"Sorry for Riding Without a Ticket 40 Years Ago"... Woman Leaves Envelope at Busan Station and Disappears

Apology Letter for Fare Evasion on Envelope Surface
Delivered with 2 Million Won in 50,000 Won Bills

A woman disappeared after delivering 2 million won along with a letter apologizing for fare evasion 40 years ago due to lack of money at Busan Station.

On the 24th, Yonhap News reported, citing the Korea Railroad Corporation Busan-Gyeongnam Headquarters, about an incident that occurred around 7 a.m. on the 22nd at the ticket window of Busan Station. On that Sunday morning, the ticket window at Busan Station was bustling with customers purchasing tickets as usual on weekend mornings. At that moment, a woman dressed neatly in a long coat slipped an envelope into the ticket window and hurriedly left.

An envelope left by a woman at the ticket window of Busan Station. Provided by Korail Busan Gyeongnam Headquarters.

When the station staff checked the envelope, it contained 2 million won in 50,000 won bills. On the back of the envelope was a note that read, "I am sorry. 40 years ago, I used the train without buying a ticket because I had no money. Although it is very late, I am repaying the train fare. I apologize once again."

The Busan Station staff expressed deep respect and gratitude to the customer who courageously remembered and acted despite the long passage of time. Seol Pyeong-hwan, the Busan Station manager, said, "All the staff were moved by the customer's courage," and added, "We will continue to strive to be a Busan Station that earns the trust and love of our customers." The 2 million won left by this woman will be donated to underprivileged groups.

Meanwhile, fare evasion and other unauthorized train rides have been difficult to eradicate. In the past five years, about 60,000 cases of unauthorized train rides were detected during holiday periods. From 2018 to February of last year, the number of unauthorized ride detections during holidays was 41,923 for Korail and 17,623 for SRT. The collected additional fares amounted to 1,059 million won for Korail and 204.4 million won for SRT, totaling 1,283.4 million won. According to Article 10 of the Railroad Business Act, if a ticket is forged or there is intent to ride without a valid ticket, up to 30 times the fare can be charged; however, if voluntarily reported or if the passenger has a ticket for a different date, only 0.5 times the regular fare is charged.

In September, a post titled "My personal KTX saving tip" was uploaded to an anonymous community for office workers, sparking controversy. The author, known to be a public official, revealed a trick: "When I go from Seoul to Busan, I buy a KTX ticket only up to Daegu, then put on earphones and pretend to sleep after passing Daegu," adding, "You must not take trains that stop at Ulsan or Gyeongju (before Busan)." The post continued, "If you get caught, just say you had to get off at Daegu. Then they usually let it go, or a strict ticket inspector will only charge you for the fare from Daegu to Busan," and added, "You have to act surprised well."