How to Rent a Seoul Bike (따릉이, Ddareungi): 24 Hours for 1,000 Won

따릉이: Seoul's Public Bike

The name comes from 따르릉 (ttareureung), the ring of a bicycle bell. The city has run the service since October 2015, and the bikes all look the same: white frame, green wheels, a basket in front. They're ordinary pedal bikes, not electric.

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The one rule that surprises people: a 따릉이 has to go back to a 따릉이 station. You can't leave it on any sidewalk the way you can with the private e-bikes you'll also see around Seoul. Stations are everywhere in the city, though, and the app's map shows how many bikes each one has right now.

See also: A walk through Jongno

Fares: Reading the Sign

The day pass is the one visitors want, and the small print on the sign is the best part: "If the pass is returned within the stated rental time, the user can rent another bike without needing to purchase a separate pass." A one-day pass counts 24 hours from your first rental. So on the 1-hour plan, ride for 50 minutes, dock the bike, grab a coffee, and take another bike — all on the same 1,000 won.

Passes of 7 days and longer are for members, which means signing up with a Korean phone number. Without an account you can buy only the one-day pass (1-hour, 2-hour or 3-hour plan), which is all most short-stay visitors need. If you live in Seoul, or can register as a member, read the next section before buying day passes again and again.

How the 24 hours work: you pick a 1-hour or 2-hour plan when you buy. Start a ride, and if you return the bike within that time, the ride costs nothing extra and you can rent another bike straight away. The pass counts 24 hours from the start of your first rental, and inside those 24 hours the number of rentals is unlimited, as long as each one is returned within the plan. So for 1,000 won you can hop on a bike a few times over a whole day: ride 50 minutes, dock, have lunch, ride again.

Day Pass or Season Pass? Do the Math

The season passes are very cheap. If you will ride often during a long stay, or you live in Seoul, buying a pass is far cheaper than paying day by day: a 7-day pass costs less than three day passes, and a 30-day pass costs about the price of five. The 2-hour plans cost a little more (7 days: 4,000 won; 30 days: 7,000 won; 180 days: 20,000 won; 365 days: 40,000 won) and suit longer rides along the Han River. The last two columns are simple arithmetic from the official price list, not quoted figures. Put the other way round, a 365-day pass means paying only about 8% of what a year of day passes would cost, roughly 82 won a day.

Renting in Three Steps

• Install the app — it's called 따릉이 ("Seoul Public Bicycle" on the sign). On the first screen, tap "Foreigner" for English menus.
• Buy a pass. In the Foreigner menu only credit cards issued outside Korea are accepted.
• Scan the QR code on the lock (or type in the bike number). When the lock opens and the app says the bike is unlocked, it's yours for the hour.

Check the bike before you ride off — brakes, tires, the chain, the seat height. If something's wrong, dock it again right away and take another one.

Returning, and the Temporary Lock

To return, park the bike at a 따릉이 station and pull the locking lever down. You'll hear "Return complete" (반납이 완료되었습니다) and get a text message. No sound, no message? Then it hasn't been returned — lock it again or try another spot at the station.

Stopping somewhere that isn't a station — a shop, a toilet, a riverside bench? Use the temporary lock (임시잠금, imsi jamgeum): pull the same lever down away from a station and wait for "Temporary lock activated." When you come back, release it in the app. A temporary lock doesn't end your rental, so your plan's time keeps counting.

Riding by the Han River

The most popular 따릉이 ride is along the Han River (한강), where the riverside parks have long bike paths on both banks. Paths are shared with runners and walkers, so ride on the side marked for bikes, keep right, and slow down at crossings.

Korean law requires cyclists to wear a helmet, but there's no fine for skipping it, and most 따릉이 riders don't have one. Riders must be 13 or older; the sign notes that younger children can ride under a family pass, as set out in the terms of use.

따릉이 vs Kakao T Bike

You'll also see electric bikes from private companies, like Kakao T Bike. The motor helps you pedal, and you can leave them anywhere inside the service area instead of at a station. They cost much more: a 2024 comparison put an hour on a Kakao T Bike at about 5,500 won, against 1,000 won for 따릉이. They also need their own app and account. Fares change, so check in the app — but for a visitor, 따릉이 is the easy, cheap choice.

Korean for the Bike Station

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Related Knowledge

• A walk through Jongno
• How to ride a bus in Seoul
• How to ride the Seoul subway
• Asking for directions in Korean