KTX or Flight from Seoul to Busan? Compare Door-to-Door Time
A flight can look faster on a timetable, but the airport trip, check-in buffer and arrival transfer change the real comparison. For many travelers, KTX is competitive because it connects city centers more directly.
Compare hotel-to-hotel time, not vehicle time. KTX often reduces airport overhead, while a flight may still work when the schedule, fare or airport locations fit your trip better.
What KTX saves
Rail travel removes much of the airport process and usually makes luggage handling simpler. If your Seoul and Busan hotels are both convenient to major stations, that advantage becomes more important.
When flying can still work
A domestic flight can make sense when the fare is strong, the schedule is better or your origin and destination are unusually convenient to the airports. The point is not to declare one mode universally best.
Hotel → station/airport → waiting/check-in → ride → arrival station/airport → hotel.