Gwangju City Finalizes Design for 'G-Pass' Transportation Card

6,012 Citizens Participate and Expert Consultation Conducted
Public Transportation Fees to Be 'Free or Half-Price' Starting January Next Year

Images of two types of 'Gwangju G-Pass' card designs. Provided by Gwangju City

The design of the ‘Gwangju G-Pass (Gwangju-type public transportation fare support)’ transportation card has been finalized.

Gwangju City announced on the 10th that it finalized the design of the Gwangju G-Pass card after citizen surveys and expert consultations, including the Gwangju ON survey and offline voting held from the 18th to the 22nd of last month.

The card design features ‘Omaena,’ the Gwangju culture and tourism character, riding various modes of transportation, symbolizing Gwangju’s transition into a D.J.B. (public transportation, bicycle, and pedestrian-centered) city.

The Gwangju G-Pass card will be available for purchase at designated Hanpay card affiliated stores such as convenience stores as early as January next year.

A total of 6,012 citizens participated in the online and offline surveys, selecting their preferred card designs and providing various opinions on the card design through comments.

Initially, the city planned to select character-type cards for children and youth and text-type cards for adults, but the majority of citizens expressed a preference for character-type cards regardless of age group.

Accepting this feedback, the city changed its plan to select the two character-type designs with the highest total votes regardless of age group, and after expert consultation, finalized the Gwangju G-Pass card design.

Gwangju City will implement the ‘Gwangju G-Pass,’ a Gwangju-type public transportation fare support program that offers discounts and refunds on public transportation fares by age group, starting January 2025.

Children and youth can purchase transportation cards at convenience stores and other locations, register their date of birth, or continue using their existing children’s or youth transportation cards. From next year, upon tapping the transportation card on the terminal, children will receive a 100% discount and youth a 50% discount immediately.

Adults aged 19 and over will receive additional refunds linked with the K-Pass. After issuing a K-Pass card, registering as a member on the K-Pass website, and using public transportation at least 15 times per month, they can receive a refund of a certain percentage (20?64%) of their expenses up to 60 rides the following month.

Baek Eun-jeong, Director of the Public Transportation Division, said, “The Gwangju G-Pass is a citizen policy created by gathering diverse opinions from citizens,” and added, “We hope citizens actively use public transportation with the G-Pass card to reduce transportation costs and participate in responding to the climate crisis.”