Daily Busan
Unlimited public transit for 27,000 won a month
source: getty image
Busan residents can effectively enjoy unlimited public transportation for just 27,000 won per month. In response to rising oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict, the government has temporarily expanded the K-Pass refund program. The enhanced benefits cover six months of usage, from April through September, and apply retroactively from April.
The expansion builds on Busan's April 1 integration of the Dongbaek Pass with the national K-Pass system. Users enrolled in both passes have their refunds automatically calculated and applied in the most advantageous way — no manual switching required.
The general K-Pass, which refunds 20% of transit costs for users riding 15 or more times a month, now offers 50% back during staggered commute hours: 5:30 to 6:30 a.m., 9 to 10 a.m., 4 to 5 p.m., and 7 to 8 p.m. Youth, seniors, and two-child households receive 60% during those windows; households with three or more children get 80%; and low-income users get 83.3%.
The K-Pass "Everyone's Card" — a flat-rate plan that refunds all transit costs above a monthly threshold — has also been upgraded. For general users in Busan, that threshold drops from 55,000 won to 27,000 won. Lower thresholds apply to youth, seniors, multi-child households, and low-income users as well.
To access these benefits, registration in both the Dongbaek Pass and K-Pass is required. Existing Dongbaek Pass cardholders keep their current card but must complete K-Pass membership registration separately if they haven't already.
<Today's Vocabulary - 오늘의 단어>
effectively: 효율적으로 umlimited: 무제한의 temporarily: 일시적으로 expand: 확장하다 retroactively: 소급해서 automatically: 자동적으로 calculate: 계산하다 staggered: (근무 시간) 시차제 commute: 통근 seperately: 각각
Editor: Song Soomi
Copy Editors: Ryu Hyoseung, Anton J. Mapoy