What KORAIL keeps when you return a train ticket depends on two things: the day you travel and when you cancel. Its standard-ticket refund table has two rows — Monday to Thursday is free until three hours before departure, while Friday to Sunday, public holidays and Seollal or Chuseok carry a 400 won minimum even two months out. From three hours before departure it is 5% on a weekday and 20% at weekends and holidays — four times as much. Twenty minutes after departure the rows meet at 40%, and after sixty minutes it is 70%. Enter the fare, day and timing to see the penalty, the refund and what waiting one more band would cost.
1. Monday to Thursday is free until 3 hours before departure — then 5%, and 15% up to 20 min after.
2. Friday to Sunday, holidays and festivals cost 400 won even two months out — 5% the day before, 10% on the day, 20% from 3 hours before, 30% up to 20 min after.
3. From 20 min after departure the rows are the same — 40% to 60 min, 70% to arrival. After departure you apply at a station counter.
Calculator
Updates as you type. Rates are KORAIL’s standard-ticket refund table as shown on its ticketing guide; the minimum penalty is 400 won. The penalty is fare × rate rounded down to the won (our sum) — the refund screen may round differently. Group tickets and natural-disaster refunds (50% with proof within a year) are not included. A ticket paid for but never issued is cancelled automatically at departure and charged the after-departure penalty.
The penalty table
| When you cancel | Mon–Thu | Fri–Sun, holidays, festivals |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months to 2 days before | Free | Minimum (400 won) |
| 1 day before | Free | 5% |
| Same day to 3 hours before | Free | 10% |
| 3 hours before to departure | 5% | 20% |
| Up to 20 min after departure | 15% | 30% |
| 20 to 60 min after | 40% | 40% |
| 60 min after to arrival | 70% | 70% |
KORAIL’s own table merges cells — the weekday “free” spans the first three columns and the 40% and 70% cells span both rows. The table above unpacks them (checked by zooming the page on 6 November 2026). The 400 won minimum is stated in one line under the group-ticket table on the same page. KORAIL files these penalties and surcharges in its terms with the transport minister (Railroad Business Act Art. 11 — read in full in cancelling a Chuseok train ticket).
Four sums — our examples (100,000 won fare)
| Example (ours) | Penalty | Note (our sum) |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday ticket cancelled a month ahead | 400 won | A Thursday ticket would be 0 |
| Holiday ticket cancelled on the morning of travel | 10,000 won | 20,000 once within 3 hours |
| Tuesday ticket cancelled 2 hours before | 5,000 won | A weekend ticket at the same time: 20,000 |
| At a station counter 30 minutes after departure | 40,000 won | Same on any day |
So if you may not travel, cancelling before the three-hour mark makes the biggest difference: at weekends and holidays the same-day 10% doubles to 20% from three hours before (our reading).
Checklist
- ☐ Is the travel day Friday to Sunday, a holiday or a festival?
- ☐ When is three hours before departure — cancel before then
- ☐ Any ticket paid for but not issued? (auto-cancelled at departure with the after-departure penalty)
- ☐ After departure: station counter (Korail+ KTX: app up to 10 minutes after)
- ☐ Missed it because of a typhoon or flood? 50% with proof within a year
Questions that remain
Is SRT the same?
The transport ministry said KTX and SRT run as KTX from 1 September 2026 and are sold through the Korail+ app (cancelling a Chuseok train ticket). This calculator uses only KORAIL’s standard-ticket table.
Is the penalty rounded?
The guide gives rates only, not rounding. The calculator rounds down to the won.
Sources
- Korea Railroad Corporation — ticket purchase, refund and loss guide (⚠️ a guidance page, not the terms themselves) — KORAIL guide (checked 6 November 2026). Standard-ticket refund penalties, 400 won minimum, booking from 07:00 two months before, station counter and Korail+ 10 minutes after departure, no refund after arrival, 50% for natural disasters, automatic cancellation.
- Not read. The passenger transport terms themselves, group tickets, separate rules for season tickets and discount products.
- Added by us. The example sums, the next-band figure and the notes column.
Where to check further
- The refund screen in Korail+ or on the website — the actual penalty is set by when you apply.
- The rail customer centre — contactless refunds for tickets bought at a station.
Written on 6 November 2026. The rates are KORAIL’s; the sums are ours.
