Ferries in Korea

Most visitors to Korea never need a long-distance ferry: flying is faster for Jeju, and there is no longer any passenger ferry to Jeju from Busan or Incheon. The boats worth knowing are the short island hops such as Udo, the 3-hour crossing to Ulleungdo, and the overnight ferry from Busan to Fukuoka in Japan (₩150,000 one way in second class). Bring your passport: it is your boarding ID. Timetables and fares below were checked on operator sites on 22 October 2026.

Your situation	What to do
Going from Seoul or Busan to Jeju	Fly from Gimpo or Gimhae (about 1 hour); no ferry runs from either city
Want to arrive in Jeju by sea, or bring a car	Take the KTX to Mokpo, or a bus to Wando, and sail from there
Going to Ulleungdo	Sail from Pohang (2 h 50 min on the day boat) or Gangneung (3 hours); there is no airport yet
Adding Japan to the trip	The New Camellia leaves Busan at 22:30 and docks in Fukuoka at 07:30
Visiting Udo or other small islands	Buy tickets at the port on the day; see the Udo guide for times

Which ferries still sail to Jeju?

Five mainland ports have passenger ferries to Jeju Port. All of them are in the south-west, a long way from Seoul and Busan, so the ferry only saves time if you are already in South Jeolla or want to take a car across.

Route	Operator and ship	Notes (checked 22 Oct 2026)
Mokpo – Jeju	Seaworld Express Ferry: Queen Mary, Queen Jenuvia II, Queen Jenuvia	Mokpo departures 01:00 and 08:30; Jeju departures 13:40 and 16:45. Queen Mary joined the route on 30 April 2026
Wando – Jeju	Hanil Express: Gold Stella	About 2 h 40 min for the 104 km crossing, the shortest from the mainland
Jindo – Jeju	Seaworld Express Ferry: Santa Monica	Calls at the Chuja Islands on the way
Goheung (Nokdong) – Jeju	Namhae Express: Arion Jeju	One round trip a day with regular rest days; the operator changed its October 2026 schedule
Samcheonpo – Jeju	Ocean Vista Jeju	Overnight sailing from Sacheon on the Gyeongnam coast

Ships on these routes take rest days and go out of service for inspections, so the same departure time is not offered every day. Check the operator’s calendar for your date. Fares are not listed here because the operators’ official fare tables could not be read; the booking page shows the price before you pay.

Mokpo is the easiest port to reach without a car: KTX trains run there from Seoul’s Yongsan Station. Wando has the shortest crossing but no railway station, so you arrive by bus or car. Compare both with a 75-minute flight from Gimpo before you commit; for most first-time visitors the flight wins.

How do you get to Ulleungdo?

Ulleungdo is a steep volcanic island far out in the East Sea, reached only by sea. The island has three ferry ports, and each boat uses a different one, so check where yours arrives before you book a hotel.

From	Operator and ship	Time	Cheapest adult fare	Arrives at
Pohang Ferry Terminal	Daejeo Ferry: Eldorado Express	2 h 50 min	₩81,000 (economy) plus fuel surcharge	Sadong
Pohang Yeongilman Port	Ulleung Cruise: New Sea Dao Pearl (overnight, carries cars)	About 6 h 30 min; leaves 23:00 in October 2026	₩81,500 (6-berth cabin)	Sadong
Gangneung (Anmok)	Seaspovill: Sea Star 5	3 h	₩66,500 (standard seat, weekday)	Jeodong

Pohang has the most choice and is reached by KTX from Seoul. The day boat returns from Ulleungdo in the afternoon, so a day trip is technically possible but leaves only a few hours on the island; most visitors stay at least two nights. Gangneung and other east-coast routes have paused in winter in past years.

From Ulleungdo, boats continue to Dokdo. Daejeo’s Sunrise takes 1 h 40 min each way and costs ₩60,000 for an adult.

Short ferries to islands

These are the crossings most visitors actually take. Times are short and tickets are sold at the port. To choose an island first, see islands in Korea.

• Udo, Jeju: from Seongsan Port every 30 minutes, about 15 minutes. Times, fares and the rental-car ban are in the Udo guide.
• Baengnyeongdo, Incheon: from Incheon Coastal Ferry Terminal, about 3 h 40 min on the fast boat, calling at Socheongdo and Daecheongdo near the North Korean sea border.
• Deokjeokdo, Incheon: from the same terminal, about 1 h 10 min on the fast boat.

Ferries from Korea to Japan

All passenger ferries to Japan leave from Busan International Passenger Terminal, 206 Chungjang-daero. It is a 10–15 minute walk from Busan Station (Line 1, Exit 10) along a covered walkway. Busan Port Authority asks passengers to arrive two hours before departure.

Route	Operator	From Busan	Arrives	Cheapest adult fare from Busan
Busan – Fukuoka (Hakata)	Korea Ferry / Camellia Line: New Camellia	22:30, most days	07:30 next day	₩150,000 (2nd class)
Busan – Shimonoseki	Pukwan Ferry: Seonghee / Hamayu	21:00, daily	08:00 next day	₩120,000 (2nd class)
Busan – Osaka	Panstar: Miracle	Sun 15:00; Tue and Thu 16:00	08:30–09:00 next day	₩200,000 (inside cabin)
Busan – Tsushima (Hitakatsu)	Daea Express: Sea Flower	09:40	11:00	₩90,000

Fuel surcharges, port and terminal fees are added on top of these fares. The New Camellia’s fares rose for bookings made from 1 October 2026, and its round-trip and student discounts ended on 30 September 2026; from Hakata the second-class fare is ¥15,000. Check-in for the 22:30 sailing runs 16:30–18:30, and Pukwan’s ticket counter closes at 17:30 for its 21:00 boat.

The Busan–Fukuoka ferry works well as an overnight hop: board after dinner in Busan, sleep, and land in Fukuoka in the morning. The Fukuoka-to-Busan sailing is a 6-hour daytime trip, leaving Hakata at 12:30 and arriving at 18:30. The JR Kyushu Queen Beetle fast ferry no longer runs: the company withdrew from the route in December 2024.

Japan’s entry rules depend on your nationality. Korea Ferry recommends registering on Visit Japan Web before you board.

Incheon and Pyeongtaek also have ferry terminals with sailings to Chinese ports, and Donghae and Sokcho are listed for Russia, but these routes change often and are rarely used by short-stay visitors.

How to book and board

• Book with the operator. Each company sells tickets on its own site and at the terminal. Korea’s national coastal booking site, 가보고싶은섬 (island.theksa.co.kr), also sells many domestic routes, including those to Jeju. Most of these sites are in Korean only.
• Get help in English. The 1330 Korea Travel Hotline can help with timetables and phone bookings.
• Bring your passport. Korean law requires a boarding record for every passenger, and ferry companies check ID at the gate. Foreign visitors use their passport; residents can use an alien registration card. Boarding can be refused without valid ID.
• Arrive early. Seaspovill and Ulleung Cruise ask passengers to arrive 60 minutes before departure, and Seaspovill closes ticketing and boarding 10 minutes before. International sailings need two hours.
• Know the refund rules. Seaspovill refunds in full up to 4 days before departure, then deducts 10% at 2–3 days, 20% the day before and 50% on the day. Daejeo uses the same deductions from 3 days out.

What can go wrong

Where to next

For the mainland, compare KTX trains and express buses, or go back to the transportation overview. Flights, baggage limits and power bank rules are in our guide to domestic flights. The Busan guide covers the city around the ferry terminal, and the Jeju guide covers the island once you land.