Distance from Beijing to Seoul
🇨🇳 Beijing, China → 🇰🇷 Seoul, South Korea
The dashed line joins the two city centres; the true shortest path on the globe is a great-circle arc, and real flight paths also bend around restricted airspace and follow airways.
Why the flight avoids the direct line
The straight line between the two capitals runs east from Beijing over Tianjin and the Bohai Sea, past the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula and then along the coast of North Korea before reaching Seoul. Scheduled flights do not use North Korean airspace, so they cross the Yellow Sea further south, usually via the Shandong Peninsula, before turning in toward Incheon (ICN) or Gimpo (GMP). Beijing Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX) both handle the route, and nonstop flights are frequent.
By sea
There is no rail link. Passenger ferries across the Yellow Sea have long connected Incheon with Chinese ports such as Tianjin, Weihai and Qingdao. The crossing takes most of a day or an overnight voyage, and Tianjin is about half an hour from Beijing by high-speed train.
Since 1992
China and South Korea established diplomatic relations only in 1992, but trade grew quickly, and China became South Korea's largest trading partner. The cultural exchange runs both ways, from Chinese students in Seoul to the popularity of Korean dramas and music in China. The China vs South Korea comparison covers the two countries in more detail.
Beijing
Seoul
Frequently asked questions
- How far is Seoul from Beijing?
- 952 km (592 miles) in a straight line (great-circle distance). The distance is the same in both directions.
- How long is the flight from Beijing to Seoul?
- A nonstop flight covers the distance in roughly 1h 41m. That estimate assumes an average 800 km/h plus 30 minutes for taxi, climb and descent; scheduled times vary with routing and winds.
- What direction is Seoul from Beijing?
- Seoul lies roughly east of Beijing; the initial great-circle bearing is 102°.
- What is the time difference between Beijing and Seoul?
- Seoul (UTC+9) is 1h ahead of Beijing (UTC+8). Neither city uses daylight saving time.
- Which airports serve this route?
- Beijing: Capital (PEK) and Daxing (PKX). Seoul: Incheon (ICN) and Gimpo (GMP).
- Is there a ferry from China to Seoul?
- Yes, passenger ferries cross the Yellow Sea between Incheon, the port for Seoul, and Chinese cities including Tianjin, Weihai and Qingdao. Tianjin is about 30 minutes from Beijing by high-speed train.
Other routes from Beijing and Seoul
See the country profiles for China and South Korea, or measure any other pair with the Asia distance calculator.