Government to Launch '4 Types of Public Transport Discount Passes'... Customized Discounts

K-Pass, Climate Companion Card, The Gyeonggi Pass, etc.
Use Advantageous Cards According to Usage Patterns and Regions

The government, along with Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon City, is promoting a transportation card project that can be used nationwide or within respective regions to alleviate the burden of public transportation costs for the public, thereby expanding choices.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, and Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, held a joint briefing at the Korea Press Center and announced that they would actively cooperate to ensure the smooth implementation of the public transportation cost support project.

A city bus transportation card terminal at Seoul Station Bus Transfer Center. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

K-Pass, Minimum 20% Discount on Public Transportation Fees Starting in May

The 'K-Pass,' which the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to launch early in May, is a transportation card designed to refund a certain percentage of expenses (20% for the general public, 30% for youth, and 53% for low-income groups) the following month when using public transportation such as city buses and subways regularly at least 15 times a month.

It improves on the inconveniences of the existing Altteul Transportation Card. Long-distance commuters using the Seoul Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX) Line A and metropolitan buses can also use the K-Pass.

The Ministry plans to complete consultations within the period to enable use in 17 cities and provinces nationwide (189 cities, counties, and districts), including the three local governments in the metropolitan area.

Seoul City's 'Climate Companion Card' features unlimited use of city public transportation for around 60,000 KRW per month. It will be implemented starting on the 27th of this month. Including the use of Ddareungi (Seoul’s public bike system), the cost is 65,000 KRW; excluding it, 62,000 KRW. Seoul citizens can choose the card that best suits their public transportation usage patterns and region between the K-Pass and the Climate Companion Card.

Gyeonggi Province and Incheon City are preparing the 'The Gyeonggi Pass' and 'Incheon I-Pass' projects, respectively, which provide additional benefits to residents based on the K-Pass. Both transportation cards treat public transportation usage exceeding the K-Pass’s monthly accumulation limit of 60 rides as unlimited.

Additionally, benefits have been enhanced according to regional conditions, such as expanding the age range for youth (both Gyeonggi and Incheon from 34 to 39 years old) and increasing refund benefits for seniors aged 65 and over (Incheon).

'Transportation Cost Discount' Livelihood Policy

With additional support from local governments on top of the K-Pass, residents of Gyeonggi Province and Incheon City can save even more on public transportation costs. Furthermore, Incheon City is reportedly considering introducing an unlimited metropolitan bus pass similar in concept to the Climate Companion Card.

Minister Park said, "We will strive to become an 'acting government' that listens to the voices from the field of people’s livelihoods and implements genuine livelihood policies," adding, "We plan to provide detailed guidance on the benefits and scope of application for each project to avoid confusion among users."

He continued, "In addition to supporting public transportation costs, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and local governments will actively cooperate to ensure the smooth implementation of various public transportation revitalization policies, such as expanding transportation facilities and increasing the number of buses and trains."

The three metropolitan local governments also agreed with the government’s opinion that closer communication and cooperation are necessary.

Mayor Oh said, "The launch of the Climate Companion Card on the 27th will be a signal for a leap forward in public transportation in our country," adding, "We will continue to discover additional benefits in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon City to provide citizens with a better mobility experience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.