There are two main ways from Incheon Int'l Airport to the Institute for Basic Science (IBS): a direct Airport Limousine bus to Daejeon, and an Airport Limousine bus or subway (AREX) with bullet train (KTX) transfer at Seoul Station. The third option; a direct KTX route to Daejeon Station, was suspended in March 2018 and officially closed in September 2018 due to low ridership. The most convenient way to get from Incheon Airport to IBS HQ in Daejeon is to use a direct airport limousine bus to Daejeon, and we strongly recommend this method.
Terminal 2 at Incheon Airport opened January 18, 2018 and bus and rail methods mentioned above are available at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Terminal 2 is effectively the SkyTeam terminal. It initially housed Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air France, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and later included Aeromexico, Alitalia, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, XiamenAir, Czech Airlines and Aeroflot in late 2018. The remaining SkyTeam members that serve Incheon Airport, including Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, will relocate after Phase 4 construction is completed in 2020. Before arriving in Korea, knowing which terminal you will arrive in isn't necessary, but when you leave Korea it will be important as transportation between the two terminals is not very convenient. When your plane lands at Incheon Airport, just take note of which terminal you arrive at, as that will be the terminal you depart from.
If you need to get from one terminal to the other, you can take a free airport shuttle bus. Boarding is on the 3rd floor and located near Exit 8 in Terminal 1, and in between Exit 4 and 5 in Terminal 2. Shuttles come every 5 to 8 minutes, stop by the Hyatt Hotel in route from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, stop by the Incheon Airport Fire Station in route from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, and take approximately 20 minutes. Some but not all of the buses are low-floor buses which make them easier to board, but there is limited space for suitcases and travelers are expected to move their own bags. The Airport Railroad Express (AREX) also goes between terminals but is not free and the boarding location is located farther than the shuttle buses. More information on the AREX system is below. There is a maglev system, named the Incheon Airport Maglev, which will be an island-wide maglev in the future. Phase 1 of construction is complete and phases 2 and 3 are planned. Phase 1 does not go between terminals but transfer might be possible in the future when phase 2 opens. As of this writing, it is too early to say if and when a transfer to Terminal 2 will be provided.
If you are in Terminal 2, you’ll take an escalator into the basement, go the middle of the transport area and purchase a ticket for a train. The AREX information center is located behind a pillar and usually has several staff on hand. After purchasing your ticket, you’ll enter the paid area and take an escalator down another floor to board your train.