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Voykit pocket guide · South Korea
Gwangmyeong
광명
Skip as a base: Gwangmyeong is a KTX stop and a half-day cave-and-market trip from Seoul, not a place to sleep unless you have an early train south.
Gwangmyeong is a satellite city of about 340,000 people on Seoul's southwestern edge, on subway Line 1 and Line 7 and on the KTX Gyeongbu line. Its one headline sight is Gwangmyeong Cave, a former mine turned exhibition space. Everything else is markets, parks and low hills. Most travellers pass through on the way to Seoul or Daejeon, or come out for half a day from the capital.
- Country
- South Korea
- Local name
- 광명
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, heavy rain), late Jan–Feb (cold)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- KRW
- Money
- Cards work almost everywhere, including taxis, convenience stores and many market stalls; carry ₩30,000–50,000 in cash for street food, small markets and temple donations.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₩45,000–70,000 excl. bed · Mid ₩70,000–120,000 excl. bed · High ₩120,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at airport arrivals; a passport is required, and data-only plans are cheapest.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Travel helpline (24 h, English) 1330
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 60 Hz · Round two-pin European plugs fit; US and UK plugs need an adapter, and US-only appliances need a converter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and cafés: No tip; a service charge appears only in top hotels.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Hotel porter: Not expected; ₩1,000–2,000 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not expected; ₩10,000–20,000 or a meal is a thank-you.
- Water
- Officially safe from the tap; most people drink filtered water, and restaurants serve it free. Bottles cost ₩800–1,500 at convenience stores.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in every subway station; paper goes in the toilet in new buildings, in the bin where a sign asks. Bidets are common.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a café | ₩4,000–6,000 |
| Tteokbokki or market snack | ₩3,000–9,500 |
| Pork barbecue for two | ₩18,000–35,000 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store | ₩4,000–7,000 / ₩2,000–3,500 |
| Taxi base fare (regular, daytime) | ₩4,800 |
| Subway ride | ₩1,400–1,700 |
| Cinema ticket | ₩6,000–12,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ICN · Incheon International
- AREX to Seoul then Line 1 or 7, or a direct bus; 1.5–2 h door to door
- GMP · Gimpo International
- Line 5/9 to Seoul then Line 1 or 7; about 1 h to Cheolsan
Typical fares
- Cheolsan → Seoul Station, Line 1
- about ₩1,400–1,700, about 1 h
- Taxi Cheolsan → Gwangmyeong KTX station
- ₩8,000–12,000, about 20 min
- KTX Gwangmyeong → Daejeon
- about ₩20,000–25,000, about 40 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Subway Line 1 (Gwangmyeong, Soha 2-dong) and Line 7 (Cheolsan, Gwangmyeong Sageori) cover the city; buses fill the gaps to the cave and the hills. Taxis are cheap for short hops. The KTX station at Iljik-dong is not on the subway: allow a bus or taxi transfer to Cheolsan.
See and do
Known for
- Gwangmyeong Cave
- KTX Gwangmyeong Station
- Gwangmyeong Traditional Market
- Gureumsan and Dodeoksan hills
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul | Line 1 from Gwangmyeong or Soha 2-dong, or Line 7 from Cheolsan | About 1 h to Seoul Station, 30 min to Express Bus Terminal |
| Suwon | Line 1 southbound, or KTX from Gwangmyeong station | About 1 h by subway, under 30 min by KTX |
| Incheon | Line 1 direct, or Line 7 to Bupyeong-gu Office | About 1 h 5 min |
| Anyang | Line 1 one or two stops south | About 15 min |
| Siheung | Bus or taxi west, or Line 4 via a transfer | About 40–60 min |
Sleep
- Cheolsan-dong
- City hall, Line 7, the densest cluster of restaurants and bars; the practical base if you must sleep here.
- Iljik-dong (KTX station)
- Chain and business hotels within a short walk of the KTX platforms; only useful for an early train.
- Soha-dong
- Quieter, near Gwangmyeong Cave and the Soha 2-dong Line 1 station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo |
| Thank you | 감사합니다gamsahamnida |
| This one, please | 이거 주세요igeo juseyo |
| How much is it? | 얼마예요?eolmayeyo |
| Can I pay by card? | 카드 돼요?kadeu dwaeyo |
| Where is the toilet? | 화장실이 어디예요?hwajangsiri eodiyeyo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A slight bow with a 'annyeonghaseyo'; handshake with the right hand, left hand touching the right forearm; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses with people you have just met
- Age and rank: Expect to be asked your age; it sets how people speak to you. Let the eldest sit and start first; avoid: Calling older people by their given name
- Handing things: Two hands for money, cards, gifts and drinks; avoid: Passing things with one hand to older people
- Subway: Quiet voices, bags off seats, queue at the marked lines; avoid: Priority and pink pregnancy seats, even when empty
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or a boxed gift; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Writing names in red ink — it is used for the dead
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees; bow at the main hall; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; loud talk; pointing at Buddha statues
- Numbers: Know that 4 is unlucky; buildings may show F instead of a fourth floor; avoid: Giving gifts in sets of four
- Sensitive topics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Comparing Korea with Japan or China casually; jokes about the North, the Japanese colonial era, or plastic surgery
Scams and watch-outs
- Gwangmyeong KTX station and the Line 1 station of the same name are different places: check which one your ticket means.
- Gwangmyeong Cave closes on Mondays and last entry is an hour before closing; buy the dated ticket before you travel out.
- The cave is a long uphill walk from the nearest bus stop: budget 15–20 min on foot or take a taxi.
- Subway last trains run around midnight; after that it is a taxi back to Seoul.
Very safe by day and night. The real risks are the cave's Monday closure, the two different Gwangmyeong stations, and unposted bar bills around Cheolsan: ask the total before you order.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gwangmyeong yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gwangmyeong Cave
- KTX Gwangmyeong Station
- Gwangmyeong Traditional Market
- Gureumsan and Dodeoksan hills
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Gwangmyeong, revision 5239416 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239416
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Gwangmyeong광명
이 주소로 가 주세요
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Gwangmyeong; all are in Seoul (check the address for yours).
Gwangmyeong uses Seoul's 02 area code, so local numbers look like Seoul numbers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gwangmyeong). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.