Subway stations have giant-coded maps, and at every stop, a little automated voice announces the name of the approaching station.
In Hwacheon and smaller places, more people rely on buses. I use the app Bus-tago. It lets me plug in my starting point and destination, and then gives me access to the time tables of buses. It even allows me to buy my tickets online. The app is entirely in Korean, but pretty easy to navigate even if you only know basic Korean and hanguel, the Korean alphabet.
A lot of people do drive in South Korea, and I've noticed that they tend to carpool a lot more here than in the United States. Unless people are planning large family trips or an extended stay somewhere, I think there is a general preference towards buses and trains because of how convenient and efficient they are.
At first, I felt a little nervous about having to rely on public transportation, especially using only my basic Korean. Once I got the hang of it, though, I felt really happy and proud of myself. In Korea, people are generally very quiet and clean on public transportation, out of respect for others. Most people have their headphones on, and rather than talking, they tend to use their travel time to think, text or read for 20 minutes. Personally, I enjoy the quiet time to read a book, and feel comfortable on the clean, spacious buses.
I do occasionally miss the independence and opportunities that come with driving. Korea has such beautiful stretches of highway between green mountains, and I can't help but imagine how much I would have enjoyed road trips here!
