Catching Seoul’s last subway does not guarantee it reaches your stop. At Olympic Park on Line 9, the official Saturday/holiday timetable lists a 23:51 westbound train ending at Samjeon. If you need Sinnonhyeon, the final listed direct train is 23:36: your useful last train is 15 minutes earlier.
Checked October 24, 2026. This example comes from Line 9’s official English schedules: select Olympic Park → Schedules (Saturday · Holidays) → Gaehwa Direction. These are timetable examples for that station and day type, not a citywide cutoff. Recheck for your travel date and follow station announcements.
Same direction, different last stop
A direction heading tells you which way the trains travel. A destination in parentheses can limit how far a particular service goes.
These four all-stop services are selected from the official table; the table below omits the express trains.
| Listed time at Olympic Park | This train ends at |
|---|---|
| 23:09 | Yeouido |
| 23:23 | Dongjak |
| 23:36 | Sinnonhyeon |
| 23:51 | Samjeon |
For a traveler staying near Sinnonhyeon, waiting from 23:36 until 23:51 loses the direct ride. Samjeon is earlier along the westbound journey. The later service can still help someone going only as far as Samjeon, but it is not a replacement train to Sinnonhyeon.
Do not turn the last number on the board into a hotel-arrival plan. Check where that specific train ends and whether it stops where you need to get off.
How to read the official timetable
- Open the Line 9 schedule page and select your boarding station.
- Select the appropriate day type. The weekday and Saturday/holiday tables are separate. The site also shows a new weekday schedule effective November 16; use the version that applies to your journey.
- Read the correct direction column. At Olympic Park, Gaehwa Direction is the column used in this example.
- Combine the hour at the left with the listed minutes. In the 23 row, 36(Sinnonhyeon) means the 23:36 service ending at Sinnonhyeon.
- Check the service type as well as its endpoint. The timetable marks express services with an asterisk. An express train may pass your station.
The operator’s express-train FAQ advises checking whether your destination is an express stop and planning any connection to an all-stop train. Late at night, confirm that connecting service still runs before boarding.
For another line, use that operator’s station timetable or ask station staff. Do not apply this Line 9 example to Line 2, Line 5, AREX or the whole Seoul network.
A transfer creates a second deadline
A train that reaches your interchange may arrive after the onward service has finished. Treat each connection as a separate check.
| Save before leaving for the evening | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Boarding station, line and direction | A station can serve several routes |
| Train time, endpoint and stopping pattern | “Correct direction” alone is insufficient |
| Arrival at the interchange and onward last train | The first train must connect with the second |
| Final station and walk to your accommodation | The subway trip is only part of getting home |
For example, a route using Line 9 followed by Line 2 needs a usable Line 2 connection. A late Line 9 departure on its own cannot prove that route works. Check the complete trip in your route planner, then resolve any unclear endpoint or last connection with station staff.
Airport travelers face the same problem after reaching Seoul Station. Use the AREX guide for the airport leg, and check the onward subway separately.
Work backward from the platform
Hypothetical planning example: suppose your chosen usable train is listed at 23:36, you allow 20 minutes to walk from your evening stop to the platform, and you choose a 10-minute buffer. Your planned departure from the venue is 23:06.
That calculation is 23:36 − 20 minutes − 10 minutes. The walking allowance and buffer are examples, not measured travel times or a guarantee. Add time for concert exit queues, stairs, finding the entrance and reaching the correct platform.
Save the plan before the event:
- The train you intend to catch and its destination.
- Your leave-by time, including the walk to the platform.
- A backup route to the full Korean address of your accommodation.
If your train ends early
Get off when the train terminates and ask staff about the next available option. Do not assume another train is coming or that a transfer shown for daytime remains possible.
You can show staff:
이 열차가 [station name]역까지 가나요?
Does this train go as far as [station name] station?
For more situations, save the Korean subway and bus phrases. If you need a taxi, check the Seoul night-surcharge guide before comparing the cost of a late ride.
The key check is simple: which final train reaches your station, with any required transfers still possible?