Seoul's public transit pass refund benefit under the "Climate Card" ends in late June, while the government-run "K-pass" additional refund benefit continues through September. Climate Card users who switch to K-pass are expected to save at least 32,000 won.
The Metropolitan Transport Commission under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said Wednesday that the government's K-pass additional refund benefit will continue through September, adding that it will actively guide users on how to use the card.
The commission launched K-pass in January this year and significantly expanded refund benefits through a supplementary budget in April. In the metropolitan area, users who spend at least 30,000 won (standard type) or 50,000 won (plus type) per month receive a full refund of any amount exceeding those thresholds.
The commission lowered the fixed-amount refund threshold by more than 50 percent from the previous level. For users traveling during the off-peak hours surrounding rush hour (5:30 to 6 a.m., 9 to 10 a.m., 4 to 5 p.m., and 7 to 8 p.m.), it raised the percentage-based refund rate by up to 30 percentage points. After these incentives were applied, the rush-hour usage rate fell by 4 percent, while usage during the off-peak hours surrounding rush hour rose by 1 percent.
The number of K-pass subscribers surpassed 5 million in April and has since risen to 5.57 million. Aided in particular by expanded support for residents outside the metropolitan area, the number of users in regional areas increased by 460,000, from 1.25 million at the end of last year to 1.71 million in June this year. Currently, all local governments nationwide participate in K-pass, and seven metropolitan local governments — Gyeonggi, Incheon, Busan, Gwangju, South Gyeongsang, Ulsan, and Sejong — operate region-specific cards based on it.
Seoul's special high-fuel-price support for the Climate Card (a 30,000 won payback) ends on June 30, but since K-pass refund benefits remain in place through September, users who switch to K-pass can continue to receive benefits. The commission explained that K-pass users can receive an additional refund of about 32,000 won per month.
"Transportation costs are an area of public welfare most closely tied to citizens' daily lives," said Kim Yong-seok, chairman of the Metropolitan Transport Commission. "I hope K-pass can lighten the wallets of citizens living through this era of high prices, even if just a little."
Meanwhile, MOLIT drew a clear line regarding Seoul's recent announcement that its Climate Card would be integrated with the government's K-pass starting in July, saying it was "not true." For the K-pass-based "Climate Card Plus (+)" that Seoul is preparing, if Seoul officially applies, the Metropolitan Transport Commission plans to review the matter from policy and technical perspectives, including reflecting the specialized service in its system, and then decide whether to approve it.
