A new unlimited K-Pass card will be introduced, allowing users to receive a full refund for any public transportation expenses that exceed the refund threshold amount within a month. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Metropolitan Area Transportation Committee announced on the 15th that it will expand the K-Pass project to significantly reduce the transportation costs for public transportation users.
The K-Pass, which has been in operation since May last year, allows users who use public transportation more than 15 times a month to receive a refund of a certain percentage (20% to 53.3%) of their expenses. The newly introduced ‘Everyone’s Card’ will refund the full amount of any public transportation expenses exceeding the monthly threshold. This is expected to significantly reduce the transportation costs for frequent users such as commuters and students.
The refund threshold will be applied differently by region, considering the state of public transportation infrastructure, to ensure that users in areas with less developed public transportation can also benefit. The card types are divided into standard and plus types, with the standard type applying to transportation modes with a total fare of less than 3000 won per trip, including transfers, and the plus type applying to all transportation modes.
Users can continue to use their existing K-Pass cards without needing to issue a new card, and the system will automatically apply the highest refund benefit based on the user’s public transportation expenses. Considering that users’ travel patterns may vary each month due to factors such as school enrollment, employment, vacations, and holidays, the system will automatically apply the refund method that provides the greatest benefit after aggregating the monthly expenses.