Incheon

By air

ICN · Incheon International

AREX express train reaches Seoul Station in about 43 min; the all-stop line is cheaper and slower

Near the airport (Yeongjong Island)

For very early flights or long layovers; limited beyond the airport hotels.

Songdo

Modern waterfront district with parks, hotels and convention centres.

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

• Incheon airport has two terminals connected by a shuttle bus that takes about 15–20 min: confirm which one your airline uses before you plan a tight transfer.
• Chinatown and the nearby murals get very crowded on weekends and public holidays.
• Songdo and the port area are spread out and not very walkable between sights: budget time for buses or taxis.