Seoul offers discount on monthly transit passes for young adults

The Climate Card -- Seoul's monthly transit pass -- is tapped on a card reader at a subway station in Seoul. (Yonhap)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will offer a discount for adults aged between 19 to 34 on the monthly transit pass starting from Feb. 26, it said Wednesday.

Those aged between 19 and 34 will be able to have unlimited access to public transportation for 58,000 won or 55,000 won, which is 7,000 won cheaper than the regular transit passes.

Seoul’s monthly transit pass -- the “Climate Card” -- is a new pass that gives commuters unlimited access to public transportation systems within the administrative areas of Seoul for a fixed price of 65,000 won ($49) or 62,000 won. The 65,000-won transit pass gives users access to Seoul’s subways, bus lines and the city’s bicycle-sharing services, Ttareungi, while the 62,000-won transit pass only gives access to Seoul's subways and bus lines.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government anticipates that the young adult discount would cost the city government an additional 35 billion won to 36 billion won a year.

From Feb. 26 to June 30, the pilot project period for Seoul’s Climate Card, commuters aged below 34 will have to purchase the transit pass at the regular prices. From July 1, young adult commuters can register to receive a refund of up to 35,000 won through the T-Money website after verifying their age and entering their bank information. Android users who use mobile cards through the T-Money app do not have to register separately to receive reimbursement.

When the Climate Card officially launches in July, the city government will sell a separate monthly transit pass for young adults. Those who received benefits with the existing regular transit passes can also continue to do so from July.

Since releasing the monthly transit pass on Jan. 27, up to 430,000 monthly transit passes have been sold, with more than 50 percent of its users being those aged in their 20s and 30s.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also plans to allow the Climate Card to be used to access and receive discounts in cultural and sports facilities and to pay for cultural performances such as concerts, though specific details have yet to be announced. The Climate Card will also be able to be topped up using a credit or debit card from around April 2024.