Starting next month, a pilot operation of the ‘Self-Check’ method will allow passengers to directly scan seat QR codes using the KorailTalk app.
Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) announced on the 6th that from next month, it will pilot the ‘Self-Check’ service, enabling KTX unreserved seat passengers to verify their tickets by themselves.
Self-Check allows customers to use their seats by scanning the QR code attached to the unreserved seat with the mobile app ‘KorailTalk’.
Until now, ticket inspection for KTX unreserved seats was conducted by train attendants checking the tickets of all passengers in the unreserved cars.
The issue was that passengers might feel uncomfortable while trying to sleep or rest during this process on the train.
However, Korail expects that these inconveniences will be resolved once unreserved seat passengers use the Self-Check method to access their seats.
The usage method involves selecting either a season ticket or an unreserved seat ticket from the ‘Ticket Confirmation’ menu in KorailTalk, then pressing Self-Check to activate the camera and scan the QR code.
Once the QR code is recognized, the ticket inspection confirmation is sent to the device held by the train attendant. Self-Check can be used once per train when using unreserved seats.
However, only smartphone models equipped with a camera capable of scanning QR codes can use the Self-Check service.
To pilot the Self-Check service, Korail plans to attach QR codes to all seats in one unreserved car per KTX train (KTX car 18, KTX-Sancheon car 8, KTX-Eum car 6) by the end of this month.
From next year, the Self-Check seats will be expanded to include KTX car 17 and ITX-Saemaeul unreserved seats.
For passengers who have purchased tickets via KorailTalk but have changed their mobile phones afterward, the ticket confirmation method will also be improved. Previously, in such cases, passengers had to visit the station ticket counter or call the customer center to perform a ‘synchronization’ process in KorailTalk to confirm their tickets.
This caused anxiety when calls could not be connected in time close to the train departure, or passengers had to wait in line at the station counter to request synchronization.
However, starting from the 20th of this month, Korail explained that customers can simply press ‘Refresh’ in the KorailTalk ticket confirmation menu to resolve these issues.
Han Moon-hee, President of Korail, said, “We will strengthen the functions and services of KorailTalk to meet travel trends and customer expectations. We will actively utilize information and communication technology (IT) from the user’s perspective to upgrade services and ensure that digital innovation that customers can feel is applied on site.”
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