“KINTEX? The GTX is here now, so it’s just 15 min from Seoul Station, right? Easy.”
If that is what you think, this guide should be your lifeline.
True, GTX-A (an express line for the Seoul region) has cut the ride time dramatically. The stretch that serves Seoul Station and Kintex Station opened at the end of 2024.
The reality, though, is not that simple.
Before the GTX, most fans went back by bus, and the old problem was “the bus never comes.” That problem has simply turned into a new one: “you have to wait just to get into the station.”
On top of that, the show is in an exhibition hall with a generally flat floor, and the hall was never designed for concerts.
If you are on the shorter side and go without any plan, all you may see is the back of someone’s head.
This guide covers KINTEX as it is now, with the GTX open, in practical terms: the risk that the GTX station limits entry after the show, and how to keep your view from being blocked on an exhibition-hall floor. It assumes you are visiting from abroad and staying in central Seoul, in areas such as Myeongdong, Hongdae or Gangnam. “Getting back” here means getting back to your hotel in Seoul.
- Same night: You can get back to a hotel in Seoul the same night. Right after a big show ends, you may have to wait at the station entrance.
- Station: Kintex Station (you can ride back to Seoul Station without changing trains). When you want to avoid the wait at the GTX-A station, Daehwa Station also works.
- If you stay: On nights the show ends late, or if you would rather not wait at the station, staying near the venue (including Ilsan and the Daehwa Station area) is the easiest choice.
In terms of layout, this is an exhibition-hall (flat-floor) venue. Seats are generally set out on one flat floor, so people in the back rows struggle to see. Entry limits at the station and long walks are also common. I explain how to read each venue type in my concert venue type guide (Japanese only for now).
The GTX-A travel time in this guide (about 15 to 20 min from Seoul Station) is as of June 2026. The subway time from Daehwa Station back to central Seoul and the wait at the station entrance are as of December 2025, when this guide was published. Timetables change, so check the official timetables for GTX-A and Seoul Subway Line 3 before you go.
The access trap: getting back on the GTX-A, and why the new line is no magic fix
First, the most important change: how you get there and back.
KINTEX is in Goyang, in the Ilsan area of Gyeonggi Province, outside Seoul and well away from the city center. It was once called “an island on land” because it was so hard to reach. Now that Kintex Station is open on GTX-A, the ride from Seoul Station takes about 15 to 20 min.
On paper, that is a revolution.
After a concert, however, a physical bottleneck appears.
Pitfall 1: the station is very deep underground
GTX-A runs through tunnels deep underground. At Kintex Station, you ride long escalators from the ticket gates down to a platform far below the surface.
Pitfall 2: tens of thousands of fans funnel into one entrance
After the show, many people head for the station at the same time. But the escalators down to the deep platform can only carry so many people at once.
So what happens?
The station limits entry. That is, staff stop people at the entrance to control the crowd.
Staff can hold people back at the entrance, and the wait just to get into the station can run to more than 1 hour (as of December 2025).
Once you are on the train, the ride itself is “15 min.” The real bottleneck is getting onto the train.
The strategy: on nights the show ends late, or if you would rather not wait at the station, not heading back is the easiest fix
You get caught in the line while the GTX station limits entry, then squeeze onto a packed train back to Seoul. That wears you out.
The way to skip that grind is to go against the flow of the crowd.
To be clear, you can get back to Seoul the same night. Right after a big show, though, you may have to wait at the entrance to Kintex Station. If you would rather not wait, staying near the venue is the easiest choice. If your flight home leaves early the next morning, stay around Gimpo Airport if you fly out of Gimpo (GMP), or along the Airport Railroad (AREX), such as around Seoul Station or Hongdae, if you fly out of Incheon (ICN).
Walk to a hotel near the venue instead
As the crowd heads for the station, you walk to a nearby hotel.
Book a room around KINTEX, including the Daehwa Station area (the hotel area in Ilsan near the venue), and the night after the show gets much easier.
- Walk past the line at the station, and be back in your room for a shower while others are still waiting.
- The next morning, ride the GTX back to Seoul once the post-show crowd is gone.
For a KINTEX show, this is the smartest, most sensible choice.
You don’t need a hotel near the venue if you don’t mind waiting at the station entrance and have nothing early the next morning. In that case, heading back to Seoul the same night works fine. If your show ends late, check beforehand whether you can still catch the last train that night.
Search centered on Daehwa Station, near the venue
GuideBridge’s Korea trip cost simulator works out what this trip costs per person. Enter the price of 1 night at a hotel and your flights, and it shows your budget. It also gives a rough idea of the extra cost if you end up staying longer than planned: 1 more night and a change to your return flight. The simulator assumes you fly from Japan, and it is in Japanese only for now.
Seats and sightlines: KINTEX is a giant convention hall, and on a flat floor your view can disappear behind the crowd
The view is just as serious an issue as getting there and back.
KINTEX (Halls 1 and 2) is an exhibition center. Its halls were built for trade shows, not for concerts.
The flat-floor trap
There is generally no tiered, fixed seating (the stands) of the kind you find in a dome or an arena.
Picture rows of folding chairs stretching across a vast, flat concrete floor.
Here, the risk of a blocked view is about as high as it gets
Because the floor generally has no rake, if the person in front of you is even a little taller than you, you can lose sight of the stage completely.
Among Japanese fans, floor seats are treated as “god-tier seats.” That rule of thumb does not hold here.
The farther back your block, the more you sink into a sea of heads, and the more likely you are to end up in what fans call “audio-only seats,” where even the screens are hard to see.
The fix: add height, physically
At this venue, your shoes are not a fashion choice. They are survival gear.
- Platform sneakers or boots: Essential.
- Insoles: Use them to gain a few more centimeters.
I don’t recommend heels, because they get tiring on a flat floor. Instead, wear stable platform soles and add real physical height. That is the minimum for seeing your favorite artist’s face. Adding height with platform shoes and insoles is a common habit among Japanese fans for exactly this reason.
Add height, so you see more than the back of someone’s head
Platform sneakers (a better view, less fatigue)
For when you want to raise your eye level a little in the back rows or standing areas, or stay comfortable through a long show. Size, comfort and height vary by product. These are Japanese shops that deliver within Japan. If you are not starting your trip from Japan, get a pair where you are before the show.
If you are torn between staying the night and heading back to Seoul the same day: You can get back to Seoul from KINTEX on the night of the show. Still, with the exit crowds after a big show, or an early flight the next morning, staying the night makes the whole trip easier. Whether to stay near the venue (Ilsan), in central Seoul or around Gimpo Airport, or to head back the same night instead, depends on when your show ends, your plans for the next morning (sightseeing or flying home) and your budget. Decide “stay or go” on those points, not on a hunch. My dedicated stay-or-go guide for KINTEX is in Japanese only for now.
Plan B: if you really have to get back to Seoul that night
Say work or your schedule means you must be back in Seoul on the night of the show.
Then you either take your chances at the GTX station, knowing it may limit entry, or you secure another way back.
The paid route: a private ride back
One option is a concert shuttle bus (one that runs on the show’s schedule) or a private car charter (a hired car with a driver), which you can arrange on Klook and similar sites.
Even when public transit is overwhelmed, a seat that is already yours gives you real peace of mind.
There is also a route back on the regular subway from Daehwa Station on Seoul Subway Line 3. It takes about an hour and a half in total to reach central Seoul, though.
If you don’t need to get back that same night, staying the night is still the easiest basic plan.
Frequently asked questions
Summary: KINTEX rewards the fans who don’t let their guard down
The opening of GTX-A has made KINTEX dramatically easier to reach.
The flip side is that now anyone can get there easily, which also means bigger crowds.
- Entry limits at the station: The biggest hurdle is getting onto the train.
- Poor sightlines on the flat floor: You need to add height, physically.
Take these 2 realities seriously and plan for them: decide whether to stay nearby, and wear platform shoes. Fans who do both are the ones who can fully enjoy a show in this huge exhibition hall. Prepare well, and protect your time with your favorite artist.
If you are torn over which area to stay in for a trip to this venue, start with my guide comparing 5 areas (Japanese only for now). Written for women traveling alone, it compares areas including Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gangnam/Jamsil, and Incheon/the airport.
This page was produced from the Japanese original with AI assistance. Every number, station name and time was machine-checked against the Japanese source and its official references. If something is wrong, tell us here -> /en/contact/.