"How much do we even ride? I'd like things to stay as they are."

"65 is hardly old these days — I'd support raising it to 75."

About 648,000 people aged 65–69 stand to lose free-ride eligibility

Seoul eyes Daegu model of raising the age by one year annually

New York and Paris offer 50% discounts; London rides are free

Korea Transport Institute recommends tiered fares based on basic pension eligibility

Turnstiles at a Seoul subway station. [Yonhap]
Turnstiles at a Seoul subway station. [Yonhap]

"How much do we even ride? If we had to pay, I'd take the subway once instead of twice — and moving around less can't be good for your health. I'd like things to stay as they are." — Choi, 68

"Is 65 really old these days? I hear the subway is running big deficits, so my husband and I actually pay on purpose. I think raising it to 70 — or even 75 — would be fine." — Lee, 69

On Friday morning at Garak Market Station on Seoul Subway Line 8, a large share of passengers stepping off the train were in their 60s or older. Perhaps because the station connects directly to the market, many were pulling wheeled carts or carrying shopping bags.

Citizens interviewed at the station were divided over the Seoul Metropolitan Government's plan to raise the age for free subway rides. Some expressed resistance, saying the loss of an existing benefit would be a financial burden. Others said 65 is too young to be considered elderly and supported raising the threshold.

Lee, 68, encountered at Garak Market Station, said daily commuting costs her more than 3,000 won in transit fares. "There are months when my monthly transit bill tops 80,000 won ($52)," she said. "People with money won't care much, but there are plenty of people like me who don't earn a lot. Losing that benefit would really sting."

Some who already qualify for free rides choose to pay anyway. Kim, 69, said he has not even applied for a senior transit card. "I'm still working, and I don't want to be treated as elderly," he said. "I support raising the age to 70."

The proposal to raise the free-ride age from 65 to 70 is being pursued alongside a plan to extend free bus rides to passengers aged 70 and older — one of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's campaign pledges. Oh met with the Seoul chapter of the Korea Senior Citizens Association on June 19. A public hearing involving seniors, experts and citizens is scheduled for early next month.

The hearing, set for early July, is expected to focus on the methodology for raising the free-ride age threshold.

The central issue is what happens to the roughly 648,000 Seoul residents aged 65 to 69 who would lose free-ride eligibility under the change, based on the city's registered population data as of April 27. An official from the Seoul chapter of the Korea Senior Citizens Association said the hearing is also expected to address how to handle those already using free rides in that age group.

Seoul is also looking at the approach taken by Daegu, which in 2023 amended its ordinance to raise the free subway age by one year annually starting from 65. In exchange, the city lowered the age for free city bus rides — previously available to those 75 and older — down to 70. As a result, Daegu's free subway age stood at 66 in 2024, 67 in 2025 and 68 this year, with the threshold set to reach 70 by 2028. The free bus age, meanwhile, has been lowered from 75 to 74 in 2024, 73 in 2025 and 72 this year.

A Daegu city official from the urban rail division said the city passed an ordinance in 2023 — the first of any local government in the country — to raise the free subway age from 65 to 70 in annual one-year increments beginning in 2024, with full implementation by 2028. "At the same time, we have been lowering the age for free bus rides by one year annually since 2024," the official said. "By 2028, both the subway and bus free-ride ages will be unified at 70."

Those who already receive free subway rides will not lose the benefit retroactively. But people who would have qualified at 65 to 67 under the old rules must now pay fares starting this year.

The official said the city is still working out what support measures, if any, to offer those aged 65 to 69 who no longer qualify. "Seoul can certainly look to Daegu as a reference, but our fiscal independence, budget scale and seniors' subway usage patterns are all different — I'm not sure it can be applied as-is," the official added.

Daegu moved to reform the system to address chronic fiscal deficits driven by rapid aging and to ensure the long-term viability of its urban rail network. Free-ride losses on Daegu's subway Lines 1 through 3 reached 67 billion won last year.

A Seoul city official said the city would review cases such as Daegu's as a reference. On the question of what to do with those currently eligible for free rides, the official said retroactive application would not be possible once the relevant laws are changed.

A 2025 report by the Korea Transport Institute on improving the free subway ride system for an aging society — focusing on Seoul Subway Lines 1 through 9 — found that raising the eligible age from 65 to 70 would cut the cost of senior free rides by about 34.74 percent, from 323.3 billion won to 211 billion won. The institute proposed a tiered fare system based on basic pension eligibility as an alternative to improve the policy's long-term sustainability. It cautioned, however, that raising the age threshold or differentiating fares by income level could be seen as a rollback of welfare benefits, and that broad consensus across all age groups — including seniors — would be needed.

Seoul expects that raising the free-ride age would somewhat reduce the deficit at Seoul Metro. According to the city and Seoul Metro, losses from senior free rides came to about 383 billion won last year. Raising the threshold to 70 would generate an estimated additional 110 billion won in annual fare revenue, which the city plans to use to fund free bus rides for passengers aged 70 and older.

Kim Ju-young, a professor in the transportation policy department at Korea National University of Transportation, said he understood Seoul's intent to reduce the subway deficit but expressed concern about a sudden change. "Among those currently aged 65 to 69, there are vulnerable people who cannot work," he said. "Rather than simply drawing a line by age — as Daegu has done — differentiating by income level or setting a cap on the number of free rides would be more effective."


ikson@heraldcorp.com