During a briefing on June 17 at City Hall, Seoul officials stated that the new Climate Companion Card Plus will combine the Climate Companion Card with the K-Pass, aiming to reduce confusion among citizens and improve administrative efficiency. "Since both systems serve similar purposes and functions, integrating them will streamline operations," the city explained.
The Climate Companion Card Plus is designed to enhance the benefits of the existing Climate Companion Card while incorporating features from the K-Pass. Users will automatically receive the more advantageous option between a refund-based or flat-rate system, depending on their transportation expenses and usage patterns. For residents who frequently use public transportation, the Plus flat-rate option will be available with a monthly limit of 100,000 won.
Seoul plans to discontinue the existing Climate Companion Card service on September 1 and transition users to the new service. The city also encouraged residents to switch to either the Climate Companion Card Plus or the K-Pass to take advantage of the new benefits starting in July.
Previously, Seoul fully funded the discounts provided by the Climate Companion Card. However, with the transition to the K-Pass system, the government will share some of the financial burden, potentially saving the city between 140 billion and 150 billion won annually.
In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued a statement on the same day, asserting, "The claim that the Climate Companion Card and K-Pass will be integrated starting in July is entirely false." The ministry clarified that Seoul requested the integration of the Climate Companion Card into the K-Pass system on June 5, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is currently reviewing the request.
The ministry expressed regret that Seoul released a press statement without thorough examination, noting that there are many factors to consider, including budget and system verification. They emphasized that the integration plan and implementation timeline announced by Seoul had not been finalized with the government.
In defense, Seoul stated, "We did not mean to imply a complete legal merger of the two systems. We used the term 'integration' to indicate that we would operate the K-Pass system with added Seoul benefits as a single service." The city affirmed that it would launch the Climate Companion Card Plus after sufficient discussions with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
While Seoul has announced the termination of the existing Climate Companion Card and the transition to the new service, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has indicated that it is still in the review phase, leaving the actual implementation timeline and scope uncertain. As a result, existing users of the Climate Companion Card may face confusion regarding the termination schedule and the application of new benefits.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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