KORAIL to Strengthen Crackdown on Chuseok Train Ticket Scalping and Fare Evasion

Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) announced on September 22 that it will strengthen crackdowns on illegal trading (scalping) of train tickets and fare evasion during the Chuseok holiday period.

Scalping refers to the act of reselling train tickets at prices higher than the official fare, which is an illegal activity prohibited under the Railroad Business Act. Habitual scalping or scalping for commercial purposes, including brokering such sales, can result in a fine of up to 10 million won.

To prevent scalping ahead of the Chuseok holiday, KORAIL will collaborate with online secondhand trading platforms to closely monitor keywords such as "Chuseok train tickets" and "KTX reservation." Posts suspected of illegal transactions will be deleted, and the user IDs of those posting them will be subject to usage restrictions.

Additionally, KORAIL will operate a scalping report section on its website and mobile application "KORAIL Talk" to receive reports. If a report is confirmed to be true, the whistleblower will receive a 50% discount coupon for train fares, thereby encouraging reporting.

Amendments to the "Passenger Transport Terms and Conditions" regarding additional fares and a revised penalty fee system will also help prevent fare evasion and improve convenience for genuine users.

Starting next month, the additional fare for passengers without tickets will be raised from the current 0.5 times the fare to 1 time the fare. For example, a passenger boarding a Seoul to Busan train without a ticket previously had to pay 89,700 won (fare of 59,800 won plus an additional fare of 29,900 won). However, beginning October 1, under the same conditions, the total will be 119,600 won (an additional fare of 59,800 won).

If a passenger extends their travel section while on board, an additional fare equal to the base fare for the extended section will also be charged. For instance, if a passenger holding a Seoul to Gwangmyeong ticket extends their journey to Busan while on the train, they will be charged a total of 115,400 won, which includes the Gwangmyeong to Busan fare of 57,700 won plus an additional fare of 57,700 won.

During the Chuseok holiday period, the ticket cancellation policy will follow the same standards as weekends: 400 won for cancellations up to two days prior, 5% of the paid amount up to one day prior, 10% up to three hours before departure on the day of travel, 20% from three hours before departure until departure time, and 30% up to 20 minutes after departure.

However, if travelers need to change their plans due to unavoidable circumstances, they can use the KORAIL Talk travel change service to modify their train departure time without any penalty up to three hours before departure.

Cha Seongyeol, Head of KORAIL's Passenger Business Division, stated, "We ask for everyone's active participation in establishing a proper railway usage culture during the special Chuseok holiday transportation period so that all citizens can enjoy a comfortable journey to and from their hometowns."

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