Chong Won-o, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Seoul mayor, announced a pledge to overhaul bus routes so citizens do not face a transportation gap even during late-night hours after subway service ends.
On the 6th, Chong issued a news release and said, "After subway service ends, there is a transportation gap, so late-night workers, young people, and small business owners are experiencing both the burden of transportation costs and inconvenience getting home," explaining the rationale behind the announcement of the "subway follower bus" pledge.
Chong added that a "subway follower bus," which runs in connection with major subway lines during nonoperating subway hours, would be introduced.
Chong's camp said, "The key is to convert late-night bus routes into a circulation network linked with the subway to create a '24-hour subway operation effect' that citizens can feel."
Chong said, "This is not simply about increasing the number of late-night buses, but about shifting to a subway-centered late-night transportation system that matches actual citizen travel demand."
Currently, late-night bus routes in Seoul account for about 3.5% of all city bus routes. Because of this, Chong's camp explained that citizens have to rely on taxis or private cars after subway service ends.
Meanwhile, this pledge is part of the "Se·A·Jung (Policies That Make Taxes Worth It)" series that Chong is developing after collecting, organizing, and reviewing feedback through direct text messaging and the digital platform "Voice of Seoul."