Survey of 1,144 Seoul Citizens
64% Support Raising the Free Subway Ride Age
A survey revealed that 6 out of 10 Seoul citizens currently support raising the subway free ride age to 65 years or older. Many opinions suggested that 70 years is the appropriate age for free rides.
Citizens are using the subway at Gwanghwamun Station on Seoul Subway Line 5. Photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Jo Yong-jun
On the 5th, Yoon Young-hee, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (People Power Party, proportional representation), announced the survey results related to raising the free ride age at the 'Discussion on the Current Status and Improvement of Free Subway Rides for the Elderly in Seoul,' hosted by the City Council's Transportation Committee.
The survey was conducted from December 11 to 15 last year, targeting 1,144 adult Seoul citizens aged 19 and older through online or on-site questionnaires. The age distribution of respondents was highest among those in their 50s at 18.4%, followed by those in their 30s (17.7%), 40s (17.2%), 20s and 60s (each 16.3%), 70s (9.4%), and 80 and older (4.8%).
Regarding eligibility for free rides, 283 respondents (24.7%) were eligible, and 861 (75.3%) were not.
Seventy-one percent of respondents answered that the appropriate age defining elderly is 70 years or older. Among them, 18% said 75 years or older, and 8% said 80 years or older was appropriate.
Sixty-four percent responded 'in favor' of raising the free ride age. This was followed by 19% who answered 'don't know,' and 17% who were 'against.'
The reasons for supporting the age increase included increased burden on future generations (39%), changes in social perception (37%), and discrimination against elderly people living in cities without subways (24%). Among those who supported raising the age, 76% chose 70 years as the appropriate age. This was followed by 68 years at 11%, 66 years at 6%, 67 years at 5%, and 69 years at 2%.
Councilor Yoon stated, "The majority of respondents agreed with raising the free ride age and emphasized the need to adjust the standard suitable for the centenarian aging era," adding, "If the age is adjusted step-by-step based on 70 years, it could help alleviate social conflicts."
The Elderly Association urged a cautious approach regarding the issue of raising the free ride age. Lim Se-gyu, Secretary General of the Korea Senior Citizens Association Seoul Branch, said at the discussion, "The cause of subway deficits is not free rides," and requested, "Since retirement age extension, pension reform, and raising the elderly age are socially discussed together, Seoul City should not take the lead in raising the age first but observe the progress of discussions."
On the other hand, Seoul Metro argued that the free ride system is the cause of subway deficits. Lee Eun-gi, Director of Management Support at Seoul Metro, said, "As of last year, the number of free riders was about 17% of the total, 7.51 million per day, and the resulting loss was about 400 billion KRW annually," expressing concern that "an increase in free ride losses without financial measures causes structural deficits, leading to problems such as missed opportunities for safety investments." In fact, Seoul Metro's free ride deficits have increased annually: 264.2 billion KRW in 2020, 278.4 billion KRW in 2021, 315.2 billion KRW in 2022, and 366.3 billion KRW in 2023.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
