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South Korea's first unlimited integrated public transportation pass, the 'Gihudonghaeng Card,' will go on sale on the 23rd. Priced at around 60,000 KRW per month, it allows users to access Seoul's subway, buses, and Ddareungi bike-sharing service for 30 days. Competition over transportation policies among local governments has also intensified. Depending on the effectiveness of the public transportation discount policies announced by each local government head, the scope of their policy activities is expected to expand further.

Seoul City announced that starting today, the physical Gihudonghaeng Cards will be sold at convenience stores near stations of Seoul Metro Lines 1 to 8 Customer Safety Office (Line 1 covers Seoul Station to Cheongnyangni Station), Line 9, Ui-Sinseol Line, and Sillim Line.

The Gihudonghaeng Card can be purchased in two forms: a 'physical card' and a 'mobile card.' The physical card can be bought for 3,000 KRW and then recharged with cash at charging terminals inside stations. The mobile card is available only to Android phone users. After signing up for the 'Mobile T-money' application, users select the Gihudonghaeng Card on the main screen, register their bank account, and recharge via bank transfer.

Public interest is high. This is the first public transportation support project announced by the government and metropolitan local governments, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 'K-Pass,' Gyeonggi Province's 'The Gyeonggi Pass,' and Incheon City's 'I-Pass' are also scheduled for release one after another.

Currently, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has taken the lead by mentioning 'integration.' At a meeting with local government heads the day before, Mayor Oh stated regarding the government and local government transportation card systems, "In the long run, integration is desirable." He cited past examples, saying, "When the metropolitan area integrated transfer discount system first started, it took about five years due to differing interests among local governments, but eventually it operated as an integrated system." Mayor Oh added, "There may be differing opinions on whether integration is possible or not, but I am on the side that believes it is possible."

As a result, some critics argue that local government heads have prematurely introduced policies without sufficient coordination to gain a policy lead. Regarding the expansion of usage to the metropolitan area mentioned by Mayor Oh, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon expressed a slight difference in opinion, saying, "There is some regret that there could have been more consultation on transportation issues between adjacent metropolitan areas." Considering that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 'K-Pass' was also promoted by former Minister Won Hee-ryong, it suggests that the priority was policy preemption by presidential hopefuls rather than genuine cooperation for citizen convenience between the government and local governments.

However, depending on the success or failure of each public transportation support project, the scope of their activities is expected to vary greatly. Mayor Oh and Governor Kim have already expanded the scope of their policies nationwide, putting effort into their policy messages, while former Minister Won has declared his candidacy for the Incheon Gyeyang-eul district, signaling a 'big match' with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok (from left) are holding hands at the joint briefing session on public transportation season tickets such as Climate Companion Card, K-Pass, The Gyeonggi Pass, and I-Pass held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

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