Passengers wait for the subway at Myeong-dong Station in Seoul. (123rf)

Subway passes offering unlimited rides for a set duration will begin to be issued in the second half of the year, Seoul Metro announced Monday, with the intention to offer greater convenience in travel to the increasing number of tourists visiting the capital.

The operator will begin issuing one-day and three-day passes, considering that 36.8 percent of foreign tourists visit Seoul for four to seven days on average, Seoul Metro said, citing its own polling.

The base fare for a subway ride with a transportation card is currently 1,400 won ($1.05), which will rise to 1,550 won late next year. The one-day pass is expected to be priced at 5,600 won, while the three-day pass would cost 11,800 won.

“The prices are still in discussion, and further details of the service will be confirmed after further discussion,” a Seoul Metro official told The Korea Herald. Pressed as to where the passes would be applicable, an official confirmed to The Korea Herald that the unlimited service would be available for only Line Nos. 1-8.

In addition to tourists, locals will also be eligible to buy and use the unlimited subway passes. Seoul Metro expects to sell around 380,000 passes a year and increase its profits by 4 billion won.