Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Seoul's transit pass to be replaced by nationwide K-pass system Sept. 1
An image of Seoul's "Everyone's Card" / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul will roll out "Everyone's Card," a localized version of the national K-pass transit rebate program, on Sept. 1, timed to the discontinuation of the city's unlimited Climate Card pass at the end of August.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government, in partnership with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Transport Commission, said Thursday that Seoul is expanding its region-specific K-Pass perks.
Following similar moves by Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Busan, Sejong, Gwangju, South Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan, Seoul becomes the eighth local government to enhance the card's benefits — most notably by extending the youth discount eligibility from ages 19–34 to ages 19–39.
K-pass, unlike the flat-fee Climate Card, refunds a percentage of monthly transit spending — 20 percent for general users and 30 percent for youth — or a set amount once spending passes 62,000 won ($42) for general users or 55,000 won for youth, whichever benefits the rider more. Discounts for veterans and bike-share users are planned later.
Riders already registered for the card will have Seoul's added benefits applied automatically, without needing a new card.
To avoid a gap in coverage, Seoul will extend its existing 30-day Climate Card by a month: prepaid cards can be recharged through Aug. 31 and used through Sept. 29, while postpaid cards remain valid through Sept. 30.
The K-pass program passed 6 million subscribers on Wednesday, up from 5 million in April.
"This closes any gap in benefits from the Climate Card's discontinuation," said a commission official. Seoul's acting first deputy mayor for administration called the Sept. 1 launch a result of close cooperation between the city and the commission.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.