Seoul gov't to raise subway fare by 150 won as early as July

Commuters pass through turnstiles at a subway station in Seoul in this file photo from Nov. 12, 2023. Yonhap

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to raise the subway fare sometime this year by 150 won (11 cents), according to the city government, Monday. Although the exact timeline is unknown, the increase could take effect as early as July, in sync with the official implementation of the city's unlimited transit pass.

Currently, subway fare costs 1,400 won per adult, after it was raised by 150 won from 1,250 won on Oct. 7 last year.

The city government initially planned to raise the fare by 300 won last August, when the bus fare was increased by 300 won.

The price hike aims to tackle years-long financial difficulties for Seoul Metro, the operator of subway lines 1 to 8 and part of Line 9, which had a cumulative deficit standing at 17.6 trillion won as of 2022.

However, the city government decided, after negotiations with the central government, to partially increase the fare by 150 won last October to alleviate the burden on the middle class amid other price hikes and a sluggish economy.

Although the exact timeline of the price increase is yet to be determined, some speculate it may sync with the full launch of Seoul’s upcoming transportation initiatives slated for July.

Dubbed the Climate Card, the unlimited transit card will provide access to all bus routes and subway lines in the capital for a monthly fee of 62,000 won. The city’s public bike-sharing service Ttareungyi can be added for a total monthly fee of 65,000 won.

The climate-friendly initiative, which will be launched on Jan. 27 as a pilot program, is expected to cost around 15 billion won a month for the city, based on a calculation that the city compensates 500,000 passengers 30,000 won for 60 trips on public transport.

The transit pass will cover all bus routes, Seoul Metro lines 1 to 9 as well as lines operated by Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), including the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the Gyeongchun Line, without additional fares throughout the capital. Late-night buses, express buses with a different fare system and those licensed outside of Seoul will be excluded.

“It cannot be yet determined whether the fare increase will take place in July because increasing public transport fares involves negotiations and technical implementations with several operating agencies,” the city’s transportation policy division director said during a press briefing, Monday.

The city government plans to work with KORAIL and neighboring local governments such as Gyeonggi Province and Incheon Metropolitan City that participate in the integrated transfer discount system and gather opinions from the city council and the deliberation committee for a price policy to determine a timeline for the price increase.