Fiscal spending on Korea's bus semi-public operation system has surged since its introduction, but the quality of service has deteriorated, a civic group analysis found.
The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) held a press conference at its auditorium in Jongno-gu, Seoul, at around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, releasing an analysis of city bus operations across 151 basic local governments nationwide. First introduced in Seoul in 2004, the bus semi-public operation system compensates city bus companies for their losses with local government funds.
According to the analysis, nationwide bus fiscal support increased from 1.9795 trillion won in 2019 to 4.1002 trillion won in 2024. That marks a more than twofold increase, or 107.1 percent. Over the same period, however, ridership fell 12.6 percent from 4.22039 billion to 3.68691 billion passengers.
Bus service supply has also regressed, the CCEJ argued. The group cited that total operating distance across 99 cities and counties under provincial jurisdiction decreased 4.8 percent from 735.71 million kilometers in 2019 to 701.21 million kilometers in 2024, while the number of bus stops rose from 75,323 to 82,532.
"While it appears that stops and routes have been maintained or expanded, actual operating distance and frequency have declined, meaning the service experienced by citizens has in fact worsened," the CCEJ said. "What matters to citizens is not the number of bus stops, but dispatch intervals, operation frequency, connectivity within living zones, and stable operations."
The group also called for disclosure of bus fiscal support and standard transport costs, the establishment of citizen-participatory bus policy governance, strengthened audits of maintenance and safety management expenses, and the expansion of public operation models such as public routes and demand-responsive transport. "The current bus operation system is solidifying into a structure that follows private operators' loss compensation rather than restoring citizens' right to mobility," the CCEJ said. "Given that citizens' tax money is being invested, all local governments must fully disclose bus fiscal support and related spending."
