KB News Desk
Foreign tourists will soon be able to book express and intercity bus tickets online using foreign-issued cards, a change expected to ease one of the long-running travel inconveniences for visitors trying to reach destinations outside Seoul.
Kobus, the integrated express bus reservation website operated by Tmoney, will accept foreign card payments starting in August, Chosun Biz reported Wednesday.
The service will allow users to purchase express bus tickets with foreign-issued cards without signing up for membership.
A similar option for intercity bus reservations is being prepared with the aim of launching in September, Tmoney said.
The change comes after foreign tourists have long complained of difficulties booking bus tickets online in Korea.
While train tickets can be purchased online with foreign-issued cards, bus ticket purchases have remained more limited. As a result, many foreign visitors have had to rely on third-party booking platforms or buy tickets in person at bus terminals.
Bus ticketing has been cited as one of the main inconveniences faced by foreign tourists in Korea. The Korea Tourism Organization received 84 bus-related complaints in 2025.
The difficulty of booking bus tickets has also been seen as a barrier to foreign tourists traveling beyond the capital area.
Buses are often essential for reaching smaller cities and areas not directly served by the railway network. But the lack of foreign card payment options has limited access for tourists who rely on online reservations.
Foreign tourists’ travel destinations also remain heavily concentrated in the greater Seoul area.
Based on mobile carrier data analyzed by the Korea Tourism Organization, Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province accounted for 56.9 percent of areas visited by foreign tourists over the past year from June 2025 to May 2026.
By contrast, Gwangju accounted for only 0.6 percent, Daejeon 0.7 percent, Daegu 1.2 percent and North Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces, 1.7 percent each.
Tmoney said, however, that its integrated transportation app Tmoney Go will continue to accept only Korean-issued cards..
