Two or Three Songs for 1,000 Won, and 10,000 Won Buys a Solo Hour! How Korea’s Coin Karaoke (Coin Noraebang) Works—Prices, Finding English Songs, the 10 pm Rule, and Where to Go in Hongdae and Gangnam [Things Worth Doing in Korea #27]

You have probably seen them: glass-walled booths the size of a phone box, with a Korean twenty-something ducking in for “just one song.” That is coin karaoke, 코인노래방 in Korean, 코노 for short. Standalone shops took off around 2013, and franchises spread them everywhere from 2016 on.

The system is almost disappointingly simple. Walk into an empty booth, feed the machine a 1,000-won bill, and you get credit for two or three songs. No front desk, no room charge, no drinks to order, which makes it the easiest karaoke a traveler will ever use.

And the English catalog is deep. About 90% of Korean karaoke machines are made by TJ Media, and English-language pop has its own category with searchable titles and artists. You do not need to read a word of Korean.

This guide covers the going rates, when to pick a timed room instead, the 10 pm rule, and two venues by Hongdae and Gangnam Station. For a solo traveler with 30 minutes to kill before heading back to the hotel, it is close to perfect!

1,000 Won for Two or Three Songs Is the Going Rate! Coin Karaoke Prices, and Why Every Venue Is Different

✔ Expect 1,000 won for two or three songs, two in busy districts
The baseline is 1,000 won for two or three songs. It swings with location, though: nightlife districts like Hongdae and Gangnam tend to give two songs per 1,000 won, residential areas and smaller cities four or five, and the odd venue as many as eight. So the first thing to do is read the sign taped to the glass at the entrance, which looks like “1,000원 3곡” (1,000 won, three songs).

Some venues also run timed rooms. One 2023 news example priced them at 2,500 won for 30 minutes and 4,000 won for an hour, with unlimited songs. Groups of three or four do better with a timed room; a solo singer with a few songs in mind is better off paying per song. You decide once, “1시간” (one hour) or “곡” (songs), and the rest is automatic.

To put it in perspective, at two or three songs per 1,000 won, a 10,000-won note buys 20 to 30 songs, or close to an hour and a half at four minutes a song. Regular karaoke rooms (노래방) charge by the room and by the hour, so for one or two people coin karaoke is dramatically cheaper because you only pay for what you sing.

Coin karaoke in Korea: price guide (as of September 2026)

Item	Price (won)	Note
Per song (going rate)	1,000 for 2 to 3 songs	2 in Hongdae and Gangnam; 4 to 5 at some residential-area venues
Timed room (example)	2,500 for 30 min / 4,000 for 1 hour	One venue in a 2023 report. Unlimited songs
Awesome, Hongdae	1,000 for 3 songs	Per reviews. Card payment in the booth
Samsam, Gangnam Station	1,000 for 3 songs	Owner’s notice. Open until 2 am
Hours for under 19s	9:00 to 22:00	By law. Adults only after 10 pm

✔ There is one more solo-friendly night spot Korea’s PC bang works the same way, hourly from about 1,000 won, and the 『PC bang guide (#4 in this series)』 explains how to buy time at the counter. Pair it with coin karaoke before or after.

No Front Desk, Just Feed It a Bill! From Walking In to Walking Out, and How to Pay

✔ Find an empty booth, insert money, punch in a song number, done
Inside, you will find a row of glass booths. Pick an empty one (door open, screen idle), slide a 1,000-won bill into the machine’s bill slot, and the screen shows your credit as a number of remaining songs. Coins work too, but only 500-won pieces. Some machines do not give change for a 10,000-won note, so break it at a convenience store first.

You choose songs with the remote or the machine’s touchscreen. TJ Media machines have a “팝송” (pop song) category for English tracks and “일본곡” for Japanese, searchable by artist or title. Enter the song number, press “시작” (start), and it plays; when it ends the next song starts, or the machine stops when your credit runs out. To bail on a song, press “취소” (cancel).

Payment has been changing over the past few years. Coins and bills are still the norm, but more machines take cards inside the booth, and more venues have an entrance kiosk where you pick a timed room and pay by card. Reviews of Awesome in Hongdae mention paying by card in the booth; in cash it is 1,000 won for three songs.

English Pop Has Its Own Category! Finding Foreign Songs, and Trying a Korean One

✔ On a TJ Media machine, search in English as-is
TJ Media makes about 90% of Korean karaoke machines; the rest are “금영” (Kumyoung). On TJ machines the “팝송” category lets you search by English title or artist, and the lyrics come up in English. The catalog runs from decades-old standards to current chart pop, so you will rarely miss a song you would find at home.

Japanese songs get their own “일본곡” category with Japanese-language search and lyrics. Chinese-language songs are noticeably thinner than English or Japanese. If you want to check before you go, TJ Media’s website and app let you search the catalog.

While you are there, put in one Korean song. The on-screen lyrics are in Hangul, but K-pop is singable if you know the romanized words. The songs bleeding through from the next booth are, quite literally, what Korea is singing right now, and copying them is half the fun.

Adults Only After 10 pm! The Rule for Minors, and Three Bits of Etiquette Travelers Should Know

✔ Under 19s can use karaoke rooms from 9 am to 10 pm, and not after
Under the enforcement decree of Korea’s Music Industry Promotion Act, karaoke rooms (노래연습장) may admit minors, meaning anyone under 19, only between 9 am and 10 pm. At 10 pm minors have to leave. Some venues post 10 or 12 as their cutoff, but 10 pm is the legal baseline. For a family trip with kids, right before or after dinner is the natural slot.

Three points of etiquette cover it. First, booths are tiny, so keep bags on your lap or the floor. Second, most venues do not allow outside food or drink (the vending machine inside is fine). Third, when you are done, do not linger even if credit remains: someone is usually waiting. Hongdae venues run close to 24 hours, and on Friday nights some have queues.

One more thing: the soundproofing is weaker than at a regular karaoke room. Hearing the next booth is normal, which also means they can hear you. If that bothers you, timed rooms (usually with thicker walls) are the calmer choice.

Where to Sing? Map and Recap—Awesome in Hongdae and Samsam by Gangnam Station

To recap: coin karaoke is three steps, walk into an empty booth, insert a 1,000-won bill, pick from “팝송” or K-pop. The going rate is 1,000 won for two or three songs, and under 19s are out by 10 pm. Coin karaoke venues generally sit at 4.0 to 4.2 stars on Google Maps, and almost none in this category meet this site’s usual bar of 4.5 stars with 100+ reviews. So we picked the two highest-rated venues among those with 50 or more reviews (as of September 17, 2026).

• Awesome Coin Karaoke, Hongdae (어썸코인노래연습장 홍대점) — Google 4.5 (74 reviews), 4 Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Hongik University Station (Line 2), open until midnight, 1,000 won for three songs (per reviews), card payment in the booth
• Samsam Coin Karaoke, Gangnam Station (삼삼코인노래연습장 강남역점) — Google 5.0 (59 reviews), B2, Mani Building, 428 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Gangnam Station (Line 2), open until 2 am, 1,000 won for three songs (owner’s notice)

FAQ

How much does coin karaoke cost?

The going rate is 1,000 won for two or three songs. Busy districts like Hongdae and Gangnam give two; residential areas and smaller cities four or five. Timed rooms have been priced at 2,500 won for 30 minutes and 4,000 won for an hour.

Are there English songs?

Yes. TJ Media machines, about 90% of the market, have a “팝송” (pop song) category searchable by English title or artist, with lyrics displayed in English.

Can I go alone?

Yes. Booths are built for one or two people, there is no front desk or booking, and you just walk into an empty booth and insert money. Solo use is the most common way to go.

How do I pay?

Mainly 1,000-won bills and 500-won coins. More machines now take cards in the booth, and more venues have kiosks that accept cards. Some machines do not give change for 10,000-won notes, so carry small bills.

Can I bring kids?

Yes, but by law anyone under 19 can only use karaoke rooms between 9 am and 10 pm. After 10 pm it is adults only.