmed · Checked:

What are the limits and unknowns?

  • This procedure concerns a subway single-journey card deposit, not a stored-value balance or a fare refund.
  • Machine availability, faults and replacement-card cases have not been checked.

Also listed in Transport.

Sources

Official source: Confirmed in an official document or on an official site. Observed is the date the source itself gives for the notice, event or test (Reported, for a report by travellers). Checked is the date we read it. “Not confirmed” after Observed means the source gives no date, and we don’t guess one.

  • [S221] Official source (EN) english.seoul.go.kr Observed: Not confirmed · Checked:

    Read source [S221]

    Details

    Seoul's transport guide describes returning a single-journey subway card to a deposit-refund machine after the trip to recover KRW 500.

    Checked against the official page on 2026-10-20. No visit or booking was made.

Dates and changes

Last verified

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