KTX tickets now open 2 months ahead at 7 a.m.: the new booking window and how to catch returns
Accurate as of October 24, 2026. Seollal and Chuseok holiday periods can follow separate schedules, so check Korail's notices.
Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korail extended the rail booking window from one month to two months before departure on October 1, 2026. The aim is to help foreign visitors, who usually book flights about two months out but could only buy train tickets a month ahead. For residents, it means planning year-end trips earlier.
When booking opens
- Opening: 7 a.m., two months before the departure date
- Example: trains departing December 31 can be booked from 7 a.m. on October 31.
- Holidays: Seollal and Chuseok special periods may have separate schedules; see Seollal 2027 train tickets.
As of today (October 24), trains up to December 24 are open, and one more day opens each morning. If you're after Christmas or year-end trains, note 7 a.m. exactly two months before your date.
Hitting 7:00 exactly
Popular trains drop fast the moment booking opens, and it opens on Korail's server clock. Use Chochim's Korail server time and click 0.1–0.3 seconds after the hour. Check you're signed in on the app or web beforehand.
Changes for foreign travellers
The ministry says the foreigner booking page will grow from 7 to 10 languages by year-end with French, German and Mongolian, and that it is developing support for global mobile payments such as WeChat Pay and Alipay alongside overseas credit cards. About 6.69 million foreigners rode Korean trains from January to August 2026, up 68% from a year earlier.
Refund fees
A longer window means more plans change. Korail's refund rules as summarized by KB Kookmin Bank's KB Think (based on the ticket amount; the day is the train's departure day):
| When you refund | Mon–Thu | Fri–Sun, public holidays, festivals |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 2 days before | Free | From 400 won |
| 1 day before | Free | 5% |
| Departure day, up to 3 hours before | Free | 10% |
| From 3 hours before to departure | 5% | 20% |
| Up to 20 min after departure | 15% | 30% |
| 20–60 min after | 40% | 40% |
| 60 min after to arrival time | 70% | 70% |
No refunds after the scheduled arrival time. Changing to another train on the same route is free up to 30 minutes before the original departure, within 7 days either side of the original date. Check the exact terms on the booking screen.
When returned tickets appear
- Two days before Friday–Sunday trains, just before fees start.
- Three hours before departure, before the next fee step.
- If your train is sold out, join the waitlist; returned seats are assigned in order.