Your KTX departure station is the station named on your ticket. If you haven't booked yet, search both Seoul Station and Yongsan Station for your date and destination, then choose an available train that fits your plans.
KTX is Korea's high-speed train. Seoul Station and Yongsan are separate places, so the word Seoul in a trip description is not enough to tell you where to board. Cheongnyangni is another station listed by the Korea Tourism Organization as a KTX departure point.
Before booking: compare the actual trains
Start on KORAIL's reservation site with your destination, intended travel date and passenger details. Select Seoul Station as the departure point and search. In the results, look for KTX, then note the departure time, arrival time, fare and seat availability for a journey you could take.
Next, change the KTX departure station to Yongsan Station. Keep the destination, date and passenger details the same. Compare the results with the first search. This gives you a more useful comparison than choosing a station first and assuming it has the service you need.
If you are travelling with someone, check availability for your whole party rather than comparing a single seat with a group booking. Look at the total shown for your selection as well as the departure time. A lower fare may matter less if the journey starts at an inconvenient hour.
Keep a note of the KTX departure station beside each promising result. A departure that suits your morning plans might appear in one search, while a better afternoon departure appears in the other. Compare those choices with the trip from your accommodation before deciding.
The KTX departure station is only one part of the decision. Check the arrival station and time too: those details determine where and when you will continue your trip. Before paying, review the fare and ticket conditions shown for the particular train and passengers you select.
Airport connection or subway access?
Seoul Station is a practical KTX departure station to search first if you plan to arrive on AREX, the airport railway. It also connects with Seoul subway Lines 1 and 4 and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line. Those connections make it useful to compare when you are coming from the airport or staying near one of those lines.
Yongsan Station connects with Seoul subway Line 1. If your accommodation is easier to reach from that line, a suitable Yongsan departure could be the better choice. The closest station to your hotel is not automatically the best option if its available train does not suit your destination or schedule.
Think about the whole transfer, including your bags. A route with a change between subway lines may be less comfortable than a direct trip, even when the train itself leaves at an appealing time. Look up your own route to each station and leave time to find the train area; the station connections alone do not establish your transfer time.
If you are coming straight from the airport, consider how much of the journey you want to make while carrying your luggage. A convenient rail connection to Seoul Station is useful only if a train from there also works for your destination. If the suitable service leaves from Yongsan instead, include the separate trip to that station in your plan.
Read your KTX departure station after booking
Open your ticket or booking confirmation and find the KTX departure station. Read it together with the travel date, destination and departure time. If you booked a return trip, check that you are looking at the outward journey rather than the train home.
For a group, make sure everyone has the details for the same journey before splitting up to reach the station. Save or keep the confirmation where you can find it, so you can show it to staff if you need help. Use the station name on it when planning your trip from the hotel or airport.
Once at the station, match the departure displays with the train details on your ticket to find the platform. If the display is difficult to understand, show the booking to station staff. If you want to use a different station from the one on the ticket, check with KORAIL first rather than assuming the booking works there.
A familiar place name can be misleading when you are looking at several parts of a journey. The station where you start a subway ride, for instance, is not necessarily the station where you board KTX. Keep the train's own departure details handy when you plan that first leg.
When a search does not give you a useful result
First, look at the search details you entered. A return date, a different destination or the wrong number of passengers can lead you to compare journeys that do not meet the same needs. Correct the details and search again with the station you intended.
If the time you wanted is not available, see whether another result fits your plans. A suitable departure may be earlier or later than you expected, so consider the time you need before and after the train ride. Compare both arrival and departure times rather than choosing on price alone.
If neither station gives you a workable result, Cheongnyangni is another station name to ask about. Its presence on the station list does not tell you which service will be available for your trip. A search with no results, by itself, does not explain why nothing appeared.
Ask at a ticket office
KORAIL's website and KORAIL+ app are among the ways to buy train tickets. Station ticket offices and ticket machines are alternatives if you prefer not to complete the booking online. Choose the option that lets you understand the journey details before paying.
At a counter, have your intended date, destination, number of passengers and preferred KTX departure station ready. If you have some flexibility, tell the staff the time range that would work for you. They can check the options for that journey; you can then decide whether the departure and arrival times fit your plans.
You can also explain which part of the search is stopping you. Perhaps the only result you can find arrives too late, or you are unsure which station name to select. Giving staff your travel details and constraints is more useful than asking for a train from Seoul without a date or destination.
For booking-window information, see the related KORAIL ticket guide in the links below.
Check again for your travel date
Train options, fares and available seats depend on the journey and date. Check the service and ticket conditions with KORAIL before paying or travelling. Last checked: November 5, 2026.