Seoul may raise subway fare by 10% as early as July

Social Affairs

Published: 08 Jan. 2024, 13:03 Updated: 08 Jan. 2024, 17:23

Seoul may raise subway fare by 10% as early as July

A person taps in with a transit card to enter Jongno 3-ga Station in central Seoul on Oct. 8. [YONHAP]

Subway fares in Seoul may increase by 150 won ($0.11) as early as July.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday it is pushing its plans to up the subway fare this year after discussing the idea with Incheon, Gyeonggi and the Korea Railroad Corporation.

"The city government is going forward with its plan it announced earlier to raise the subway fare this year," Lee Jin-gu, director of the city government's transportation policy division, said during a press briefing held at City Hall in downtown Seoul on Monday.

"However, we cannot specifically say when the price hike will take place since we are still discussing with other related authorities."

The hike will result in the fare rising to 1,550 won from the current 1,400 won. The city government had increased the fare by 150 won in October, scrapping its earlier plan to increase it by 300 won at once.

Instead, the metropolitan government decided to gradually increase the fare, considering high inflation, with plans to raise the fare by another 150 won in the second half of this year.

Lee said the hike will not affect the prices of the anticipated Climate Card, a transit pass that allows unlimited bus and subway rides in the capital, which will be launched in July after a trial from late January through June.

The card will cost 62,000 won. Unlimited use of Ttareungi, Seoul's public bicycle service, can be added for 3,000 won.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]