"Train Fare Evasion Cases Surge from 140,000 to 240,000... 'Crackdown to Intensify Until Year-End'"

Train fare evasion incidents have increased by about 100,000 cases over the past three years. To eradicate this, inspection activities are set to be further strengthened.

According to Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) on the 27th, the number of detected fare evasion cases surged from 140,000 cases (2.7 billion KRW) in 2020 to 240,000 cases (5.8 billion KRW) last year. This year, up to August, a total of 170,000 cases (4.4 billion KRW) of fare evasion have been detected.

The main types of detected fare evasion include traveling without a ticket, unauthorized use of discounted tickets, and unauthorized use of commuter passes.

Considering the increasing fare evasion cases every year, Korail plans to operate a dedicated mobile inspection team from next month until the end of the year to intensively crack down on train fare evasion.

The mobile inspection team will conduct inspections mainly on short-distance sections where train passengers are concentrated, focusing on cracking down on free riding and unauthorized use of discounted tickets.

Article 10 of the Railroad Business Act stipulates that those caught fare evading may be charged additional fares up to 30 times the standard fare.

If payment of the additional fare is refused, the case can be handed over to the Railroad Special Judicial Police for processing under the Minor Offenses Act. If habitual fare evasion is suspected, investigation by the police is also possible.

Meanwhile, Korail currently conducts ticket inspections using QR codes. Going forward, they plan to advance the inspection system to make inspections easier and faster.