Seoul to Jeju Island: Flights, Airports, ID Rules and Getting Around Jeju

Short answer: Fly from Gimpo Airport (GMP), not Incheon. Gimpo–Jeju is Korea’s main domestic route, and scheduled flights on the Jeju Airport timetable take about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 25 minutes gate to gate. Bring your original passport for the ID check, and keep power banks in your carry-on. In Jeju, take limousine bus 600 from Gate 5 for Jungmun and Seogwipo, a regular or express bus from the stop next to Gate 2, or a taxi from the stand opposite Gate 3. You can rent a car only with a Geneva- or Vienna-Convention International Driving Permit plus your passport.

Basis date: checked against the Korea Airports Corporation (Jeju and Gimpo), Incheon International Airport, VISITKOREA, Visit Jeju, the Jeju bus information system and the Korea Road Traffic Authority on 15 October 2026. Timetables, fares and rental rules change, and the winter flight schedule starts in late October, so check your exact trip on the official pages before you go.

Seoul to Jeju at a glance

1. Gimpo or Incheon: which airport to use

For almost every visitor, the answer is Gimpo. VISITKOREA lists ten airlines on domestic routes, and most of them fly Gimpo–Jeju, from Korean Air and Asiana to low-cost carriers such as Jeju Air and Jin Air.

Incheon is different. Incheon Airport describes its domestic connections as transit exclusive domestic flights: they are for passengers transferring from an international flight, who go through transfer security and do not leave the arrival hall. Jeju Airport’s October 2026 timetable showed only a single Incheon–Jeju flight in each direction. If your long-haul ticket includes a Jeju connection, follow the transfer signs at Incheon. If not, go to Gimpo.

Landing at Incheon and flying on to Jeju from Gimpo on the same day? Read Incheon to Gimpo Airport transfer. From central Seoul, use the routes in Gimpo Airport to Seoul in reverse.

2. ID, check-in and power banks

Our full guide, Flying Domestic from Gimpo, covers this in detail. The short version:

• ID: Gimpo Airport’s FAQ lists the passport first among valid IDs for foreign passengers aged 19 or older. Carry the original, and make sure the name matches your booking.
• Check-in: domestic check-in generally closes 30 minutes before departure, but each airline sets its own cutoff.
• Power banks and baggage: power banks go in your carry-on, not checked bags. Check your airline’s baggage and restricted-items pages for size and battery limits.

3. When to book

There is no official “best” booking date. What the official sources do say is that demand peaks at certain times. Visit Jeju names summer and the two big holidays, Lunar New Year (January or February) and Chuseok (September or October), as high seasons, and advises booking rental cars well ahead because they can sell out.

Our suggestion: for those periods and weekends, book flights and any rental car as soon as your plans are fixed, and check what each fare includes for checked baggage.

4. Jeju Airport: where to go after landing

Jeju International Airport is inside Jeju City, so the city centre is close. The Korea Airports Corporation guide gives these pick-up points on the arrivals side:

• Airport limousine bus: about 10 m to the right of Gate 5.
• Intercity and city buses: the stop right next to Gate 2.
• Taxi: the stand across the road from Gate 3.
• Rental cars: Visit Jeju says rental booths are on the arrivals floor by Gate 2, with shuttle buses to each company’s lot.

5. Getting to Jeju City, Jungmun and Seogwipo

Visit Jeju also lists limousine buses 800 and 800-1, which skip Jungmun and head into Seogwipo City (about 70 minutes to Seogwipo Bus Terminal on the 800). That Visit Jeju page was written in 2022, so check current routes on the Jeju bus information system or a map app before you rely on them.

Taxi fares are Jeju Airport’s estimates, not fixed prices; the meter decides.

6. Renting a car: the International Driving Permit rule

Driving rules are where many visitors get caught out. According to the Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoROAD):

• Korea accepts a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) issued by a country in the 1949 Geneva Convention, and since 1 January 2002 also the Vienna Convention.
• You can drive on it for one year from the date you enter Korea.
• Look-alike documents marked “International Driving License”, such as those sold by non-official issuers, are not accepted.
• The English spelling of your name on the IDP must match your passport, or the IDP may not be recognised.
• IDPs from Hong Kong and Macau are accepted. Mainland China is not a member of either convention.

VISITKOREA adds the rental side: drivers must be over 21, show a passport, and pay by credit card in the driver’s own name. Bring your home licence too, as some companies ask for it, and get the IDP before you leave home.

VISITKOREA also notes that Korea drives on the right and that Google Maps does not offer driving navigation in Korea, so use Naver Map or Kakao Map.

7. Jeju buses and transport cards

Jeju has no subway, but buses reach most of the island. Visit Jeju’s colour guide: red = express (100s), blue = trunk and city (200s, 300s, 500s), green = branch buses (400s, 600s, 700s).

1. Bring a transport card. Visit Jeju recommends a card such as T-money, which works on Jeju buses as well as in Seoul. If you already have one from Seoul, use the same card. See our T-money Complete Guide.
2. Tap on and tap off. On express buses the extra distance fare is charged when you tap off. With a card you also get free transfers, up to 2 times within 40 minutes of getting off (not onto the same route number), according to Visit Jeju.
3. Cash costs more. On express buses, cash payers pay the 3,000-won maximum on boarding.
4. Plan with a map app. Rural buses can be an hour apart, and Visit Jeju says most buses run from about 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Kakao Map shows live bus locations.

8. Weather delays and cancellations

Flights and ferries to Jeju can be delayed or cancelled by strong wind, heavy rain or typhoons. To protect your trip:

1. Check your flight on the airline app and on Jeju Airport’s live departure and arrival page on the day.
2. Do not book your Jeju–Seoul flight on the same day as an international flight home if you can avoid it. A spare night in Seoul is cheap insurance (our suggestion).
3. If a flight is cancelled, contact your airline first. Rebooking and refund rules depend on the airline and your fare.
4. Save the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (+82-2-1330), which VISITKOREA lists for help in English.

9. Taking a ferry instead

There is no ferry from Seoul itself. VISITKOREA lists Jeju ferries from southern ports including Mokpo, Wando, Goheung (Nokdong), Jindo and Samcheonpo. Some carry cars. A passport or ID is required to board. VISITKOREA’s page was last updated in June 2025, so check the operator before you plan around a sailing. From Seoul, flying is far faster.

Before you go: checklist

1. Book a Gimpo–Jeju flight (earlier for summer, Lunar New Year, Chuseok and weekends).
2. Pack your original passport and keep power banks in your carry-on.
3. Driving? Get a Geneva or Vienna IDP at home, with the same name spelling as your passport.
4. Load a transport card and check the last bus for your arrival time.
5. Leave a buffer day before your international flight home.

Need data on arrival? See SIM/eSIM & Internet in Korea. For cards and cash, read Money & Payment in Korea.

FAQ

How long is the flight from Seoul to Jeju?

Scheduled Gimpo–Jeju flights on the Jeju Airport timetable take about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 25 minutes gate to gate. Add time to get to Gimpo and for check-in.

Do I need my passport for a flight to Jeju?

Yes. Gimpo Airport lists the passport as a valid ID for foreigners aged 19 or older. Carry the original.

Which bus goes from Jeju Airport to Seogwipo?

Limousine bus 600 runs from in front of Gate 5 via Jungmun to Seogwipo KAL Hotel. Express buses from the stop by Gate 2 also go to Seogwipo.

Can I drive in Jeju with my home licence only?

Not for car rental as a visitor. You need a Geneva- or Vienna-Convention International Driving Permit, valid for one year from entry, plus your passport.

Sources

• Jeju International Airport, Flight schedule (domestic), checked 15 October 2026.
• Jeju International Airport, Transport: Bus and Taxi, checked 15 October 2026.
• Jeju International Airport, arrival pick-up locations, checked 15 October 2026.
• Gimpo International Airport FAQ: valid ID for foreigners on domestic flights, checked 15 October 2026.
• Incheon International Airport, Transit Exclusive Domestic Flights, checked 15 October 2026.
• VISITKOREA, Domestic Flights (last updated 19 June 2026), Getting to Jeju Island (last updated 23 June 2025) and Driving in Korea (last updated 2 October 2025).
• Visit Jeju, Public Transportation in Jeju (written 18 February 2022) and Renting a Car, checked 15 October 2026.
• Jeju bus information system (Jeju Special Self-Governing Province), bus fares (Korean), checked 15 October 2026.
• Korea Road Traffic Authority, International Driving Permit (Korean), checked 15 October 2026.
• Images: AI-generated illustrations created for this article. They show general scenes, not specific current conditions.

Update triggers

• The winter (from late October) or summer flight schedule changes Gimpo–Jeju or Incheon–Jeju flight times.
• Limousine 600, 800 or 800-1 routes, times or stops at Jeju Airport change.
• Jeju bus fares, transfer rules or accepted payment methods change.
• KoROAD or rental companies change International Driving Permit or age rules.
• Ferry routes to Jeju change.