98. The ICML 2026 Seoul Survival Guide

(Epistemic status: Lived experience and a little reconnaissance. For Western AI/ML types attending ICML 2026 in Seoul who'd rather spend their energy on research than figuring out which subway exit leads to their hotel.)

So you're going to Seoul for ICML. Congrats! The conference is at the COEX Mall in Gangnam, which means you're in the gleaming, modern, aggressively capitalist heart of the city. There's good news and bad news here. The good news is that it's remarkably easy to navigate once you know the tricks. The bad news is that there are in fact tricks, and if you don't know the tricks, you'll spend your first two days confused and your third day wishing you'd read this post. Also, Korean culture is distinctive and not everyone in Korea speaks English. I've haunted Seoul enough to know where the traps are, and I understand the Korean language and culture well enough to help you avoid putting a foot wrong. Here's everything you actually need.

First off, transit! The subway will save your day. Seoul's subway is a masterpiece. Wherever it is you're coming from, Seoul's subway probably beats your hometown's. It's clean, it's fast, it runs until midnight (and later on weekends), and it costs so very little. I advise that you get a T-money card immediately; any convenience store or subway station sells them for about ₩4,000 / $3, including initial credit. This card works on subways, buses, taxis, and even some vending machines, and transfers are also free - listen for "환승 입니다" (hwang-seung im-ni-da). You can reload it at any convenience store by saying "티머니 충전" (tee-muh-nee choong-jun) and showing them the card with cash.

The COEX Mall is extremely easy to get to by subway ("지하철", chi-ha-chuhr). You want Samseong/Samsung Station ("삼성역"), which is Line 2 on the Orange Line. Exits 5 and 6 both work, but Exit 6 should be closer to the main conference entrance. The exits are numbered and well-marked - thankfully, Korea takes its wayfinding seriously and the COEX Mall in particular is designed for foreigners to have an easy time of it. That said, the subway runs on a strict schedule; the last trains leave around midnight on weekdays and 1am on weekends. If you miss it, you'll be stuck taking a taxi, which will be fine but cost more. Thankfully, that'll still be cheap by Western standards - something like ₩5,000-15,000 / $4-12 for most trips, while the subway will cost you ₩1,400 / ~$1 per trip regardless of distance. Most signs have English and Chinese in addition to Korean, but some don't, and knowing the word "역", yeok/yuck, the word for station, will help you navigate the subway. 

Food! You can't live on ML chatter alone. Thankfully, Seoul's food scene is generally delicious and shockingly cheap by Western standards. A meal that costs ₩8,000 / $6 will often be better than something you'd pay $30 for in the States. Here's a few pointers on food and dining culture in Korea. First off, there's a colossal food court in the COEX basement with over 40 stalls; conference-goers can eat here on a budget. If you get overwhelmed, try 불고기/ bulgogi, marinated beef, 만두/dumplings, 돈까스/pork cutlets, or 비빔밥/bibim-bap, which is a rice bowl with lots of vegetables and sauces and optionally meat or tofu. If you're feeling more adventurous, you might try 김치찌개/kimchi jjigae, a stew of spicy cabbage and pork, 설렁탕/seollong-tang, a delicious oxbone soup, 오므라이스/omurice, fried rice topped with a thin slice of scrambled egg omelette, or 볶음밥/bok-eum-bap, good old fried rice. Any of these should cost around ₩6,000-10,000 / $5-7. Lotte Burger is also excellent if it's still there. Try the bulgogi burger. It's hardly health food but it's excellent. Buddhism is alive and well in Korea, so vegetarian options shouldn't be too hard to find, either; 봉은사/Bongeunsa Temple is surrounded by small restaurants serving temple food and traditional dishes, and is quieter than Gangnam proper. Look for 사찰음식 (sachal eumsik, temple food) if you want something vegetarian and contemplative.

A few emergency Korean phrases for restaurants:
"물 주세요" (mul ju-se-yo) = Water please.
"계산해 주세요" (gye-san-hae ju-se-yo) = Check please.
"맵지 않게 해 주세요" (maep-ji an-ke hae ju-se-yo) = Not spicy please.
"알레르기 있어요" (al-le-leu-gi iss-eo-yo) = I have allergies. (Warning: Korea is much much worse about life-threatening allergies than the West is! Pack Benadryl.)
"조개" (jo-geh) = shellfish, "새우" (seh-woo) = shrimp, "땅콩" (dahng-kohng) = peanut, "견과" (kyuhn-gwa) = nut, "밀" (mill) = wheat, "우유" (ooh-you) = milk,

"Vegetarian" in Korean is 채식주의자 (chehshik-ju-wee-ja). To say "I am vegetarian," use "저는 채식주의자예요" (jeoneun chehshik-ju-wee-ja-yeyo). For clearer communication, it is often better to say "I don't eat meat" ("고기 안 먹어요" - kogi an meogeoyo) or ask if there's a vegetarian menu ("채식 메뉴 있나요?" - chaeshik menyu innayo?).

What to order: If you're lost, point at what someone else is eating and say "저거 주세요" (jeo-geo ju-se-yo = "that one please"). This works 100% of the time. 

As a general note, the "eo" digraph is pronounced "uh", and the "eu" digraph is pronounced like the "u" in "put".

Bingsu recommendation: There's good 빙수 (shaved ice dessert) near COEX - ask a Korean attendee to point you to their favorite spot. Everyone has opinions about this. Summer in Seoul is when bingsu becomes necessary, not optional. I don't really like the red bean kind, but you might want to try it. 

A few cultural notes: You'll often get banchan (반찬) - small side dishes and pickles that appear without your ordering them. They're free with unlimited refills, and they come with the meal. Also, don't ask for the check until you're actually ready to leave - servers won't hover or rush you. That said, you'll want to wave down waiters with a "저기요"/juh-gi-yo, literally "over there" but used more like a "hey I need service"; there's often little doorbell-type things to use, too. Things work differently than in the West: waiters may not come to you unless you ask for them. Seems more sensible to me, really. Finally, tipping: Don't. Seriously. It's not expected, it's not wanted, and it'll confuse people. Korea actuallly pays waiters properly. The price on the menu is the price you pay, and service charges are already included.

 

Navigating the COEX Mall can be an undertaking of its own. It's enormous and confusing. It's got a convention center, a shopping mall, an aquarium, and a library all connected underground. First-timers get lost. Don't feel bad about consulting maps; they're scattered throughout. Here's a few things to seek out.

The main conference entrance: Again, Samseong Station Exit 6. Follow signs for the COEX Convention Center. You'll walk through part of the underground shopping area - this is intentional. Korea believes in maximizing retail opportunities.
The Starfield Library: In the middle of the COEX Mall, Instagram-famous, absolutely worth seeing. It has giant bookshelves, public seating, and it's much quieter than you'd expect for something this photogenic. It's a great place to decompress between sessions. You might even find me there!
Bongeunsa Temple: Right next to COEX  - walk out the north exit and cross the street; you can't miss it. It's 1300 years old; beautiful, silent, and free. When the conference gets overwhelming, this is where you escape. They don't mind visitors; just be respectful - shoes off in buildings, quiet voices, you know how to act (I hope).
Food court location: Once again, the basement level of COEX Mall. Follow signs for "푸드 코트" or just follow the smell. It's organized by cuisine type (Korean, Japanese, Western, etc.) so you shouldn't have that much trouble making your way to something you like. Get there before 12:30pm or after 1:30pm to avoid peak lunch chaos.
The multiple entrances problem: COEX has well over nine different entrances. This is far too many but that's frankly just a skill issue. If someone says "meet at COEX," make very sure to clarify which entrance. The app "COEX Guide" has indoor maps, but the English version is... creative. It's better to just memorize landmarks.

 

A few more emergency Korean phrases you'll want. Language: never leave home without it. You don't need to be fluent. Nine phrases will give you most of what you need:
"화장실 어디예요?" (hwa-jang-sil eo-di-ye-yo?) = Where's the bathroom?
"도와주세요" (do-wa-ju-se-yo) = Help please!
"미국인입니다, 영어 하세요?" (mi-guk-in-im-ni-da, yeong-eo ha-se-yo?) = I'm American, do you speak English? (substitute mi-guk-in with yeong-guk-in for British, kaen-a-da-in for Canadian)
"실례합니다" (sil-lye-ham-ni-da) = Excuse me / Sorry.
"감사합니다" (gam-sa-ham-ni-da) = Thank you.
"여기로 가주세요" (yeo-gi-ro ga-ju-se-yo) = Go here please (for taxis - have address written in Korean).
"얼마예요?" (eol-ma-ye-yo?) = How much?
"괜찮아요" (gwaen-chan-a-yo) = It's okay / I'm fine.
"천천히 말해 주세요" (cheon-cheon-hi mal-hae ju-se-yo) = Please speak slowly.
Write these down. Bring the paper. Your phone will die at the worst possible moment.
For a pronunciation tip: Korean has sounds English doesn't. Don't stress about perfect pronunciation, thought - people will understand and appreciate the attempt. You know that one meme about areas of Europe where trying to speak the language gets you disdain, "that's cute but let's just speak English", or "we are now friends"? Korea's at worst "that's cute but I know enough English". If they respond in English, it's because they want to practice, not because you failed.

 

Money and payment! It makes the world go round, or so I've heard. Credit cards are widely accepted in Gangnam, but cash is still king at small restaurants and convenience stores. Bring both and hit up a currency exchange. ₩500 are chonky and satisfying. Sadly, there's no bills larger than ₩50,000, roughly $40, and even those are pretty rare. For ATMs, look for "Global ATM" signs, which accept foreign cards. 7-Eleven and GS25 (convenience stores) usually have them. Notably, most Korean bank ATMs don't take foreign cards unless they say "Global." For how much cash to carry, I recommend ₩50,000-100,000 ($40-80) as plenty for a day. Seoul is extremely safe; you're more likely to accidentally leave money somewhere and have someone run after you to return it.

Some rough costs:
Subway ride: ₩1,400 (~$1)
A convenience store meal: ₩4,000-6,000 ($3-5)
A restaurant meal: ₩8,000-15,000 ($6-12)
A nice dinner: ₩25,000-40,000 ($20-32)
Coffee: ₩4,000-6,000 ($3-5) (but be prepared for Korean coffee to kinda suck).
A taxi across Gangnam: ₩8,000-12,000 ($6-10)

Next, data! The lifeblood of our kind. Almost more vital than literal food, really. At Incheon Airport (ICN), get a SIM card immediately after customs, before you even leave the terminal. Multiple carriers (SK Telecom, KT, LG U+) have booths. A week-long tourist SIM with data costs about ₩30,000-50,000 ($25-40), and they'll install it for you. Alternatively, rent a pocket WiFi device if you're traveling with others if you really think you'll need it. It's one device, multiple people can connect, and it costs about ₩6,000/$5 per day. Pick it up at airport and drop it off when you leave. But frankly, free WiFi is everywhere! Subway stations, cafes, COEX, and most public spaces all have it; Seoul is blanketed in it. The quality varies, but the subway WiFi is actually good and even works while moving. I have fond memories of being surprised by it working underground when NYC signal was still garbage.

There's a few apps you'll find helpful. First off, Naver Map. It works better than Google Maps does in Korea; Google's map data is deliberately inaccurate for national security reasons, though it might still work alright. KakaoMetro helps with subway navigation and works offline, and KakaoTalk is how people often communicate - think Signal, Discord, Whatsapp, or SMS, except yellow and with more stickers. Papago and Naver are both translation apps that work much better than Google Translate does for Korean.

 

Weather and packing! Seoul is not the Bay Area; they have actual weather there. July is hot and humid. Some things to bring: light and breathable clothing; layers to handle the aggressive Korean AC; an umbrella or good rain coat; a portable fan (like locals and I both use!); comfortable shoes for all that walking. Be prepared!

You'll be making contacts and friends and hopefully getting into a situation or two. Try not to be That Foreigner. Here's a few helpful tips on how to blend in a touch more. Korea is much more frequently shoes off indoors (yet another thing I think they do right). Always take shoes off inside homes and temples, and even some restaurants. Basically, if you see shoes at the entrance, add yours to the pile. Koreans often care about age hierarchies - if someone's older, pour drinks for them, and turn your head slightly when drinking around someone meaningfully older to show respect. This won't come up much at the conference proper but it might matter at dinners. Additionally, if someone's pouring a drink for you, hold your glass with both hands. Likewise, if you're pouring for someone older, use both hands to do that. In fact, if you're offering something politely to someone, give it to them with both hands. Maybe bow your head a little. If you don't drink, you can say as much and be fine - say "저는 술을 못 마셔요" (jeo-neun sul-eul mot ma-syeo-yo = "I can't drink alcohol") and people should understand. Be orderly in queues; Koreans are good at forming orderly lines. Don't cut, don't push, don't shove... unless you're in the subway at rush hour, in which case it'd probably be poor manners to stab someone. If you smoke, do it only in designated areas; certainly not on the street. Luckily for you smoking's much more accepted in Korea than in the West.

 

Hopefully you won't need advice on safety and medicine, but hope's not a plan. First and foremost, the emergency number is 119 for both ambulance and fire (and not 911; don't try that!). They have English-speaking operators so thankfully that won't be a problem. Pharmacies are everywhere, marked with 약/yahk, the word for medicine. Many pharmacists speak English, and pharmacies have plenty of over-the-counter options. As a backup, 24-hour convenience stores are there for you, stocking basic painkillers, cold meds, and bandadges. GS25, 7-Eleven, and CU are the main chains. For safety (personal and prosaic, not AI), Seoul is extremely safe, even at night. The biggest risk is crossing the street wrong - look both ways; cars technically stop for pedestrians but "technically" is doing some heavy lifting there. For health insurance,  bring your travel insurance card if you have one. Korean hospitals are excellent and relatively cheap - rather less of the for-profit medicine rot there - but having insurance makes everything easier.

 

A quick reference card:
Emergency: 119
Information: 1330 (Korea Travel Hotline, English available)
Lost & Found: 02-120
Subway app: KakaoMetro
Maps: Naver Map
Translation: Papago
T-money card: Any convenience store
COEX Station: Samseong (Line 2), Exit 5 or 6
Survival Korean:
Hello: 안녕하세요 (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo)
Thank you: 감사합니다 (gam-sa-ham-ni-da)
Sorry: 죄송합니다 (che-sohng-ham-ni-da)
Help: 도와주세요 (toe-wa-ju-se-yo)
Water: 물 (mul)
Bathroom: 화장실 (hwa-jang-sil)

 

Finally, some closing thoughts. Seoul rewards curiosity. If you see something interesting down a side street, go investigate. If a restaurant looks packed with locals and has no English menu, that's a good sign. If you get lost, you're probably about to find something worth finding.
The conference will give you the papers; Seoul will give you everything else... if you let it. I'll see you there, somewhere between the subway station and a bowl of good bingsu; probably appearing just after twilight, when the humidity finally breaks and the city lights up, or in the middle of a thundering monsoon as the heat breaks and the sun returns. Stay curious. Stay hydrated. And don't miss your subway stop because you were too focused on your phone.