Jeongseojin: how to reach kilometre zero of the Seoul–Busan bike route

Short version: Korea’s famous cross-country bike route, the 633 km ride to Busan, officially starts at the Ara West Sea Lock (아라서해갑문) in Jeongseojin (정서진), on Incheon’s west coast. The nearest station is Cheongna International City on the AREX Airport Railroad, then a short bus or taxi ride. If you’re arriving with a bike, read the train rules below first: they changed in 2026.

Last checked: 5 October 2026. Bus routes and train bike rules change. Check live buses in Naver Map (set to English) before you travel; see “How to check buses in English” below.

Why it matters

Jeongseojin means roughly “the true-west wharf”. It’s the westward partner to Jeongdongjin on the east coast, picked as the point due west of Gwanghwamun in Seoul. For most visitors, though, it matters for one reason: it’s kilometre zero.

The Ara Bicycle Path (아라자전거길) runs just under 21 km east along the Gyeongin Ara Waterway, from the West Sea Lock here to the Ara Hangang Lock in Gaehwa-dong on Seoul’s western edge, where it joins Seoul’s Han River paths. From there the national route continues all the way to the Nakdong River estuary in Busan, 633 km in total. Riders who collect every stamp along the way can apply for a completion certificate.

The waterfront park at Jeongseojin: boardwalks through reed beds, wind turbines, and the Cheongna towers behind.

How to get there

By subway and bus (no bike)

1. Take the AREX Airport Railroad to Cheongna International City Station (청라국제도시역). It’s on the same line as Incheon Airport and Seoul Station.
2. From there it’s about 10 to 15 minutes by road. Bus route numbers in this area have changed in recent years and I couldn’t confirm the current one, so search Jeongseojin in Naver Map at the station for the live bus option, or take a taxi.

You can also walk it: the Korea Tourism Organization puts it at about 35 to 40 minutes on foot.

How to check buses in English: install Naver Map and switch it to English (open the menu ☰, tap the settings gear, then Language → English; the layout varies a little between app versions). It shows routes and live bus arrival times in English. Google Maps also gives public transport directions in Korea, but as of October 2026 it still has no turn-by-turn walking or driving navigation here. Stuck? Call the Korea Travel Hotline on 1330 from any Korean phone, no area code needed (+82-2-1330 from abroad). It has English-speaking staff and runs every day of the year.

Alternative: the official cycling portal suggests Geomam Station (검암역), also on AREX, as the way onto the Ara path. It’s about 520 m from the station to the path. You join the path partway along, east of the lock, so if you want the kilometre-zero stamp, head west along the waterway to Jeongseojin.

Arriving with a bike: read this first

• AREX no longer takes full-size bikes. Since the Third Incheon Bridge opened on 5 January 2026, regular (non-folding) bicycles are banned on the Airport Railroad at all times; the old weekend reservation option is gone. A folding bike is fine. Older guides that suggest riding AREX with your bike to the start are now out of date.
• You can now ride onto and off Yeongjong Island. The Third Incheon Bridge (Cheongna Haneul Bridge) opened in January 2026 with separate, barrier-protected bike and pedestrian paths (it’s a toll road for cars), linking Yeongjong Island directly to Cheongna. Jeongseojin is on the northern edge of Cheongna, so this is the obvious way to ride in from the airport side. Plan the Cheongna-to-Jeongseojin leg in Naver Map: tap the bike icon on the directions screen for cycling routes (voice guidance is in Korean only).
• Don’t plan to ride out of the passenger terminals. I couldn’t confirm a legal, signed bike route from the terminals, and the main airport access roads are built for cars. The safe plan is a large taxi or van (for a bike box) from the terminal, either all the way to Jeongseojin or to the airport new town around Unseo Station, where ordinary roads and bike paths start.

Getting your cycling passport stamped

The start-point certification centre is on the ground floor of the Ara Incheon Passenger Terminal (아라인천여객터미널) at 41 Jeongseojin 1-ro, right by the lock and the Jeongseojin plaza. The official cycling portal lists the same address under the building’s other name, the Gyeongin Port Integrated Operation Center (경인항 통합운영센터); look for the information desk on the ground floor.

Ara West Sea Lock certification centre
Staffed desk	09:30–17:30, closed 12:00–13:00 for lunch; closed on 1 January, Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (the autumn harvest festival)
Passport sales	Yes, at the staffed desk
Self-service stamp	An unmanned stamp booth at the same address, open 24 hours
Phone	032-590-2235 (Korean)

• The cycling passport (인증수첩), a booklet you get stamped at each checkpoint along the route, costs ₩4,000, with a plastic cover and route map for ₩500 more. It’s also sold at other staffed certification centres and online through the national river guide site.
• Arriving outside desk hours? You can still stamp at the 24-hour booth, but you’ll need a passport already. Buy one in advance if you’re planning a dawn or evening start.

Morning at the plaza. The view west is best at sunset, which is what the place is known for.

If you’re not riding

Jeongseojin is worth a short visit on its own, especially late in the day.

• The Sunset Bell (노을종): the big white ring-shaped sculpture on the plaza. Its open centre frames the sun as it sets over the West Sea (the Yellow Sea), and it’s the classic photo here.
• Ara Tower (아라타워): an observation deck over the lock, the waterway and the coast between Ganghwa and Yeongjong islands, with a small exhibition hall about the waterway inside.
• The waterfront walk: a flat promenade along the sea with boardwalks through reed beds.

It’s an easy place to spend an hour or two.

Who it’s for

Essential if you’re starting or finishing the Seoul–Busan ride. Otherwise, a stop worth making if you’re near Cheongna or the airport.

Sources

Checked against Korea’s official cycling portal, bike.go.kr (passport prices), K-water’s certification-centre listing (centre location, hours and passport sales), Korea Tourism Organization travel articles (transit to Jeongseojin), Korean cycling press on the Ara Bicycle Path, and Korean news coverage of the Third Incheon Bridge opening and AREX bicycle rules (January 2026).