Seoul
Stop on the South Korea route
Featured
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Seoul's largest royal palace, with a changing-of-the-guard ceremony and hanbok rental nearby.
from KRW 3,000
🚬 Smoking Areas in Seoul
Smoking is only allowed in designated spots — anywhere else risks an on-the-spot fine.
⚠️ Rules & fines
- Smoking in a no-smoking zone can get you an on-the-spot fine of up to ₩100,000 (about US$70), tourists included.
- Vapes and heated tobacco (IQOS, glo) count as smoking. Since 2026 that includes liquid and synthetic-nicotine e-cigarettes too.
- No smoking inside restaurants, cafés, bars, PC rooms or any large building.
- Cities add outdoor no-smoking zones on top: bus stops, parks, plazas and some whole streets. Each city's own no-go spots are listed under that city.
- No smoking within 30 m of kindergartens and daycare centers, or 50 m of school entrances.
- Within 10 m of any subway entrance or bus stop in Seoul.
- Seoul Station plaza and the roads around it (no-smoking since June 2025) — only Korail's own smoking booths are allowed.
- Seoul Plaza, Cheonggye Plaza and Gwanghwamun Plaza.
- The Gangnam-daero sidewalks (Sinnonhyeon to Gangnam Station) and Teheran-ro are no-smoking streets.
- Hongdae's Red Road has no designated smoking booth (as of Aug 2026).
Incheon Airport – Terminal 1
Indoor smoking room
After security: smoking rooms in the departure gate areas. Before security: outdoor smoking areas outside the terminal exits only — there's no indoor room landside.
Incheon Airport – Terminal 2
Indoor smoking room
After security: smoking rooms in the 3F duty-free gate area (e.g. near Gate 264, open 24 hours), plus a separate e-cigarette lounge. Before security: follow the smoking-area signs to the terminal exits.
Gangnam Station – open-air smoking facility
Smoking booth
Seocho-gu's air-curtain smoking facility on the back street Seocho-daero 78-gil, on the Seocho side of Gangnam Station (opened 2025).
Spots move and close — always look for the smoking-area sign before you light up.
Hospitals & Pharmacies
Severance Hospital
50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul