TL;DR — 3 things to know before you ride
- A regular Busan taxi starts at ₩4,800 for the first 2 km, then ₩100 per 132 m (or per 33 seconds below 15 km/h). The night surcharge runs only from 11 pm to 4 am: 30% from midnight to 2 am, 20% otherwise. Any "fixed price" instead of the meter is not allowed.
- Gimhae Airport is inside Busan (Gangseo-gu), so a ride from the airport to a Busan address is on the normal meter with no out-of-city surcharge. Use the official taxi rank, not someone who approaches you in arrivals.
- If you are overcharged, keep the receipt and call 1330 (Korea Travel Hotline, 24 hours in English, Japanese and Chinese) or Busan's 120 line. Booking through an app gives you a trip record, but it does not make overcharging impossible.
⚠ What we could and could not confirm
Rates, surcharges and penalties below come from Busan City's own pages (checked 25 October 2026). Busan has not changed its taxi fares since 1 June 2023. We have no official fare for specific routes (for example airport to Haeundae), so this page shows meter arithmetic instead of route prices. We did not confirm whether Busan's 120 line answers in English.
Busan's Official Meter Rates
Source: Busan Metropolitan City taxi fare page and the Busan Taxi Transportation Association. In force since 1 June 2023.
| Item | Regular (mid-size) taxi | Deluxe (모범) / large taxi |
|---|---|---|
| Base fare | ₩4,800 (first 2 km) | ₩7,500 (first 3 km) |
| Distance | ₩100 per 132 m | ₩200 per 140 m |
| Time (below 15 km/h) | ₩100 per 33 seconds | ₩200 per 33 seconds |
| Night surcharge | 11 pm–4 am: 30% from midnight to 2 am, 20% at other times | None |
| Leaving Busan | 30% of the meter; 40–50% when combined with the night surcharge | None |
How the night surcharge works: it applies to the part of the ride driven between 11 pm and 4 am. A surcharge before 11 pm or after 4 am, or an out-of-city surcharge on a ride that stays in Busan, is not part of the official fare.
What the Meter Should Show
Our arithmetic from the official regular-taxi rates, for a car moving above 15 km/h the whole way. Real fares are higher in slow traffic (₩100 per 33 seconds) and tolls are extra. Check the distance in Naver Map or Kakao Map before you ride.
| Distance | Daytime meter (minimum) | Midnight–2 am (+30%) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | about ₩7,000 | about ₩9,100 |
| 10 km | about ₩10,800 | about ₩14,000 |
| 20 km | about ₩18,400 | about ₩23,900 |
| 30 km | about ₩26,000 | about ₩33,800 |
Red flag: a fare several times this range. In a case from the Korea Tourism Organization's 2025 tourist complaint report (reported in June 2026), a driver asked ₩80,000 for a 15-minute ride from a Haeundae hotel to Gwangalli.
How Overcharging Happens
Busan City lists these as illegal overcharging (부당요금). The cases come from the Korea Tourism Organization's 2025 tourist complaint report, as reported in June 2026.
A "fixed price" instead of the meter
Taking more than the meter shows is overcharging under Busan's rules, and so is charging an agreed price on top of the meter for trips outside the city. In another case from that report, a driver asked an Australian visitor for US$50 (about ₩75,000) from the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal to a Yeongdo hotel; the next taxi charged ₩9,000.
Meter already running, or a typed-in amount
The meter should start when you set off, at ₩4,800. Busan's rules count a meter that was running before you got in as overcharging. In the Haeundae–Gwangalli case, the driver typed an amount into the meter and charged the card.
A long detour
Driving a longer route without telling you, to raise the fare, is overcharging under Busan's rules. Keep the route open in a map app and say where you want to go.
A surcharge that does not apply
The night surcharge exists only from 11 pm to 4 am, and the 30% out-of-city surcharge only when the ride leaves Busan. Charging a one-way passenger a round-trip toll is also listed as overcharging.
Gimhae Airport Taxis
Gimhae International Airport is at 108 Gonghang-jillo, Gangseo-gu, Busan.
Normal meter to Busan addresses
Because the airport is inside Busan, a regular taxi to Haeundae, Seomyeon or Busan Station uses the normal meter with no out-of-city surcharge. The night surcharge still applies between 11 pm and 4 am.
Regular and deluxe taxis wait in separate lanes
Korean press reported in November 2024 that the airport had separated the regular and deluxe (모범) taxi lanes. A deluxe taxi starts at ₩7,500 for 3 km, so check which car you are getting into.
App pickup zone
Korea Airports Corporation added a pickup zone for app-booked taxis such as Kakao T and Uber in front of Gate 1 on the first floor of the domestic terminal (June 2026). We did not find an equivalent notice for the international terminal.
Ignore people who approach you
From September 2015 Busan City posted dedicated enforcement staff at the airport against touting and overcharging (reported in 2016). Walk to the marked taxi rank or your app pickup point instead.
Street Taxi or App?
App booking gives you a record of the trip, the car and the driver. It does not fix the price in every case.
Street taxi (regular, metered)
Cheapest
Pay what the meter shows. Card payment is required where a card reader is installed. Get a receipt.
Kakao T general call
Metered
Same meter fare as a street taxi; the app shows an estimate, not a fixed price. Kakao Mobility says foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB and AMEX cards are accepted, but payment failures are often reported; if it fails, choose pay-the-driver-directly (직접결제).
k.ride
Visitor app
Kakao Mobility's taxi app for visitors; no Korean phone number needed. Standard = meter fare + 10% service fee; Comfort and Luxury use a 0.7–4.0x dynamic rate. You see an estimated fare before booking.
Uber
Compare
Uber offers general ride-hailing in Busan. Check the estimate in the app; we did not confirm its current Busan fees.
Booked through an app and overcharged? Contact the app's customer support with the trip record as well as filing a complaint. In the Haeundae case from the 2025 complaint report, the visitor had to ask the app operator for the refund.
How to Take a Taxi in Busan Safely
Five checks that take less than two minutes.
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1Know the distance firstEnter the destination in Naver Map or Kakao Map and note the distance. Use the meter table above for a rough fare.
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2Use the rank or an appGet in at a marked taxi rank, flag a taxi yourself, or book in an app. Do not go with a driver who walks up to you and names a price.
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3Watch the meter start at ₩4,800The meter should show ₩4,800 as you set off. If it is off, say "미터기 켜 주세요" (please turn on the meter). If the driver refuses, get out before the ride starts.
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4Follow the routeKeep the map open. If the route looks very different, ask, and note the time and place.
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5Pay by card and keep the receiptSay "카드로 할게요" (I'll pay by card) and "영수증 주세요" (receipt, please). Busan planned English text on all taxi receipts from 30 March 2026, showing tolls, total fare and any night or out-of-city surcharge.
If You Are Overcharged
Collect the evidence first, then report through any of these channels.
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1Keep the evidenceReceipt (it shows the taxi), the time, pickup and drop-off points, and a photo of the taxi number or the driver card on the dashboard. A screenshot of the route helps.
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2Call 1330 — Korea Travel HotlineRun by the Korea Tourism Organization. 24 hours in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese; Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay/Indonesian from 8 am to 7 pm. It takes tourist complaints. From abroad: +82-2-1330.
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3Busan 120Busan City's civil complaint line: 051-120 (weekdays 8:30 am–6:30 pm; after hours it goes to the duty office). You can also file through "부산민원120" on the Busan City website. Busan's 120 is not Seoul's Dasan call center.
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4App supportIf you booked through Kakao T, k.ride or Uber, report the trip in the app's support as well.
What happens to the driver: under Busan's penalty table, overcharging costs a driver a ₩200,000 fine and a warning the first time, rising to ₩600,000 and loss of the taxi licence. In May 2026 the transport ministry proposed a 30-day licence suspension from the first offence when the victim is a foreign visitor; we did not confirm whether it is in force. Busan took 77 administrative actions for taxi overcharging in 2025, up from 50 in 2024.
Common Mistakes
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Accepting a price from a driver who approaches youThe fare is what the meter shows. A price named before the ride is the most common setup for overcharging.
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Leaving without a receiptThe receipt identifies the taxi and shows the fare and surcharges, which makes a complaint much easier to follow up.
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Assuming an app ride has a fixed priceKakao T general calls are metered and k.ride shows an estimate. Watch the fare in the car as you would in a street taxi.
Frequently Asked Questions
A regular taxi costs ₩4,800 for the first 2 km, then ₩100 per 132 m, or ₩100 per 33 seconds below 15 km/h. Deluxe and large taxis start at ₩7,500 for 3 km. These rates have applied since 1 June 2023.
From 11 pm to 4 am for regular taxis: 30% from midnight to 2 am and 20% at other times. Deluxe and large taxis have no night surcharge.
Not to Busan addresses. The airport is in Gangseo-gu, Busan, so the normal meter applies. A 30% out-of-city surcharge applies only when the ride leaves Busan.
Under Busan's rules, a driver who refuses card payment or a receipt when the taxi has a card reader or receipt printer can be fined. Refusing because of a broken reader or card fees also counts.
Call 1330 (Korea Travel Hotline, 24 hours in English, Japanese and Chinese) or Busan 120 (051-120). Keep the receipt, the time and the route. If you booked through an app, also contact the app's support.
Sources and Limits
- Busan Metropolitan City, taxi fares (regular, deluxe/large, surcharges): busan.go.kr/depart/ahtaxi03 — page last updated 24 May 2023, checked 25 October 2026.
- Busan Taxi Transportation Association, fare guide (2023 rates, night and out-of-city surcharges): bstaxi.co.kr — checked 25 October 2026.
- Busan Metropolitan City, complaint guide and penalty standards (overcharging, card refusal): busan.go.kr/depart/trafficreport02 — updated 13 April 2026.
- Busan Metropolitan City English site, 1330 and 120 service hours and languages.
- Busan Ilbo, 8 March 2026: English text on taxi receipts from 30 March 2026 (planned).
- Nocut News Busan, 15 June 2026: overcharging cases, Korea Tourism Organization 2025 complaint data, Busan's 77 actions in 2025.
- Newsis, 30 June 2026: app-taxi pickup zone at Gimhae domestic terminal. Korean press, 13 November 2024: separate regular and deluxe taxi lanes at Gimhae.
- Naewaynews, 4 March 2016: Busan City's airport enforcement team from September 2015.
- Dong-A Ilbo, 8 May 2026: transport ministry's proposed penalty for overcharging foreign visitors.
- Kakao T, k.ride and Uber facts follow our sibling guides, checked on 25 October 2026.