Busan is good

Dongbaek Pass Wins the 2025 National Service Award in the Integrated Public Transportation Discount Pass Category

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the Dongbaek Pass, the first of its kind in the nation to be introduced as part of efforts to build a public transportation-friendly city, has been awarded the grand prize in the “Integrated Public Transportation Discount Pass” category at the 2025 National Service Awards.

The National Service Awards recognize outstanding services loved by consumers across various industries. The awards are hosted by the Industrial Policy Research Institute under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and supported by the Ministry and Dong-A Ilbo. The awards ceremony was held yesterday (June 26) at 11 a.m. at EL Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

The “Integrated Public Transportation Discount Pass” category of the 2025 National Service Awards was newly established this year. The Dongbaek Pass being the first recipient of the grand prize in this category makes the award all the more meaningful.

The Dongbaek Pass, introduced on August 1, 2023, allows users to receive refunds in the form of Dongbaekjeon points when their monthly public transportation usage exceeds KRW 45,000, up to a maximum of KRW 45,000.

This award reflects the city’s efforts to expand user-centered services, including the launch of the prepaid Dongbaek Pass (March 2024), the Youth Dongbaek Pass (July 2024), and the linkage with the K-Pass (August 2024). These initiatives have led to a steady rise in subscriptions and have had a positive impact on citizens.

As of the end of May 2025, the number of subscribers surged to 700,000, up from 610,000 at the end of 2024—an increase of 90,000 in just five months. In a satisfaction survey conducted in October 2024 with 19,721 participants, 93% of respondents reported being satisfied with the service, indicating strong public support.

In 2024 alone, approximately 2.7 million citizens received an average monthly refund of KRW 28,400, with the total amount refunded reaching KRW 77.5 billion. Since its implementation, the Dongbaek Pass has also contributed to the revitalization of public transportation, with the public transport modal share increasing from 42.2% in 2022 to 44.6% in 2024—an increase of 2.4 percentage points.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “With 700,000 subscribers in just two years, the Dongbaek Pass has firmly established itself as Busan’s flagship public transportation promotion policy. We expect the upcoming launch of the Mobile Dongbaek Pass in July to further enhance user convenience and allow more citizens to enjoy the benefits of the system.” He added, “We will continue striving to make Busan a city where everyone can conveniently use public transportation anytime, anywhere, by advancing mobility innovation and eliminating inconvenience for citizens.”