Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim officially announced that better transportation services will be provided to Gyeonggi residents through the implementation of “The Gyeonggi Pass” in May.

On March 22, Governor Kim held a joint press conference with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Incheon Metropolitan City to announce the support of public transportation costs for residents in the Korean capital region, saying, “We aim to launch The Gyeonggi Pass service at the same time as the implementation of MOLIT’s K-Pass in May.”

Explaining the background of the service, Governor Kim said, “The transportation cost support policy should be a regional policy that reflects the traffic characteristics of each local government… Gyeonggi Province designed The Gyeonggi Pass taking into account the 14 million residents, broad areas, various transportation and fare systems, and traffic patterns as well as the regional characteristics of the province’s 31 cities and counties.”

He continued, “Gyeonggi Province is one of the most proactive local autonomies in the country in responding to climate change. By implementing The Gyeonggi Pass, we are not only easing the burden of transportation costs on residents, but also addressing the climate crisis through reduced carbon emissions by shifting demand from private vehicles to public transportation.”

Governor Kim defined The Gyeonggi Pass as a “national transportation card” that can be used anywhere in the country, a “universal transportation card” that can be used on all modes of public transportation, and a “customized transportation card” that can offer convenient and automatic rebates.

The Gyeonggi Pass is a transportation subsidy policy unique to Gyeonggi Province that extends the monthly limit of the K-Pass from 60 rides to unlimited rides and expands the age range of young adults eligible for the 30% discount from 19-34 to 19-39. Unlike the Seoul Climate Companion Card, which excludes local buses and the Shinbundang Line, the Gyeonggi Pass covers all modes of public transportation nationwide, including local buses, the Shinbundang Line, and the GTX (Great Train Express), which begins service in March this year, providing greater benefits to Gyeonggi residents who use various modes of transportation. Another advantage is the rebate method that offsets the need for monthly recharging after the initial registration. However, rebates are not provided for transportation that requires a separate ticket, such as highway buses and the KTX.

For example, a 38-year-old office worker commuting from Suwon to Seoul using The Gyeonggi Pass can be receive a rebate of KRW 33,600, or 30%, of the KRW 112,000 in transportation costs incurred by taking inter-city buses 40 times a month.

The provision of transportation support also greatly benefits children and teens under the age of 18 who cannot use the K-Pass. Gyeonggi Province plans to reorganize the existing youth transportation support program and extend it to children over the age of 6 with a limit of KRW 240,000 per year.

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province has finalized a brand identity (BI) and slogan to promote the use of The Gyeonggi Pass. The BI incorporates the “The” and the plus (+) in “The Gyeonggi Pass,” signifying that it adds more to the daily lives of all Gyeonggi residents, including office workers, students, and children. The slogan “The Gyeonggi Pass works for all roads in Korea” emphasizes the discounts provided for public transportation nationwide.