Seoul is served by two main airports, following a dual-hub system similar to Shanghai, Beijing, or Tokyo. It has two main gateways: Gimpo International and Incheon International.
Think of Gimpo like Shanghai’s Hongqiao, Tokyo’s Haneda, or Beijing’s Capital Airport—it’s the older airport located much closer to the city center, mostly handling domestic flights and quick regional hops.
Incheon, on the other hand, is the heavy hitter. Much like Pudong, the new Daxing airport, or Tokyo’s Narita, it’s a massive, modern hub located further out, serving as the main entry point for almost all long-haul international travelers.
Incheon Airport has two main passenger terminals and one concourse. Terminal two primarily serves Korean Air, Delta, Air France, and KLM, while Terminal one handles most other major international carriers.
If your flight arrives at the Concourse—common for many foreign airlines at Terminal one—you’ll need to take the twenty four-hour shuttle train to reach the main terminal for immigration and baggage claim.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the arrival process from the Concourse to Terminal one.
Once you’re off the plane, simply follow the blue ‘Arrival’ signs—or just follow the crowd! Everyone on your flight is heading to the same place. Your first stop is the health screening checkpoint, but you don’t actually need to stop; just walk right through and keep following those blue signs.
As indicated, turn left and take the escalator down. At the bottom, you’ll find the shuttle train that takes you from the Concourse to Terminal 1.
Once the train doors open, you’ll notice people starting to run! Will you want to pick up the pace, too. It’s a race to get a good spot in the immigration line. Depending on the time of day, you might breeze through in minutes, or you could be stuck in a queue for over half an hour!
On the plane, flight attendants usually hand out physical arrival cards for you to fill in. However, some airlines don’t provide them, so you can either use a QR code for the digital version or simply fill one out at the arrival card counters right next to immigration.
Baggage Claim
After passing through immigration, you can see a baggage claim screen on this floor. Check the monitors for your flight number to find your assigned carousel. Then you head down the escalator to the baggage reclaim area and collect your luggage. If you have nothing to declare, simply head through the ‘Green Channel’ at Customs.
Once you’ve collected your bags, simply follow the exit signs to enter the arrivals hall.
As you can see on this map of the Terminal 1 arrivals hall, there are six main exit gates: A, B, and C on one side, and D, E, and F on the other.
Your specific exit gate is assigned by the airport on the day you arrive. Once your gate is confirmed, we will arrange for your driver to meet you right outside the corresponding exit.
After you’ve picked up your bags and walked through the gate, just look for the meeting sign with your name on it. Your driver will be there waiting to help you with your luggage and get you on your way.
