Korea Racing Authority

The three racecourses at a glance

The Korea Racing Authority runs the country's horse racing, and its racecourses are branded LetsRun Park. Three of them host racing: Seoul, Busan-Gyeongnam and Jeju. A fourth, LetsRun Park Yeongcheon, opened on September 11, 2026 at 1 Gyeongmagongwon-ro, Gumho-eup, Yeongcheon-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, making it the newest site in the network⁷.

LetsRun Park Seoul is the main track. It sits at 107 Gyeongma Kongwondaero, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, zip 427-711, just south of the capital, and the older address listing is 685 Juam-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do¹. Racing has been held there since September 1, 1989¹. A typical raceday runs an average of 12 races with 30 to 35 minutes between them¹. The park is closed every Monday and Tuesday⁵.

LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam is the southern track, serving the Busan and Gyeongnam region. It closed from September 21 to 29, 2026 for the Chuseok holiday, and it offers free admission on public holiday race days⁶. If you are planning a trip around a Korean holiday, check the closure notice before you travel.

LetsRun Park Jeju is on the island. Its address is 1206, Yoosuam-ri, Aewol, Bukjeju-gun, Jeju-do¹. Jeju runs a smaller program than the mainland tracks and takes a share of overseas simulcast races, with 2R of overseas simulcast races on its card².

The three tracks also share overseas simulcast content. From the second week of April, Busan takes 3R of overseas simulcast, and in summer there are 3R of additional overseas simulcast races split between Busan and Jeju². If you want to bet on foreign racing while in Korea, that is where it happens.

Where else you can bet: off-course betting offices by region

You do not have to go to a racecourse to bet. The Korea Racing Authority operates 26 branch offices, made up of 21 in the capital area and 5 in the provinces⁸. These are off-course betting centers: buildings with betting ticket sales and race relay facilities where you can watch the races from the racecourses and place bets on them⁸.

• Capital area: 21 branches, so you are rarely far from a betting point if you are in or around Seoul⁸
• Provinces: 5 branches covering the rest of the country, so check which one is nearest before you set out⁸
• Seoul leisure venue: LetsRun CCC Walkerhill, a betting and leisure facility owned and operated by the authority⁹

The practical setup at a branch is simple. You walk in, watch the relay on the screens, buy a betting ticket at the counter or machine, and collect any winnings on site. The same bet types are available as at the track, and the same pari-mutuel pool prices them¹.

Online betting: what is available and to whom

The Korea Racing Authority can sell betting tickets in electronic form, meaning online and by phone, at places other than racecourses and off-course betting centers³. In practice this means the authority itself offers electronic betting tickets, and the ARS phone line at 1566-9977 is the number for betting by phone¹⁰.

For a visitor or a foreign resident, betting runs through the KRA's own channels: at a racecourse, at one of the 26 branches, or through the authority's electronic and phone services⁴. A local ID is not needed to walk into a racecourse and buy a ticket at the window, but you must be old enough to bet, and carrying your passport helps if you are asked to show age or identity.

Admission, race times and English commentary

Admission is one of the cheapest parts of a day at the races. General admission at Seoul racecourse is 910 won, and at Busan racecourse it is 10 won². Busan also gives free admission on public holiday race days⁶. The Korea Racing Authority may collect admission fees from people visiting racecourses and off-course betting centers, so expect a small charge at the gate at most venues³.

There is also a free entry benefit through the DerbyOn app. Signing up gives you free admission, and even after a promotion ends, the free entry benefit stays available through app signup⁷. One-Day Passes issued by September 20, 2026 remain usable until December 13, 2026, and the pass event itself closed on September 21, 2026 at 9:00⁷.

Race times vary by day and by season. On the published schedule, the first race goes off at 11:00 on Friday and Saturday and at 10:35 on Sunday, and the last race is at 18:00¹³. Under the 2025 race plan, Seoul's first race was 11:00 on Friday, 10:35 on Saturday and 10:35 on Sunday for day racing, while night racing started at 14:00 on Friday, 12:30 on Saturday and 10:35 on Sunday¹⁴. If you are planning around a specific day, check the current race plan, because the day and night schedules differ.

English commentary is currently available only for Seoul and Busan races⁴. If you do not speak Korean and want to follow the call, those are the two tracks to visit. Jeju does not have English commentary at this time.

How to place a bet: at the track, by phone and online

Korean horse racing uses pari-mutuel betting. There are no bookmakers, on course or off course¹. That means all the money on a race goes into a pool, and the payout is calculated from the pool after the operator's take. The principal bet types are Win, Place, Quinella and Exacta¹.

At the track, the routine is straightforward. You buy a betting ticket at the window or a terminal, watch the race, and collect at the payout window if your ticket wins. The same applies at the 26 off-course branches, where the races are relayed to screens and you bet on what you see⁸.

By phone, the ARS betting number is 1566-9977¹⁰. For general sales questions, the main helpline is 1566-3333, and the Busan-Gyeongnam race office uses the same 1566-3333 number⁴. There is also a race sales terminal number, 13822, with terminal 107 in Gyeonggi and Jeju⁴.

Online, the Korea Racing Authority may sell electronic betting tickets through information and communications networks at places other than racecourses and off-course betting centers³. That is the legal online channel. Betting on horse racing through the KRA is one of the legal forms of gambling in the country, alongside casinos, cycling, boat racing, the lottery, sports promotion voting tickets and bullfighting¹¹.

A few practical notes for a first visit:

• Bring your passport if you are a visitor, since you may be asked for ID
• Check the closure days before you go: Seoul is closed Mondays and Tuesdays⁵, and Busan closed for Chuseok from September 21 to 29, 2026⁶
• If you want English commentary, go to Seoul or Busan⁴
• If you want the cheapest gate, Busan's 10 won general admission is hard to beat, and public holiday race days there are free²

For the wider picture of what gambling is legal in the country, see Can I Gamble in South Korea?. For the racing-specific rules, see Betting on Horse Racing in South Korea, and for the other state-run betting sports, see Betting on Cycle Racing and Motorboat Racing in South Korea.