Gwangju is easy to navigate if you treat the subway and buses as one connected system and keep a transit card ready.
For ordinary city and village buses, Gwangju's official transport statistics currently list an adult fare of KRW 1,250 by transit card and KRW 1,400 in cash. The metro lists the same adult card fare, KRW 1,250, while a one-time token is KRW 1,400. A transit card is more than a payment shortcut: the official metro rules say free transfers among the metro, city buses and village buses apply when the next ride begins within 30 minutes of the first alighting. You must tap your card when getting off to receive the transfer benefit.
The subway is a single Line 1 corridor linking Gwangju-Songjeong Station, Airport, Sangmu, downtown stops such as Geumnam-ro and the Asia Culture Center area. The operator publishes station-by-station first and last train times, so late arrivals should check the exact station rather than assume the system runs past midnight.
Bus routing needs extra attention in 2026. Gwangju's official transport site says a city-bus route reorganization is being carried out through 2026 and identifies October 2026 for implementation. That means old blog posts, saved screenshots and memorized route numbers can become unreliable. Search the official Gwangju transport/bus information on the travel day and match the Korean stop name near your destination.
For visitors, the practical routine is simple: use one transit card, tap on and off, check the last subway before a late night, and verify the live bus route immediately before boarding. If a rural bus to Naju, Damyang, Hwasun, Hampyeong or Jangseong is involved, transfer rules differ from ordinary city transfers, so check the current official rules before depending on a discount.