Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor, on May 7 proposed expanding rail service in northern Seoul and merging the city’s Climate Companion Card with the government’s K-Pass. Rival candidate Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party said savings from a merger should be used to subsidize bus fares for residents 70 and older.
Jung announced the plan at the National Assembly press center as part of his “30-minute commute” pledge. His proposals include building a new Dongbu Line linking Suyu-dong in northern Seoul with the Sports Complex in Gangnam, expanding rail networks in the north, creating a grid-style rail system across Seoul, and setting up an express-bus transfer hub at the Man-nam Square area in Yangjae-dong.
“We will connect Seoul’s rail lines more tightly and link roads without bottlenecks, tying Gangbuk and Gangnam together and starting a transportation revolution toward a 30-minute commute city,” Jung said.
He also pledged to create a nationwide transit card by integrating Seoul’s Climate Companion Card with the government’s “Everyone’s Card” (K-Pass), under the name “K-Everyone’s Climate Companion Card,” to reduce the burden of public transportation costs.
Jung said the existing Climate Companion Card benefits would be maintained while expanding the usable area nationwide, adding that he would build a system in which benefits increase with heavier use.
Oh raised the issue of merging the Climate Companion Card while presenting housing pledges earlier May 7, outlining how he would use the savings.
Oh, who introduced the Climate Companion Card during his time as Seoul mayor, said the Lee Jae-myung government rolled out a card using the same system, forcing residents to weigh which card offers better value. After reviewing whether the two needed to coexist, he said, he concluded they should be integrated to spare residents that inconvenience.
Oh said a merger would cut Seoul’s budget and free up 70 billion won to as much as more than 100 billion won, which he plans to use to support bus fares for seniors 70 and older. He said he would announce details soon.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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