Jeju Bus Fare May Rise After 10 Years at 1,200 Won... Considering 200-500 Won Increase

Considering a Fare Increase to 1,400?1,700 Won
Province Cites Growing Financial Burden, Says Bus Fare Adjustment Is Unavoidable

Jeju Province is pushing for a bus fare increase that has been frozen for over 10 years.

Jeju Province announced on the 10th that it will start collecting residents' opinions from this month based on the results of a service to improve the bus fare system.

Bus running through downtown Jeju. Photo by Yonhap News

The province has frozen bus fares for 127 months since July 2014. While other regions have adjusted fares one to three times during this period, Jeju has maintained a long-term freeze.

The province states that due to increased operating costs caused by rising oil prices, labor costs, and inflation, the financial burden has intensified, making a bus fare adjustment inevitable.

Currently, the general fare for Jeju’s trunk and branch buses is 1,200 won. The service proposed three bus fare adjustment plans. The first is to raise the fare by 25% to 1,500 won, which is the average general fare of 16 metropolitan cities and provinces. The second is to increase it to 1,400 won by applying Jeju Province’s past average fare increase rate of 17.16%. The third is to raise it by 41.67% to 1,700 won, which is the highest fare level among other local governments.

Additionally, a similar rate of adjustment was proposed for express buses and airport limousine buses, which apply distance-based or section fares. Starting this month, the province plans to gather opinions from various sectors through expert forums, discussions at the Transportation Committee, and public hearings.

The public hearing will be held on the 27th at the main auditorium of the Jeju Province Agricultural and Fishery Hall. Residents can express their opinions at the hearing or submit them through the Jeju Province website by the 24th.

The final fare adjustment plan will be confirmed after a public discussion process and review by the Jeju Province Price Countermeasure Committee. The province plans to complete related procedures in the first half of the year and apply the adjustment plan starting in July.

Kim Tae-wan, Director of the Transportation and Aviation Bureau, said, "We will establish a foundation for sustainable public transportation operation through the adjustment of long-frozen bus fares," adding, "We will consider the burden on residents due to the fare adjustment and derive a reasonable plan through a sufficient opinion collection process."