There are numerous flights directly from all over the world, in particular the major Asia-Pacific, North American, and European cities.

It depends on which airlines and routes you use. The average of Flight times and air ticket prices from major cities to Seoul are as below.

New York Incheon About 15 hours Air Ticket: $1,100 (Round Trip) Paris Incheon About 11 hours Air Ticket: $1,000 (Round Trip) Beijing Incheon About 2 hours Air Ticket: $700 (Round Trip) Tokyo Incheon About 2 hours Air Ticket: $550 (Round Trip)

Most foreigners who want to visit Korea just for a short-term tour or transit are permitted to enter Korea with no visa according to the principles of reciprocity or priority of national interest with a tourist/transit visa status (B-2, 30 days). However, nationals of the following 30 countries must obtain visa when entering Korea:
Cuba, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazahstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Palestine, Nepal, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Ghana, Myanmar. If you are not sure whether you need to obtain, please visit the site :
http://english.tour2korea.com/01TripPlanner/EntryInfo/entry.asp?konum=
1&kosm=m1_2

You could take a bus, taxi or subway. Airport shuttle buses are by far the easiest, since they go direct to several hotels in the sogong-dong area, including the Lotte Hotel. However, it could take a long time if it gets stuck in traffic, sometimes more than 1 and half hours and is less pleasant. (It is pretty good as an outgoing method TO the airport). These spacious 25 seat luxury buses, equipped with radios and public telephones, have routes connecting Incheon Int'l Airport with 18 major hotels in Seoul. Ticket booths are at 18 major hotel and KAL ticket counters all over Seoul. Large luggage is no problem. It usually takes 60~70 minutes from Incheon Airport to hotels near city hall. It costs KRW 12,000 (approximately USD 13). The specific information is as below;

Line	Service Hours	Bus Stop	Major Stops
City Hall	05:40-19:00 (Interval: 20 min.)	4B, 11A	Incheon Int'l Airport → Gimpo Airport → Koreana Hotel →Plaza Hotel → Lotte Hotel → Westin Chosun Hotel→ KAL Bldg.
Tel: +82-2-2667-0386 ~ 89 / First Bus: 04:40 Last Bus: 22:30

If you arrive at the Incheon Airport late time and there is no more limousine service, you can use taxi to get to your hotel comfortably. There are two kinds of taxi in Korea. Regular taxis to Seoul are found between no. 6, 7 gates. It takes about 1 hour from IIA to Seoul City hall, and costs approximately KRW 50,000 ~ 60,000. (Approx. USD 50 ~ 60). Please note that there is additional charge of 20% from midnight to 4 a.m. Also it may cost more depending on traffic during rush hours.

If you are more adventurous, I may recommend subways instead. The subway is the most efficient and convenient way for foreign travelers to get around Seoul. Station names, ticket counters, and transfer signs are all clearly marked in English, as well as Korean. Fares are inexpensive, but do vary with service areas; therefore check the cost for your destination before purchasing your ticket. To get to the Lotte Hotel, you have to get off at the Eulgiro 1(ga) of line 2 and get out of the gate 8. Then you can see the Lotte department store and the Lotte Hotel, too.

There are numerous sites that cover travel within Seoul, including the links below. Basically, getting around Seoul with subways and busses is really easy. All stations have English signs, and some even have Japanese and Chinese signs. That said, Seoul is a very large city, and has probably the most complex subway system in the world. Getting from one end of the town to another could easily make mistakes. Even for us Seoul natives obtaining an optimal route are a hard task, and there are PC programs and websites that will do that automatically for you. (http://www.subwayworld.co.kr/english/index.htm). The basic fare of the subway is KRW 900 (approx. USD 0.9). If the ticket does not have sufficient amount for the ride, you will be naturally blocked. Don’t panic! Just back away quietly, and look for the administrator. So if you are not sure how much you need, you should ask to the seller the appropriate fare at the ticket window.

Taxis are convenient but fairly expensive for longer distances, especially in Seoul due to the size of the city itself; still for short rides, or during real late night hours, and also in smaller cities like Daejeon, they may be preferred mode of transportation. Several things to remember- it is always best to show a map, or write something down to instruct the driver. They are usually very courteous, but you don’t have to tip them. Some taxis accept credit cards, but not all of them, so be sure to check before you ride. Empty taxis can be picked up not only in taxi stands but also on the streets. You can tell if they are empty or not by looking at the lamp on the window. - if it is lit then it is empty, otherwise it is not. Also it will display a little red sign on the front window that says, “Empty” in Korean.

For long distance train travels, such as to Daejeon, you would use the KTX, which is the super express train. It travels at maximum 300 km/h. To purchase the long distance train tickets, go to the Seoul train station or visit the any travel agencies. From Seoul to Daejeon, it costs KRW 19,800 one way, and KRW to Busan. For more specific information, please visit the web site: http://www.barota.com

You could also fly. Note that the domestic airport for Seoul is Gimpo International Airport. Gimpo Airport is much closer to Seoul and as such much more convenient to get to. Refer to the respective web pages of airline companies for detailed flight schedules and prices. There are 2 airline companies in Korea, Korean Air (KAL) and Asian Airlines (Asiana).
          Korean Air: http://www.koreanair.com
          Asiana Airlines: http://flyasiana.com/index.htm

The best way is to get one before you travel via an online bookstore. Website such as http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index%3Dstripbooks%3
Arelevance-above%26field-keywords%3DMap%252520of%252520Korea%26store-name%3Dbooks/102-8162471-3159352
give a list of Seoul atlas and guidebooks. This will probably the cheapest and the most reliable way, and will allow you to study Seoul beforehand.

Don’t worry, you will anyhow. Smaller streets don’t have street names; rather the address system works in blocks for most cities. So maps are really essential if you really want to walk around. You will still get lost of course however; Then people will usually be very kind to foreigners who have lost their ways. I have heard of many wonderful stories of people who have gone out of their ways to take lost foreign visitors to stations, etc. The trick is to try to ask younger people, most of whom can speak some level of English. Most directions will give you landmarks, so getting around is easy. Most westerners are used to going to foreign countries where, even if you can’t speak the language, you can read the words on the signs and so you can recognize certain things, like names you are looking for. In this case, first don’t panic. If you look around you can almost always find the information you need in (small) roman script. Second, if you stand in one spot for a long time staring at a sing board, and scratching your head, somebody will come to help you.

Of all the major cities in the world Seoul is probably one of the safest. This is not to say we have absolutely no crimes whatsoever, but chances are if one is a lowly criminal with rather low IQ then that guy will never want to hassle with foreigners, and they will leave you alone. Dial 112 for the police, 119 for the fire department, or 1339 for medical emergency (though most operators speak only Korean). A hotel staff or hotel manager can arrange for a doctor or an ambulance.

It should. The last few years all Korean ATMs have been hooked up international networks. They are usually in Banks, Post Offices and Convenience Stores, but usually no in supermarkets. There are a number of large banks and a large post office near Lotte Hotel, so obtaining money should not be a problem. On the other hand, I have never tried one myself, so it is always a good idea to have a little cash. Foreign issued ATM cards may have limited use at ATMs in different countries. Please refer to your bank for more information. “HanNet” ATM: Most foreign cards (VISA, MASTER, DINERS, JCB, AMEX) are accepted 24 hours a day. You may find these ATMs in Seoul Subway Line stations. Sometimes, convenienience stores like LG25, Mini Stop, and Buy the Way may also offer ATMs as well. Hotels, bus terminals, highway rest areas and shopping malls are some other places to look for “HanNet” ATMs.* Some bank branches may be equipped with Global ATMs that allows use of foreign cards.