Is Seoul Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Seoul is generally safe for solo female travelers. The crime rate is relatively low and the locals are highly respectful. The city is also very clean and public transportation is reliable. It's common to see women walking alone late at night. However, like anywhere, it's always important to stay alert and aware of your surroundings.

Safety rating

4.6 /5

Based on 37 experiences from female travelers

4.5 /5

Based on our research and crime data

4.1 /5

Based on 19 experiences from local women

Seoul is currently ranked #74 safest place for solo female travelers, with an overall safety rating of 4.6 out of 5. Check the full ranking.

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How safe is Seoul?

Safety at night:Safe

Seoul, exhibits a high level of safety at night. The city is well-lit and the morning hours are lively with people, so even late into the night the roads aren't completely deserted. Public transports like buses, taxis, and subways are available at night. Still, like any other city, it's always recommended to stick to main roads, avoid dimly lit or deserted alleys. It's also wise to stay mindful of your belongings and your surroundings.

Public transportation:Very safe

Public transportation in Seoul is excellent and remarkably safe. The city offers an extensive subway system, bus routes, and taxis. The subway system is very efficient, clean and the signs are available in multiple languages, including English. Buses are accessible and taxis are affordable. It's common to see women using these systems at all hours of the day or night. All vehicles are equipped with security cameras and emergency call buttons. Remember to keep your belongings close to you and be aware of your surroundings as you would in any other big city.

Street harassment:Low

Seoul is generally a safe city for solo female travelers. Street harassment is quite low compared to many other major cities across the globe. The locals are usually polite and respectful, and instances of open hostility or unwanted attention are uncommon. Despite this, it's always advisable to stay alert and follow common safety precautions, particularly during late hours.

Petty crimes:Low

Seoul is considered quite safe with regard to petty crimes. Although pickpocketing and bag-snatching can occasionally occur in crowded areas such as markets or public transportation, these instances are relatively rare. As in any large city, maintaining awareness of your surroundings and keeping personal belongings secure can further minimize such risks. The local police are generally responsive and many officers speak English. Security cameras, or CCTV, are also staples throughout the city, contributing to a lower crime rate.

Is Seoul worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 37 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.6/5

Safety

4.6/5

Food

4.6/5

Budget-friendly

3.4/5

Solo travel

Loved the trip honestly. I'm planning on shifting to Seoul soon and planned this trip to get familiar with the place before shifting there. Had a great experience people were nice. Everything was good overall tbh!

Posted: May 27, 2025

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Alexa

United States

Solo travel

The entire time I was in Seoul I never felt unsafe. Everyone was kind and helpful. Korean food is amazing! I say get out of your comfort zone and try something different, you won’t regret it. The bus and metro system are fairly easy to use and understand. Just make sure to get a t-money card, buy one at any convenience store and load it up at the machines in the stations.

Posted: May 13, 2025

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Solo travel

Seoul is beautiful and breathtakingly impressive. I felt very safe being alone and didn’t have any weird situations whatsoever. Also, it’s quite cheap for a capital! Definitely recommend for people who are new to traveling and.

Posted: May 12, 2025

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Solo travel

As a foreigner I felt safe walking around, even at night. I was there for around 8 weeks and never witnessed any antisocial behaviour. The worst thing was some of the public toilets were quite poorly maintained. Bring your own toilet paper! In fact, I was warned about racism (especially from older people) yet the older people I came across were lovely, even at one time offering their seat to me on public transport when I had many shopping bags. I was mostly worried about rabies, as there were many stray cats I liked to feed around my hotel. Unfortunately I did see a rabid cat :(

Posted: May 7, 2025

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Solo travel

Korea for traveling is a beautiful country but as someone who’ve been living here for 4years I recommend to be careful when girl goes out in famous areas like hongdae and itaewon . A lot of Korean goes there to have fun with foreigners. So please I hope people stop romanticized Koreans . They are not the same as the ones you see in kdrama

Posted: April 21, 2025

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Is Seoul safe for women?

Safety index

4.1 /5

Based on 19 local experiences

Crime index

1.6 /5

Based on 19 local experiences

Seoul is one of the safest city. I had few foreign friends in Korea and they all told me they feel safe in Seoul! Nobody is going to harass you even if you are a girl walking alone at night. But be a little cautious when clubbing.

Posted: May 25, 2025

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Meet locals in Seoul

About Me

I'm a new solo traveler, really excited to go to Japan and travel overseas alone for the first time! I lived abroad of Korea over a decade while moving around countries, so I love meeting new people! I worked in the education field here in Korea but I'm kinda burnt out, maybe I want to find a new way of living? Not sure with my life but solo traveling is going to be one new path for me!

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Yeonjee

About Me

hello I am a police officer in Korea I traveled around the world 10 years ago and I like to exchange culture and language. I want to show the Korea to traveler and meet up if we have chance. i'm living shindorim station, seoul, south korea

Speaking

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Stay with locals in Seoul

Yeonjee

Seoul

Can host for:

2 days

About me

Speaking

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Liza

Seoul

Can host for:

3 days

About me

Hi there, I'm Liza! Recently graduated with Masters degree and now looking for a job I live in a one-room but open to hosting if you are not afraid if small spaces and not-so-good bathroom :D I also like strolling around Seoul so can make a company or just give advice on places to go :)