A new unlimited K-Pass card will be introduced, allowing users to get a full refund for any public transportation expenses exceeding the refund threshold within a month. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Metropolitan Transport Commission announced on the 15th that it would 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 Metropolitan Transport Commission will introduce the ‘Everyone’s Card,’ which allows users to get a full refund for any public transportation expenses exceeding the refund threshold within a month. This is expected to significantly reduce the transportation costs for frequent public transportation users, such as commuters and students.
The refund threshold will be applied differently by region, considering the public transportation infrastructure, so that users in areas with relatively less access to public transportation can also benefit. There will be two types of cards: the standard type and the plus type. The standard type applies to transportation modes with a total usage fee of less than 3000 won per trip, including transfer fees, while the plus type applies 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 benefits based on their usage. Considering that users’ lifestyles 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 by summing up the usage amount for the month after the fact, rather than requiring users to choose between the basic type (existing K-Pass refund method) or the Everyone’s Card refund method in advance.