Support for “Yongsan Haengbok Nurim Transportation Card”
Limited to the First 100 Senior Drivers
Yongsan-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Park Hee-young) will implement a program starting next month that provides a transportation card loaded with up to 680,000 KRW to actual drivers aged 70 or older (born on or before December 31, 1955, based on 2025) who surrender their driver's licenses.
Yongsan-gu will support a transportation card loaded with 480,000 KRW in addition to the 200,000 KRW transportation card provided by Seoul City upon surrendering a driver's license. This is the highest amount among Seoul’s autonomous districts.
Applicants must be actual drivers whose car insurance is either still valid as of the application date or expired within the past year. Those who have transferred or scrapped a vehicle registered under their name within the past year are also eligible. This support fund is provided only once and is not retroactively applied if the benefit has already been received. Holders of a "jangrongmyeonho" (inactive license) who do not actually drive will only receive the 200,000 KRW transportation card provided by Seoul City upon surrendering their license.
Residents wishing to surrender their driver's licenses should bring their driver's license, proof of insurance enrollment, or proof of vehicle transfer/scrapping under their name to the community service center of their registered residence to apply.
This program is limited to the first 100 applicants. The prepaid transportation card provided can be used not only for public transportation such as buses, taxis, and trains but also at nationwide T-money affiliated stores including convenience stores.
Yongsan-gu established this policy to encourage voluntary license surrender as traffic accidents involving elderly drivers have increased. According to statistics from the Korea Road Traffic Authority, the proportion of traffic accidents involving drivers aged 65 and older rose from 14.5% in 2019 to 20.0% in 2023, and the proportion of fatal accidents increased from 23.0% to 29.2% during the same period.
Meanwhile, the district will also strengthen traffic safety education for the elderly. In cooperation with the Road Traffic Authority, it will conduct “visiting traffic safety education” by visiting organizations such as the Korean Senior Citizens Association, welfare centers, and senior citizen centers. By March, it plans to distribute “Senior Driver” signs at community service centers to help elderly drivers receive more consideration and courtesy on the roads.
District Mayor Park Hee-young said, "We will improve the public transportation environment so that seniors can travel more safely and conveniently, and strengthen traffic safety education to create a safer Yongsan-gu.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.


