Lee Young-ae, Daegu City Council Member, Says "Children's Public Transportation Should Be Free"... Daegu City Responds, "30 Billion Won Annually Needed," Expresses Reluctance

Already Implemented in Busan, Ulsan, etc.
For Children Aged 6 to 12 Years

Lee Young-ae, a member of the Daegu City Council (People Power Party, Dalseo-gu 1), announced on the 18th that she submitted a written administrative inquiry advocating for free public transportation fares not only for the elderly but also for children in line with the low birthrate and aging society.

Councilor Lee stated, “Daegu City has been implementing an integrated free ride system for the elderly since July 2023, but children still pay for public transportation,” adding, “Helping the mobility of growing children and reducing their economic burden is also an important role of local governments,” explaining the background of her inquiry.

Daegu City Council Member Lee Young-ae

Looking at the average daily usage of public transportation (city buses + urban rail) by children in Daegu (ages 6 to 12), the number was only 13,239 right after COVID-19 in 2022, but steadily increased to 17,316 in 2023 and 22,548 in 2024.

According to Councilor Lee, the cost of the integrated free ride system for the elderly is expected to nearly double from 35.8 billion KRW in 2024 to 62.5 billion KRW in 2028. In contrast, the cost of making public transportation free for children is estimated to be about 3.3 billion KRW annually (1.2 billion KRW for city buses and 2.1 billion KRW for urban rail), and she believes the long-term financial burden will not be significant given the low birthrate era.

A Daegu City Council official said, “For children aged 1 to 5, public transportation fares are free; for ages 6 to 12, the fare is 400 KRW; for ages 13 to 18, 850 KRW; and for those 19 and older, the adult fare of 1,500 KRW (based on transportation card) applies. Councilor Lee’s proposal is to make the 400 KRW fare for children aged 6 to 12 free so that they can freely go outside. While other regions have introduced this, Daegu’s executive branch has shown reluctance citing budgetary reasons.”

Councilor Lee said, “If free public transportation fares for children are implemented, children will have easier access to various educational and cultural activities, and by fostering public transportation usage habits from a young age, it is expected to contribute to increased public transportation use and reduced traffic congestion,” adding, “For these reasons, several cities in Europe and some local governments in South Korea (such as Busan and Ulsan) have already implemented free public transportation fares for children.”

She emphasized, “Free public transportation fares for children are an investment in Daegu’s future and a necessary policy to ensure children’s healthy growth and safe mobility,” and stated, “In line with the low birthrate and aging society, transportation welfare benefits should be provided to children as well as the elderly.”