43,000 Tickets as of Late July... Average Daily Users 4,399
Most Purchased Pass Type is 3-Day Pass... Most Used Station is Myeongdong
Seoul City announced on the 5th that 43,000 units of the newly introduced 'Climate Companion Card Short-Term Pass' for tourists were sold within a month of its launch. Since the full-scale operation began in July, the Climate Companion Card system appears to have settled in, with 540,000 users on weekdays.
The 'Climate Companion Card Short-Term Pass' consists of a total of five types (1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 5-day, and 7-day passes). Domestic and international tourists visiting Seoul can use Seoul licensed buses, Seoul area subways, and the Gimpo Gold Line unlimitedly at affordable prices ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 KRW.
This short-term pass allows unlimited use of public transportation at a low price with just one card, gaining popularity among individual tourists who want to travel freely around Seoul, leading to sold-out situations at some subway stations shortly after its launch.
An average of 4,399 people used public transportation with the short-term pass daily, and the most popular type was the 3-day pass, with a total of 15,423 cards charged and used. Seoul City believes that the 3-day pass, which suits the actual travel period excluding arrival and departure days, was chosen by many tourists.
By pass type, ▲1-day pass 5,164 units ▲2-day pass 6,483 units ▲3-day pass 15,423 units ▲5-day pass 10,257 units ▲7-day pass 6,127 units were charged and used respectively. Regarding the languages used for charging the short-term pass, ▲Japanese 30% ▲Korean 28% ▲Chinese 22% ▲English 20%, indicating that not only foreign tourists but also domestic users who use public transportation for a short period utilized it. By transportation mode, subway usage was about twice as high as bus usage, with 68% subway and 32% bus. The most frequent short-term pass charging locations in the city center were ▲Line 4 Myeongdong Station ▲Line 2 Hongdae Entrance Station ▲Line 2 Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station ▲Line 2 Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station ▲Line 2 Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station.
The Climate Companion Card Short-Term Pass can be purchased as a physical card at customer safety offices of Lines 1 to 8 and convenience stores near subway stations, then charged and used by selecting the desired pass type at charging machines inside Seoul Metro Lines 1 to 8, Line 9, Sinlim Line, and Uisin Line stations according to one’s schedule. Both domestic users and foreigners with foreign registration numbers can also use the mobile card by downloading and using the Mobile T-money app. However, although the short-term pass can be charged on an existing Climate Companion Card, unlike the 30-day pass which allows selecting a start date within 5 days from the charging date, the short-term pass starts being valid immediately from the charging day, so caution is required.
Yoon Jong-jang, Director of the Seoul City Transportation Office, said, "With the Climate Companion Card Short-Term Pass, tourists visiting Seoul can use Seoul’s world-class public transportation affordably and conveniently." He added, "Seoul City will continue to strive to provide transportation convenience so that all visitors can enjoy the globally attractive city of Seoul."
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