The Metropolitan Transport Commission of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 15th it will introduce the "Card for Everyone," which expands the K-Pass refund method to reduce transportation costs for people who frequently use public transit. The existing K-Pass refunded a fixed percentage of the amount used, but the new program refunds the portion of transportation expenses that exceeds a monthly refund threshold.
The "Card for Everyone" applies when a person uses public transit at least 15 times a month. It refunds the amount that exceeds a refund threshold set by region and user type. The threshold is applied differently across four zones, including the greater Seoul area and non-capital regions.
The card is divided into a standard type and a plus type. The standard type applies to transit with a single fare under 3,000 won. The plus type applies to all modes of transportation including the Great Train eXpress (GTX) in the capital area. Users can continue to use their existing K-Pass card without a separate selection. The system aggregates the usage for the month and automatically applies the method that yields the largest refund.
For example, if a 40-something office worker surnamed A living in the capital area, in a household with up to two children, spends 80,000 won in a month on city buses and subways, applying the existing basic K-Pass would refund 16,000 won at a 20% rate. In contrast, if the "Card for Everyone" standard type is applied, 18,000 won—excluding the 62,000-won refund threshold for general residents in the capital area—would be refunded, resulting in a larger refund than before. If the plus type is applied, the threshold is set at 100,000 won, so no refund would occur in this case.
For a 45-year-old surnamed B living in Busan, the difference is larger. If B's monthly transportation expenditure is 110,000 won, the existing basic refund would be 22,000 won, or 20%. With the "Card for Everyone" standard type, 55,000 won—excluding the 55,000-won threshold—would be refunded. With the plus type, 15,000 won—the amount exceeding the 95,000-won threshold—would be returned.
The commission said that when public transit use is infrequent, the existing K-Pass applies, and when use is high, the "Card for Everyone" applies, creating a refund structure proportional to usage.
In addition, a senior category for people 65 and older will be newly established, raising the basic refund rate from 20% to 30%. Starting next year, eight basic local governments—Goseong, Yanggu, Jeongseon, Gangjin, Yeongam, Boseong, Yeongyang and Yecheon—will newly participate, bringing the total to 218 basic local governments whose residents will receive K-Pass benefits.
Commission Chair Kim Yong-seok said, "The greater the transportation cost burden, the bigger the benefit," adding, "We will continue to improve the program so people can use public transit anywhere in the country without burden."