[Oh Se-hoon New Year's Press Conference] "Hangang Bus Will Be a Turning Point Changing Citizens' Perception"

Pilot Operation in February... Official Launch in the First Half of the Year
Wrist Doctor 9988 Targets 2.5 Million Users
Climate Companion Card Deficit to Be Covered by Fare Increase

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated that the 'Hangang Bus,' scheduled to be introduced in the first half of the year, will become this year's representative 'killer policy.' Mayor Oh explained that the Hangang Bus will establish itself as a routine public transportation option alongside buses and subways.

At a New Year's press briefing held at Seoul City Hall on the morning of the 22nd, Mayor Oh was asked about this year's killer policy and responded accordingly. He said, "The Hangang Bus will be added to the Climate Companion Card by the first half of this year. There is still a lack of understanding about this bus. It is a large vessel that can carry as many as 199 passengers, but people are not well aware of it." The Hangang Bus is scheduled for a pilot operation in February and official operation starting around May.

Yonhap News

Explaining the purpose of the Hangang Bus, he emphasized that it will be a future 'turning point.' Mayor Oh said, "Alongside buses, village buses, and Ddareungi (Seoul's public bike system), another public transportation mode is being born. By adding just 3,000 or 5,000 won, it can be added to the Climate Companion Card and used continuously." He added, "This is expected to be a turning point that changes the perception system of Seoul citizens."

He also mentioned plans to expand last year's flagship policy, 'Wrist Doctor 9988.' Mayor Oh said, "There are 9.4 million domestic residents in Seoul, and the current users have exceeded 1.6 million, with a goal of 2.5 million by the end of the year, which should not be difficult."

Mayor Oh elaborated, "(The Wrist Doctor 9988) platform's health information such as exercise habits and dietary habits becomes the most important big data for managing the health and medical information of the people." He continued, "Through this, health insurance finances can be drastically saved, and the foundation for the medical, health, and wellness sectors will be established. In this regard, it is a killer policy."

When asked about measures to address the increase in deficits of Seoul Transportation Corporation due to the Climate Companion Card, he said, "Since it is a kind of 'welfare,' we should not try to save money." Mayor Oh added, "The broad principle is that Seoul City will share the burden. Last year, there was an attempt to raise subway fares, but the government postponed it to this year due to concerns about inflation."

He set the subway fare increase to cover the deficit for 'within March.' Mayor Oh said, "The increased deficit caused by implementing the Climate Companion Card can be sufficiently covered by the fare increase." He added, "We will consult with Gyeonggi and Incheon, and it seems possible to implement the increase within March. We need to negotiate so that it does not go beyond March."

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