Daejeon Station opened in 1905 on the Gyeongbu Line between Seoul and Busan, and the modern station building was completed in 2004, when KTX high-speed trains began running on the Gyeongbu High-Speed Railway. It is situated in Dong-gu, at the eastern edge of Daejeon's old city center, next to the twin towers that house the headquarters of Korail and the national rail network authority. The station is served by KTX, ITX and Mugunghwa trains along the Gyeongbu Line, while trains on the Honam Line toward Gwangju and Mokpo mostly use Seodaejeon Station on the west side of the city. Daejeon Metro Line 1 stops directly beneath the station, linking it with Dunsan, Yuseong and the rest of the city.
Address
1 Jeong Dong, Dong Gu,, Daejeon, South Korea
Popular questions
Daejeon Station is located at 215 Jungang-ro, Dong-gu, Daejeon, at the eastern end of the old city center. The west exit faces Jungang-ro and leads toward Jungang Market, the Eunhaeng-dong shopping streets and the main city bus stops, while the east exit opens onto the newer side of Dong-gu and the Korail headquarters towers. Daejeon Metro Line 1 can be reached by stairs and elevators from the station plaza.
The station sits in Dong-gu, part of Daejeon's original downtown, close to traditional markets, shopping streets and older neighborhoods now being revived with cafés and cultural spaces. Daejeon is known as Korea's science city, home to KAIST, the Daedeok Innopolis research cluster and many government research institutes, and it is the base of the national railway operator, Korail. Because the station links the city with Seoul, Busan and the rest of the country, it plays a central role in moving the researchers, students, civil servants and visitors this economy depends on.
KTX high-speed trains run along the Gyeongbu Line north to Seoul in under an hour and south to Dongdaegu and Busan, with frequent departures throughout the day. ITX-Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains offer slower, cheaper services to the same cities and to smaller towns along the way. Trains heading southwest toward Iksan, Gwangju and Mokpo on the Honam Line mostly use Seodaejeon Station, about 20 minutes away by taxi or bus.
Daejeon Metro Line 1 stops at Daejeon Station, with trains running west through the city center to Dunsan, Government Complex Daejeon and Yuseong Hot Springs, home to KAIST and many hotels. Many city bus routes stop around the west and east plazas, linking the station with neighborhoods across Daejeon. T-money and other Korean transport cards can be used on the metro and buses.
Daejeon has no airport of its own; the nearest is Cheongju International Airport, about an hour away by limousine bus or car. For international flights, most travelers take the KTX to Seoul Station and transfer to the AREX airport railway to Incheon International Airport, or use direct airport limousine buses from Daejeon, which take around 2 hours 30 minutes. For central Daejeon, Jungang Market and Eunhaeng-dong are a short walk from the west exit, and the metro reaches Dunsan in about 15 minutes.
Jungang Market, one of the largest traditional markets in the region, is just a few minutes' walk from the west exit, with food stalls, clothing shops and everyday goods. The Eunhaeng-dong shopping streets lead to the original store of Sungsimdang, the bakery famous across Korea for its fried soboro bread, and to the Daejeon Creative Center and art spaces around the old provincial government building. Behind the station, the Soje-dong neighborhood preserves old railway workers' houses, now converted into cafés and restaurants.
Daejeon is closely linked with Sungsimdang, a bakery founded in the city in 1956, and its branch inside Daejeon Station draws long lines of travelers buying boxes of bread to take home. Many visitors plan their journeys to allow time for a stop, and popular items often sell out by the afternoon. The station and its surroundings also offer local dishes such as kalguksu noodles and Korean street food in Jungang Market.
Daejeon Station opened in 1905 with the Gyeongbu Line, and the railway turned the small town of Daejeon into a major junction between Seoul and the south. The station was rebuilt several times during the 20th century, and its current building was completed in 2004 for the launch of KTX high-speed trains. In the following years, Korail moved its headquarters to towers beside the station, and the surrounding area has been gradually redeveloped as a new urban center.
There is no airport-style security screening at Daejeon Station, and there are no ticket gates, so you can go straight to the platform with a valid ticket. Arriving 10–15 minutes early is usually enough for catching your train, giving you time to check the departure board and find your car position on the platform. Allow extra time if you want to stop at the bakery, as the lines can be long.
Daejeon Station has elevators and escalators linking the station plaza, the main concourse and the platforms, as well as accessible toilets and wheelchair-accessible seats on KTX trains. Passengers who need help boarding can request assistance from station staff, ideally when booking or at the ticket counter before departure.
Inside the station you'll find convenience stores, cafés, restaurants, the Sungsimdang bakery and souvenir shops, along with toilets, coin lockers and free Wi-Fi. A tourist information center near the exits provides maps and advice in English and other languages. Station staff at the ticket counters can help with platforms, delays and connections, and this FAQ aims to add practical tips to the official timetables, so you can plan your journey through Daejeon Station with confidence.
Which high speed trains serve Daejeon Station: KTX or SRT?
The most popular trains from Daejeon run north to Seoul, which takes about 55 minutes by KTX, and south to Daegu and Busan: Daejeon to Daegu takes about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Several types of trains share the line, from the main KTX and SRT services to the slower and cheaper ITX-Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains, which stop at more stations along the way. For travelers starting in southern Seoul, SRT trains from Suseo are often the most convenient option.
Daejeon Station, in Dong-gu, serves the Gyeongbu Line between Seoul and Busan, while Seodaejeon Station, on the west side of the city, serves the Honam Line. From Seodaejeon Station, trains run southwest toward Iksan, Gwangju, Mokpo and Yeosu EXPO, the coastal station built for the 2012 Yeosu Expo. The two stations are about 20 minutes apart by taxi or bus, so check which one your train uses before you travel.
You can book train tickets in South Korea through the Korail website and the Korail Talk app for KTX, ITX and Mugunghwa trains, and through the SRT website and app for SRT trains. International booking sites such as Rail Ninja also sell train tickets in English, which can be convenient for first-time visitors. Booking ahead is recommended, especially for weekends and holidays, and tickets purchased online can be shown on your phone on board.
Daejeon is one of the main train stations in South Korea, alongside Seoul Station, Yongsan, Suseo, Dongdaegu and Busan, and it is the busiest stop in the center of the country. Like other major train stations, it offers ticket counters, shops, cafés and the famous Sungsimdang bakery, and Daejeon Station has facilities for luggage storage and lost and found services. Its central location makes it an easy stopover on journeys between Seoul and the south.