KAIST is situated in the northwestern part of Daejeon. The city name comes from the Chinese characters 大 (dae) and 田 (jeon), which means “great field”. Daejeon is the fifth largest city in Korea with a population of approximately 1.5 million people living in an area of 540 km² (the total area of the Korean peninsula is 222,154 km²). Located in the center of Korea, Daejeon serves as a hub of transportation. Major expressways and railways connecting the country from the north to south converge in Daejeon. With this wonderful transportation network, it is possible to travel anywhere in the country in under half a day from Daejeon.

Public transportation is the most convenient and economic method of traveling around Daejeon. It costs about KRW 1,500 per ride. We recommend that you get a T-money card (RFID wireless transportation payment card) for discounts when transferring between public transportation options. The transfer discount only applies if you transfer within 30 minutes. For longer distances, look under “Quick Tips” (Chapter 10) for information on major train stations and express bus terminals.

Transportation Card (T-money Card)

The T-money card is economical and convenient. It can be used for public transport anywhere in Korea. Purchase, recharge, or reimburse your T-money card at the nearest convenience shop or subway station. Please note that you can also input the transportation card function in your Korean debit card.

Daejeon City Bus

Daejeon has many bus routes. In most cases, buses operate between 05:30~22:30. Three buses (5, 104, 121) stop near the main gate of KAIST, and one bus (604) stops near the east gate. For more information about bus routes and bus stops, please visit traffic.daejeon.go.kr.

Subway

The Daejeon city subway operates at 10~20 minute intervals. The subway operates between 5:30~23:32, and the base fare is KRW 1,400. The closest subway station to KAIST is Wolpyeong Station (20~30 minute walk). Note that there are shuttle buses from KAIST to Wolpyeong Station.

Taxi

• Hanbat S Call Taxi: 042-242-8000

Intercity & Express Buses

The terminal that is usually used by KAIST international students is the Dunsan Intercity Bus Terminal (Government Complex Daejeon), as you can travel to Incheon Airport and East Seoul. You can take bus #104 from KAIST main gate or bus #604 at KAIST east gate to get to the Government Complex Daejeon, or if you take a taxi, it will cost about KRW 5,000 from KAIST.

For detailed information about the bus schedules, reservations, and locations of the terminals please visit http://www.bustago.or.kr (Seoul) or https://www.busterminal.or.kr (Incheon Airport).

Traveling to other cities is relatively simple in Korea, as the intercity bus system is very well developed. Tickets can be purchased at the Daejeon Express Bus Terminal, where the bus departs for virtually every major city of Korea. There are two types of tickets (for standard and deluxe buses). Deluxe bus tickets are more expensive, but provide more comfort.

Train

There are four types of trains in Korea. The KTX is a high-speed train with comfortable seats and is the most expensive option. Next would be the SRT, which is relatively fast as well. Saemaeul-ho and Mugunghwa-ho are ordinary trains; thus, tickets are much cheaper but the transit time is about twice as long as the KTX. There are two train stations in Daejeon, namely Daejeon Train Station and Seodaejeon Train Station. Refer to the following directions to get to these stations.

For detailed information about the train schedules, reservations, and train routes, please visit http://www.korail.com.

Need to shop for fruit or gifts? There are several shopping malls and stores where you can shop for anything from apparel to food and much more.

Homeplus (supermarket)

E-Mart (supermarket)

E-Mart Traders (wholesaler)

Galleria Time World (Department Store)

Lotte Department Store

Eunhang-dong Shopping Street

Eunhang-dong is the downtown / main street shopping district of Daejeon where there are countless popular cafes, restaurants, clothing stores, and much more.

Jungangsijang (Traditional Market)

Hanbit Plaza (Eoeun-dong)

World Food Market (near Daejeon Station)

The World Food Market is one of the only stores within the Daejeon area that caters to international customers with a variety of international foods, ingredients and supplies, such as Halal, Kosher, and ingredients that are difficult to find in the standard Korean grocery markets.

Costco

Costco is a major wholesaler that caters towards a wide variety of customers. Based out of the U.S., many products here may be found for cheaper prices and offers a wider variety of goods.

If you walk out through the west gate and around the area nearby Hanbit Church and Gung-dong, you will be able to find many restaurants. Prices are reasonable and you can enjoy many traditional Korean foods and drinks there.
You can also find various international restaurants in the Daejeon area. Listed below are popular restaurants among KAIST international students.