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Temporary Expansion of K-Pass Benefits! Continued Convenience Through Simultaneous Enrollment with Dongbaek Pass

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that, following the government’s decision to temporarily ease the refund criteria of the K-Pass program in response to recent high oil prices, it will actively promote the expanded benefits so that citizens can fully take advantage of them and provide clear guidance to prevent confusion with the Dongbaek Pass system, which is operated in conjunction with K-Pass.

This expansion of benefits is a temporary measure for six months (covering usage from April to September) aimed at responding to the recent surge in oil prices related to the Middle East conflict and encouraging public transportation use. The policy will be applied retroactively starting from public transportation usage in April.

Under the expanded K-Pass benefits, the basic proportional refund scheme will shift to provide an additional 30 percentage point refund during staggered commuting hours, encouraging dispersion of ridership. Refund rates will vary depending on user categories, including general users, youth, multi-child households, seniors, and low-income groups.

The expanded refund rates during staggered commuting hours (5:30–6:30, 9:00–10:00, 16:00–17:00, 19:00–20:00) are as follows:

General users: 20% (other hours), 50% (staggered hours)
Youth, households with two children, and seniors: 30% (other hours), 60% (staggered hours)
Households with three or more children: 50% (other hours), 80% (staggered hours)
Low-income groups: 53.3% (other hours), 83.3% (staggered hours)

In addition, the K-Pass “Everyone’s Card” (flat-rate plan) introduces a “half-price pass” that reduces the refund threshold amount by more than half to further promote public transportation use. In Busan, categorized as a general regional area, the refund threshold for general users has been lowered from KRW 55,000 to KRW 27,000, with differentiated thresholds applied depending on user categories.

Under the flat-rate plan, general users receive unlimited refunds for monthly usage exceeding KRW 27,000. The revised refund thresholds in Busan are as follows:

General users: from KRW 55,000 to KRW 27,000
Youth, households with two children, and seniors: from KRW 50,000 to KRW 23,000
Households with three or more children and low-income groups: from KRW 40,000 to KRW 20,000

Meanwhile, the city previously announced that, starting April 1, improvements to the linkage between the government’s K-Pass (Everyone’s Card) and the Dongbaek Pass allow unlimited use of public transportation in Busan for KRW 45,000 per month.

With the improved linkage system, usage records of Busan public transportation by users enrolled in both K-Pass and Dongbaek Pass have been subject to the enhanced linkage method since April 1. Following the government’s announcement on April 13 by the Metropolitan Transport Commission under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, user benefits will be further expanded for a limited six-month period (April–September usage).

As refund benefits are significantly increased under this temporary expansion, enrollment in K-Pass is essential. In particular, users who currently use only the Dongbaek Pass must additionally enroll in K-Pass. Refunds will be automatically applied in the most advantageous manner for users. Even after the temporary benefit expansion period ends and benefits are adjusted, users will continue to receive integrated benefits of K-Pass and Dongbaek Pass without the need to issue or apply for additional cards.

The city plans to continue promoting simultaneous enrollment in K-Pass alongside its goal of reaching one million Dongbaek Pass subscribers, enabling citizens to enjoy greater benefits.

Kim Kyung-duk, Acting Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “With the government pursuing bold policies through the supplementary budget to reduce transportation costs for the public, it is essential for local government-linked programs such as Busan’s Dongbaek Pass to respond proactively to maximize their effectiveness.” He added, “We will continue to prepare various policies that reduce the burden on citizens and make public transportation more convenient to use.”