By plane
Gwangju Airport IATA: KWJ has flights to Seoul and Jeju.
Unless on a company budget or pressed for time, most travelers never step foot in the airport since it only offers flights to Seoul Gimpo and Jeju Airport. Most travelers find it easier and cheaper to take a direct bus from Incheon International Airport instead 4 1/2 hours or even Gimhae Airport Busan - 3 hours if need be. There are 1-2 departures hourly to/from Incheon and the cost is 29,600 won. Gimhae airport is a bit more difficult to navigate to and from. Fastest route would be to take a bus to Gimhae, then take a taxi to the Gimhae Airport ê¹í´ ê³µí - Kim-Hey Gonghang. Reverse that trip of heading to Gwangju.
Eventually, the entire Gwangju airport will be phased out and left with only a Korean air force base with a small detachment of American soldiers. The airport servicing Gwangju will soon be only the Muan-International Airport, roughly one hour west of Gwangju.
By bus
Buses from major cities throughout the country arrive and depart from Gwangju Bus Terminal, a large, fancy and recently renovated bus terminal near the geographic center of the city. The largest and fanciest in the country to be precise: this place looks like an airport. Every taxi driver in Gwangju knows the bus terminal as ë²ì¤ í°ë¯¸ë, or "Busuh Teo-mee-nal". Seoul Gangnam to Gwangju prices are either 16,900 or 23,000 for the standard bus or the limousine bus respectively. Prices to other cities are comparable.
By train
Korail and KTX trains run from Seoul multiple times a day and are the quickest option for travelers wanting to go to Gwangju from Seoul. The trip takes 3 hours and the cost is 33,000-39,000 won. Note that all trains depart from Yongsan Station in Seoul, not the main Seoul Station.
A separate KTX Honam line is under construction and when completed around 2014, going from Seoul to Gwangju will take 90 minutes.